GOG will be adding games with virtual items purchases, according to changes in legal agreements

This is really murky waters, it will essentially allow games full of micro transactions on GOG.

It's probable there are a few already and GOG are just covering their backs legally.

QuoteVirtual items/currency and GOG Wallet funds are not covered by this section 6 and we cannot therefore offer refund, early exchange, money back guarantee or withdrawal rights regarding them.

So essentually their refund options don't apply to microtransactions.

Also

Quote6.17 Virtual Goods are digital items only with no cash-value or real world existence and cannot be ‘bought’, ‘sold’, gifted, transferred or redeemed, whether or not for other Virtual Goods, ‘real world’ money, goods, services or items of monetary value. Trading Virtual Goods is prohibited (unless you are specifically permitted to do so).

So no selling your virtually purchased goods, so it won't be like the Steam marketplace.

This is all to cover their own backs for in-game purchases essentially, nothing more by the sounds of it.

I need to think whether this is funny or sad. So basically there was a huge problem with Armello with DLC as DRM not being possible. And now they are going to allow microtransactions, which is exactly the same sort of DRM. I think someone higher up must have done some calculations and decided that DRM free was not worth missing the boat on microtransactions entirely.

It depends on how microtransactions are implemented. If the fact that you bought a hat or a new map is saved to your save file, so even after the game servers are closed you can still install the game, copy over the save files and have everything you purchased, that's completely fine by me and it's DRM free. If the hat or a new map depends on whether the game server is still running and verifies your purchase, that's no longer DRM free. However, since these cosmetic purchases are often present in multiplayer games, and the multiplayer will often not work once the servers are down, the DRM free-ness might be a non-issue.

There are certain titles where you play offline and still have ingame purchases (e.g. buying new heroes in Kingdom Rush on Android, it's probably different in the PC version, so take it just as an example) - if those were tied to game server availability and you could not play the heroes without it (even though the whole game is offline), that would be a problem in my eyes and a DRM restriction. I would expect that such cases would be covered by providing a DLC/hero/map/item installer/activator in the GOG Library, so that you can install it any time in the future, without relying on any game servers.

What I want to say is that microtransactions are not inherently evil, it just depends on how people use them. For example, in certain games I used microtransactions to donate extra money to developers, because I liked the game and I got it cheap (or it was free to play). GOG proved recently in the Armello case that they're very pro-consumer. I would not expect any dirty tricks here with microtransactions. Of course, time will tell.

I have some games that include microtransactions, I just ignore them & play the games without any of the "superwonderfulcheapextrasthatyoumusthave".

Well I dont know how the DRM-Free thingy will work on in game items u can buy.
But if they can stay DRM-Free Im not bothered with it all.

And if gog goes DRM, well what can gog offer that steam doesnt?
Its just another steam store with less games.
I will probably go back to steam full time then.

And I dont mind microtransactions, if u dont like them u can just ignore them.
But its a nice way to support the devs, waste some money from your wallet, and get good looking stuff.
But ye, Im not a fan off pay2win, but I just ignor those games.

Funny you should mention Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball as I was just wondering in their Steam discussion on a DRM-free release how in game items would be handled.

Sounds to me like support for some MMORPG like with in-game purchases (Star Citizen?). Never saw a point for paying for such items with real money. I'd rather buy another game indeed. Developers who want to have in-game economy, should use virtual money generated by in-game means (mining, crafting and so on). Requiring real money for that is poor taste. At least in case of Star Citizen you indeed can earn virtual money by in-game means. But they also allow using real money for that.


Last edited by Shmerl on 14 September 2016 at 11:53 pm UTC

Quoting: ShmerlSounds to me like support for some MMORPG like with in-game purchases (Star Citizen?). Never saw a point for paying for such items with real money. I'd rather buy another game indeed.

I dont want to defend star citizen here, just want to point out.
There is some limits to what you can purches with those credits, and there are also a limit on how mutch you can buy within the game. I dont know if this is stuff regarding in game item, like you can only buy certen items or if its limited to, lets say clothing, skins and stuff to your ship.
There could also be a limit to how mutch SC money you are able to buy for real money.

But if SC is pay2win, Im sad and Im off, dont want to play a game where you can just pay your way to the top.
If your read the wiki, SC states it wont be pay2win once it gets released, and I hope they stick to it.
At the moment it is, and I dont mind backers having a head start.


Last edited by Zelox on 15 September 2016 at 9:14 am UTC