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We know you're busy people, but would you like to contribute to an even better GOG? How about taking 5 minutes of your time to make the GOG experience an outstanding one?

Our main goal when designing GOG.com was to create the best user experience in digital distribution ever. Many say we're doing it right, but we want to get even better, that's why we're launching a survey that will help us lead GOG in the way you'd like it to go. Taking part in it isn't required of course, but if you want to have your share in making GOG the best digital distribution service there is (or at least even better than it is right now) and maybe win a free game, devote few minutes of your time to answer couple questions we've prepared. From all users who will take part in the survey, we'll randomly choose 20 who will receive a free GOG game of their choice. Grab a pencil... er, a keyboards in your hands and answer the below questions for a better future for all of us :)

The survey ends on Thursday, October 27 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
Is there anything else that you think that GOG.com should know to help us grow?

I decided to answer with a post, so that any fellow GOG members that may like my thoughts would bring them up to you too... :)

So, here we go:

1. What sets GOG apart from the rest of digital distribution services is that its whole games catalogue is DRM free.
Please, NEVER, EVER release any game with DRM. :(

2. The feature I would like to see the most is a WANTED LIST. A list of classic games missing from GOG's catalogue that GOG's staff would come up with and would be constantly enriched with community's suggestions. Here's how I think that feature would work perfectly for both GOG (as a business) and its members:
For every game listed, every GOG members with at least one game purchased, will be able to vote whether...
i) It would definitely buy the game at full price
II) It would definitely buy the game when it goes on sale
iii) It doesn't care about the game at all
This way GOG would know exactly how to prioritize its future releases, so that not only would you guys know where to focus in order to earn the most cash, but we (your loyal members) would get our most wanted games sooner. In other words a win-win situation... ;)


3. A desktop client like Valve's Steam would be really lovely, but don't rush to develop it. Take your time and when you decide to go for it, just remember that what matters the most, apart from functionality, is an easy to use, smart, minimalistic and good looking UI. Just do it the Apple way.

4. I don't care about multiplatform games, aka the ones getting full retail releases at the current generation consoles, being available on GOG. I play these games on my Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, simply because I don't have the money to build a new, decent enough, PC every 2 or 3 years (oh, and let's not forget about the DRM plaguing the majority of new PC releases...).
So if you want to add newly released games to your catalogue, do it only for the ones that are either PC exclusive, or developed for the PC and then sometime down the road ported to consoles, like The Witcher 2.
I bought the PC retail release of The Witcher 2 on day one because of its totally awesome Collector's Edition (and then sold the DRM infected copy of the game :P ), I will buy the Xbox 360 version on day one because my PC sucks and barely meets the minimum requirements of the game, and I will buy the version available on GOG, when its price goes a little bit further down, because it's DRM free, it's the definitive version given that it was developed with PC in mind, and also because one day I will own a PC powerful enough to run the game on all of its visual glory. :D

5. Last, but not least, please-please-please release the awesome indie PC games that are out there! They run 100% fine on the majority of PCs, they are really cheap (many times even cheaper than the games available on GOG) and a lot of them will definitely be GOOD OLD Games a few years from now... ;)
I hate Steam and I solely support GOG when it comes to digital distribution services, therefore I am not buying these indie games until they are released on XBLA or iOS. And damn, I feel guilty for not supporting indie developers in an industry plagued from lack of creativity and innovation... :(
Post edited October 15, 2011 by A86
Just keep things as they are!
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A86: 5. Last, but not least, please-please-please release the awesome indie PC games that are out there! They run 100% fine on the majority of PCs, they are really cheap (many times even cheaper than the games available on GOG) and a lot of them will definitely be GOOD OLD Games a few years from now... ;)
I hate Steam and I solely support GOG when it comes to digital distribution services, therefore I am not buying these indie games until they are released on XBLA or iOS. And damn, I feel guilty for not supporting indie developers in an industry plagued from lack of creativity and innovation... :(
Best way to get indie titles DRM free (at least in my opinion) is to sign up to the Humblebundle (http://www.humblebundle.com/) and grab them when they come out.
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1 thing I forgot to add to my survey answers was that I would love it if GOG could support the DosBox for Android guys (http://androiddosbox.appspot.com/) so that I could get some excellent Good old games on my phone/tablet!

That would be the best use of an android tablet in my mind ;)
Post edited October 15, 2011 by stevenutt
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A86: I decided to answer with a post, so that any fellow GOG members that may like my thoughts would bring them up to you too... :)
Hey, great comments, A86 - I second (+1) your five points, each and every one, to the point that I add +5 to your post. :)

There certainly could have been a few more options in the last section of the survey. As to buying newer (1-3 year old) games, the issue for me is not price or extras, but download size. More modern games are reaching into the 4+GB range, and with the slow broadband (and $ per MB pricing) in my country, it is simply more cost effective to buy them on disc. So I answered "no", even though I'm not technically against the idea. GOG should consider the bandwidth requirements that would add on their servers, too.
To people who cannot see or find the survey:

I had the same problem, too. We must all be using NoScript or similar add-ons. It is on this page, but you must allow scripts from jotform.com and jotfor.ms. (Once you allow the first, the second will show up in the list.)
Post edited October 15, 2011 by Escaper
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A86: <snip> Just do it the Apple way. <snip>
That would be the fastest way to introduce DRM and lock in. Would stop me from buying any game here if I needed something like that.
I think the key word for any kind of Steam-like download platform is "Optional".

I wouldn't mind having a GOG platform to auto download patches, updates, and mods of my choosing, as long as it remained optional. Trying to get some mods working with these older games can really be a chore - it would be fantastic if there was a platform that would download and install one for you. (Thinking of all the trouble I had getting the mods working for "Red Baron" here.)

Stardock Impulse (Now regrettably "Gamestop Impulse) is essentially a front end for activating and patching your games automatically that is otherwise never needed. Since GOG games are DRM-free, you would theoretically never need to use the GOG platform; it would just be an extra tool you could use if you wanted. I voted 'yes' on the optional GOG platform on the survey.
Post edited October 15, 2011 by prez
BitCoin.

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Escaper: For example, I live in the US. There was a question that asked if I'd rather see prices in my own local currency rather than have to convert from USD. My answer choices were yes or no. But USD *is* my local currency.
Keep up the good work! It is great that you realize the international potential here, asking questions with the international focus. It is nice to see my old favorites being added just as I started to realize I will never find those old CDs again.

I hope my answers help you improving your already astonishing service!
When I first heard of GOG I didn't care much about it and dindn't mind about DRM even a bit (I own 100+ games on Steam, ignorance is a bless) But after I started to buy my games here I find harder to buy games with this kind of restrction again. I downloaded all my games, burned on DVDs and now I feel that I really own them, this kind of sensation is impossible to achieve on others digital distributors, this is called freedom.

Another remarkable feature of Gog is the high level of its community, so far I didn't find the trolls that plagues various communities over the internet, they seem to be very helpful and friendly, I'm really impressed.

- Sorry for the weird English :^}
What do you guys use for your gaming news (or whatever media)? I use Eurogamer and The Escapist. Is that bad 8} ? Occasionally, I'll use IGN or GameSpot if I'm bored or looking for reviews. Others, only if I'm directed to them through searches or links.
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destroyallmnstrs: - snip And if the Playstation is ever served here the Front Mission series.
That's Square Enix actually, and not Sony. The latest is available on Steam if you're interested. You might be talking about just the PlayStation releases of course, which might require licenses from both parties, I don't know. Of course the Final Fantasy games were PC releases, but contracts may vary.
Post edited October 15, 2011 by elus89
Regarding new games, I think it's a bit of a slippery slope.

Do I want you to release new games? I wouldn't mind it, and I said as much in the survey, but it would be imperative that any sort of use of resources on new games would not, in any way, be at the expense of resources used on releasing old games.

This is Good Old Games, and it should be.

I think a more proper solution to this would start a sister/mirror site, that exclusively published new games, because to be perfectly honest, new games on GOG annoys me a little. The positive aspects (no DRM, OK prices etc.) doesn't offset the fact that they are new games and essentially don't belong here. The site feels more cluttered with new games. I love the order in having a site, and a separate account, that holds a certain category of games (old games). Throwing new games into the mix irks my OCD personality quite a bit, and having a lot of them here would be downright irritating.
Post edited October 17, 2011 by gogfiend
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sloganvirst: Sorry if this is an obvious question, but, where is the survey? I am unable to find it...

Thanks.
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irondog: Strange. I can still see it. It's right under the text you just quoted.
http://www.gog.com/en/news/gog_annual_survey
Not showing up on my one. :(

Thanks for the link btw.
I love the plans for improving GOG My favorite is a Wanted list.
A client for updating and patching the games is a good idea too. I am planning on buying the wingcomander series despite owning all the CD's because they will just work no patching and fiddling arround with the OS and no shoving endless disks into a drive.
Adding some newer games is good too as long as they are true clasics.
The option to pay in Euro's and avoid conversion fees would be great.
Post edited October 15, 2011 by testhero
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testhero: I love the plans for improving GOG My favorite is a Wanted list.
A client for updating and patching the games is a good idea too. I am planning on buying the wingcomander series despite owning all the CD's because they will just work no patching and fiddling arround with the OS and no shoving endless disks into a drive.
Adding some newer games is good too as long as they are true clasics.
The option to pay in Euro's and avoid conversion fees would be great.
I completely agree about the wanted list, but my god, I would simply stop using the site if GOG starts using an external client for things like that. One of the brilliant things about GOG is that all of it is on-site. There is no clutter. There is no bloatware.