According to wikipedia, product key(serial number) is also DRM.
In this case GOG have had quite a lot of DRM-nonfree games.

Well, I doubt how many gogger will consider product key an DRM.
Since I can get the offline key with the game I just bought, I do not care if it need a key or not.
(No key is more convenient, but one key for each buyer is totally fine for me.)

Normally the keys are inserted automatically during installation though so it's bypassed. They're unlikely to be unique either, the only exception being some online games which require an individual serial (NWN). In the former I think that's close enough to DRM free as it is bypassing it and doesn't affect the user. In the latter I think gog should be clear on it and indeed game pages have, though it's not that clear (for instance on neverwinter night's page you have to click read more under About: to actually see that it requires a multiplayer key).

DRM Free is used as a massive selling point on gog so any games with a DRM component should be clearly stated near the head of a game page so that people can clearly see and judge for themselves prior to buying. Ideally right beneath the add to cart instead of having their propaganda about money back guarantees and DRM Free.


That's pretty much exactly how I feel about this. GOG is duping users, yet those same users are happy to let them because it either doesn't apply to them at the moment or (in the case of Galaxy) they were using it anyway.

I asked for opinions and people have given them even if they are along the lines of 'I don't care' or 'it doesn't affect me'. They're certainly entitled to those opinions but at the same time it's worrying and the same kind of nonchalance that has led to things such as Micro DLC, season passes & required online connections to play games.

GOG campaigns and advertises DRM Free so openly yet appears to have invented it's own very basic form of DRM and is marketing it as the very opposite.

Its a type of CP, not DRM.

DRM is the more generic term for various access restriction technologies, including copy protection. Digital copy protection is just one form of DRM.

CP does not have the "Management" part in it.

Yes, I admit that this is exactly my feeling. Unfortunately the industry guys are not stupid enough to not miss this opportunity and try to turn everything into an online service where DRM is effectively built-in in order to get the maximum possible control.

And I'm rather pessimistic what this means for the gamers. But then I'm only a single person. What can I achieve when most other gamers just buy the crap? Obviously many people are fine with DRM for multiplayer games. Some even cannot imagine any DRM free multiplayer solution and buy the story that this is the only possible way. So the industry will win and one day it will be the end for offline single player games too. I'm quite convinced of that.
Ah, the killed by sword is less painful than by spoon but you're dead anyway kind of approach. Hmm, there might be something to it, but my guess would be that the advantage if there is any is rather marginal. Do I really, really trust GOG? No. I buy here, because I do not need to trust GOG. I'm a not very trusting person by nature and so far it always worked out very well. I want guarantees, the hard, real, legally enforcable stuff not that trust thing where you only get disappointed in the end. In that way it doesn't really matter to me who is operating the DRM, no DRM will always be better by far in my opinion.

Maybe Wikipedia uses a different definition than many goggers? The most used definition I know of means something like: no third party control after purchase where third party means publisher, developer, .... So if the serial number is checked by anyone later on, it would be DRM according to this definition, if not, then it would not be DRM but rather only part of how one plays the game. I don't know how it is in each case. Presumably GOG already has quite some DRM in their multiplayer games, for many different definitions of DRM.

And it comes as I (and other people) predicted it , when the DRM software Galaxy was introduced. As a shop, you first have to get to a critical mass of customers and the you can try to become Steam, only this won't fully work here, since Galaxy will never be as "good" and full of features like Steam. GOG is just too incompetent.
When I read something like "I trust GOG". Yeah sure. For what? Throwing all of their principles out the window, just to become a lousy Steam clone? Never!

My solution is just to boycott GOG DRM shop. End of story for me.

EDIT: I just read about the serial number thing. There is a least one game where the serial number is checked and people who bought the game, where locked out. Just read ... https://www.gog.com/forum/general/defcons_drm_is_still_active_support_doesnt_give_a_crap/page1

Good idea.

You can start by boycotting the forum! :D

I think a reverse engineering, open source GOG Galaxy clone is much more beneficial.
Hijack GOG Galaxy API and make all multiplayer server open!

If someone kickstart it, I surely will support/pay it.

When that happens I'll quit buying games. Which will give me plenty of time to finally start working through my huge backlog.

There's always going to be indies who respect their players.

I hope you're right.

Phoning home adds the "Management" part.

Ditto. The day you can't buy games to play offline is the day I stop buying games too.

Unfortunately, with today's "consumers" (I use quotes because they don't really deserve to be called consumers.. fans are probably a better word) I agree that's where things are headed.

Like the other poster said, I'll finally start reducing the amount of my backlog rather than adding to it then. As well as, you know, saving a ton of money.

EDIT: As to the OP, ALL CLIENTS are "stealth DRM" if they're required to play a game. Actually, that's not "stealth DRM" that's DRM.