Seems like game store GOG is doing well overall in their new figures with revenue up 114%

Quoting: denyasis

Quoting: poiuzThe whining about GOG is really bugging me. If you're happy with your DRM gods & Proton then good for you. Just stop the constant complaining about GOG. That's not "ignoring GOG".

Sorry dude, It's popular to hate on stores that aren't Steam here, with the exception of Itch.io, mostly because no one considers it a "real store".

Something, I do find interesting, although a bit tangential to this topic is what we as a community are willing to sacrifice for our comfort or easiness, myself included.

I saw a few posts above lamenting how it's not easy to play a Linux game from GOG and how antiquated the concept of downloading the game off the website is. Yet, we spend a lot of effort adding PPAs, learning the CLI (talk about something actually from before 1998), ldd, protontricks, winecfg, mesa, kernel stuff, tinkering, hacking, sometimes just to get mostly functional desktops.

I wonder how many of us really want to "play on Linux" (sorry for the pun)? The more I think of it, the more I wonder if I really do. Don't get me wrong, I love Linux and I like Tinkering with it in ways that I could never do with windows or Mac. I'll never go back! And haven't in over a decade.

But when I want to play a game, I find it really frustrating when I'm missing a library that I have to hunt down or a new kernel doesn't play nice with my graphics drivers or have to tweak wine/proton with my limited game time. It's like I'm frustrated because I'm reminded I'm on Linux with it's flaws and complexities. I just wanted the game to work without problems and relax!

Maybe for us the problem isn't GOG's Linux support. Maybe the problem is more that GOG reminds us we're still on Linux when we'd rather not be reminded of such.

Perhaps that's part of the allure of Steam. It's makes effort to make the Linux-ness of the system not apparent. With proton in the background, many things just work, like on Windows or Mac.


I find this an interesting contradiction and by looking at the comments, I think it's one many of us, myself included, are comfortable with having.

An interesting rumination. In my personal case, I didn't start using Linux to tinker. I'd prefer never to have to. It was partly because I like the concept of Free Software, and partly because Windows was annoying (and still is, although in somewhat different ways). Although I suppose the ability to tinker was part of the appeal--I find that often if something is wrong with Windows it's because that's how Microsoft wants it and there's nothing I can do about it, whereas if something is wrong with Linux it is actually possible to do some tinkering and fix it.
Example: I just recently set up a cheapo little box to hook up to the TV; we decided to stop paying for cable and my wife would just basically "watch the internet". There was a little wifi antenna thingie we were attaching to the cheap box and I wasn't totally sure about Linux drivers so I thought, eh, Windows is already on it, all I'm going to run is a browser, maybe I won't bother ripping it out and putting Linux. And yet with just that--doing literally nothing except run Firefox--Windows still manages to be annoying, always nagging about how you should be using their browser instead of Firefox or you should be handing over more of your data or whatever. My wife isn't very computer literate, so she's always calling me over to ask what the ominous messages mean, and they always just mean Microsoft are being tools. Drives me nuts! I'm totally going to rip Windows out and put in Mint because Mint doesn't jerk me around.

So the bottom line is, I run Linux because it doesn't mess with me. I don't run it with the aim of fiddling with it; I'm quite happy for my whole experience with Linux to work without problems and let me relax! So that's quite consistent with liking to use Steam.

I'm glad to see GOG doing well. I still pick up a few games from them but a lot of my money has been going to itch.io. I did recently pick up 3 games from GOG 2 of which were Linux native and one that was not but it's platinum with regular wine so it's all good.

If they bring Galaxy to Linux, I'm sure many would be happy but I don't want any launchers on my hardware.

I think, for me, the compelling part of GOG is the DRM free nature. When they go out of business (and they will), I'll still have playable games. When Steam goes out of business (and they will), I have no garuntee that the games I paid to play, I will be able to play.

I've been burned by other stores closing in the past, so I'm a little wary in that regard.

I still use both services and find them acceptable. Steam is very easy to use which I like. GOG lets me have control, which I also like.

Besides to be fair, what other stores are there? Everything else I can think of is either a key-reseller or novelty.

Quoting: CatKillerand one could overclock one's computer with a pencil

Hehe, takes me back. Good old Athalons. Wow I don't even remember how to spell it, been so long. Thanks for that, and for sharing your perspective. And thank you Purple Library Guy for your thoughts as well.

At the end of the day I don't care where people buy there games or how they play them but I hate hypocrisy which is why I asked my question.

Quoting: Dorrit

Quoting: PublicNuisancedo you buy Windows games on Steam ?

If they work fine with Proton yes, as they are counted by Valve as Linux purchases.

You can wrap whatever delusion and special wording you want around it to justify it but at the end of the day you are handing money over to publishers and developers who did not put in the effort to make a Linux version. The issue I take with that is when people give GOG flak for not supporting Linux (even though they sell Linux games on their store) but then hand over money to other people who also don't support Linux and somehow want to act like it's different. Either both are fine or neither are but you/they can't have it both ways.

Quoting: LamdarerWell, yes.
Is it comfortable to play Windows games through Steam? Most of the time yes it is, if they aren't playable on Linux I dont buy them.
Is it comfortable to play Linux games through GOG? Not really, although I need to admit "back in the day" when I wanted to migrate from Steam to GOG and some time latter from Win to Linux(which made me stop the migration to GOG) I didn't know things like Minigalaxy exist. On the other hand as I tried the last time playing Gothic through Minigalaxy I eventually gave up and brought it on Steam.

I don't care for clients and actually prefer downloading the install files and running them without a client and also like knowing they're DRM free. I'm the minority I know but I like what I like.

Quoting: WorMzyPersonally, no. I only buy games with native Linux support. If a dev doesn't support Linux, then I don't support them. Why would devs consider porting games to Linux if Linux users will buy their game either way?

I agree. I can't stand it when I see people on forums saying how "game x" has some issue on Proton or Wine and hopefully the developer makes a Linux version some day so they can play it properly. They fail to see that they have no more leverage, they already own the game and the publisher and developer has their money. If someone wants to buy Windows games then by all means do what you want to but it is delusional to think that buying the game without Linux support will somehow make a publisher change their mind about Linux support.


Last edited by PublicNuisance on 29 April 2021 at 3:40 am UTC

Quoting: PublicNuisanceYou can wrap whatever delusion and special wording you want around it to justify it but at the end of the day you are handing money over to publishers and developers who did not put in the effort to make a Linux version

There is no delusion or special wording, buying a Windows game on Steam and playing it through Proton counts as a Linux sale, end of story. Otherwise I agree with everything you said. I prefer buying native games and will do so 8/10 times, but if there is a Windows game I really want to play I will buy it on Steam once it is at least half year old and on at least 50% sale.

Otherwise I prefer to use Itch.io and GOG to Steam, unless there is a special case for buying the game on Steam, like yesterday, I bought Spirtifarer on Steam instead of itch.io, because of Remote Play Together.

Quoting: PublicNuisanceI can't stand it when I see people on forums saying how "game x" has some issue on Proton or Wine and hopefully the developer makes a Linux version some day so they can play it properly. They fail to see that they have no more leverage, they already own the game and the publisher and developer has their money. If someone wants to buy Windows games then by all means do what you want to but it is delusional to think that buying the game without Linux support will somehow make a publisher change their mind about Linux support.

But it happens. Not often, but it does. Most recent example would be Metro Exodus. (OTOH we have publishers who drop their well established Linux ports.)

Quoting: PublicNuisanceThe issue I take with that is when people give GOG flak for not supporting Linux (even though they sell Linux games on their store) but then hand over money to other people who also don't support Linux and somehow want to act like it's different

GOG mislead Linux users by stating their intention for a dedicated client and then not keeping their word.
I don't want GOG to "support Linux". I want them to keep their word and give Linux users convenience, like Valve does. After all we pay for the games, we're not asking for favours.


Last edited by Dorrit on 29 April 2021 at 10:16 am UTC

Quoting: PublicNuisanceAt the end of the day I don't care where people buy there games or how they play them but I hate hypocrisy which is why I asked my question.

Quoting: Dorrit

Quoting: PublicNuisancedo you buy Windows games on Steam ?

If they work fine with Proton yes, as they are counted by Valve as Linux purchases.

You can wrap whatever delusion and special wording you want around it to justify it but at the end of the day you are handing money over to publishers and developers who did not put in the effort to make a Linux version. The issue I take with that is when people give GOG flak for not supporting Linux (even though they sell Linux games on their store) but then hand over money to other people who also don't support Linux and somehow want to act like it's different. Either both are fine or neither are but you/they can't have it both ways.

It isn't "having it both ways". When I buy a Windows game on Steam, I'm supporting a Developer who doesn't support Linux, but some of my money is supporting Valve. Valve definitely supports Linux. Valve pays employees to contribute to open source projects that support Linux. Linux gaming wouldn't be where it is today without Valve. Period.

When I buy a Linux game on GOG, I'm supporting a Developer who supports Linux, but some of my money goes to GOG, who has done the bare minimum in order to sell Linux games, and has really done nothing to further gaming on Linux.

Quoting: kaimanAs long as GOG remains the underdog, my support goes (mostly) to them. ...

What "underdog" are you talking about? The "underdog" with these billionaires at the top?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddawkins/2020/12/14/cyberpunk2077-made-its-polish-cofounders-billionaires--but-the-game-failed-to-live-up-to-its-hype/?sh=2c7a9527380f


Last edited by einherjar on 29 April 2021 at 1:26 pm UTC

Quoting: einherjar

Quoting: kaimanAs long as GOG remains the underdog, my support goes (mostly) to them. ...

What "underdog" are you talking about? The "underdog" with these billionaires at the top?

CDPR is Europe's largest game company; they aren't really the underdog any more than Ubisoft is.