With more and more indie/new games coming, I think it makes sense to have some sort of optional client that can manage all your game saves, updates, new extra content, etc. As it is, the more your library grows on here, the harder it becomes to keep up-to-date versions of all the files, and that can be a pain. For instance, some DOS games get their DOSBOX settings adjusted to run better (see GOG Installer v2.0, etc.) and that kind of stuff isn't really made clear by the installers unless you look at the original installer versus the newer ones you download now.

It would be sweet to have an optional client in which I can browse all my installed games ALA Steam with optional cloud saving in addition to saving to the hard drive to allow for easier browsing, updating, and playing of my game library on GOG.com. As long as it;s optional and the client is very optimized, I wouldn't mind using something like that myself - if the client were even a little bit intrusive though, I'd just stick with using the GOG installers/bonus features as is. Really hope what is announced this year really makes a difference for the better in getting new customers and making all the current ones like us happy.

In short, we need to continue to get more hard to get old games (and newer games) DRM-free! I don't think GOG will disappoint us though. :)

I have absolutely no evidence that it's going to be in-house other than:
-- it seems to be the way GOG does things, and
-- the devs/ support team of the current downloader said a few months ago in the GOG Downloader thread that they're super busy with something.

As for the open source part - nth prevents GOG from making the downloader/ client open source if they want to. OTOH, they don't have to if they don't want to.

Maybe important for some folks; but for me this is a non-issue. Any such client needs to be completely optional; and/or should have settings to turn off the 'keep it all updated'.

I don't need every GOG installer and/or game that I have previously downloaded and/or installed to be updated on my PC each and every time GOG updates it on their website. That's because I'm not playing all my GOG games all the time.

I might purchase a game and it sits on my shelf un-downloaded for months (or longer lol). Those games will already be 'up-to-date' when I finally download them.

GOG games I have previously downloaded might sit around for months or years after I have played them (or their installers might sit around un-installed). Those don't need to be constantly or continually updated. When I play one of these I'll just re-download that installer and re-install if I feel the need for an 'update'. I might also just be happy with the 'non-updated' version that I previously downloaded and played (at whatever 'update' version it was at that time I dl'd it).

GOG games I am currently playing should never be 'updated' out from under me. If the installer gets updated but not the installed game - that's no use for me while I am playing the game. If the installed game itself gets updated it might change how it plays or kill the saves or introduce some incompatibility or something else undesirable.

I can't think of a scenario where I want all my GOG stuff auto-updated on my PC all the time. But so as long as such a client is completely optional; and has settings to turn off auto-updating; then it is cool.

But I'd rather GOG not expend resources on this type of thing. This client itself will need constant babysitting and attention from GOG; basically introducing another burden on GOG (the company) rather than relieving them of anything. It would also greatly increase the bandwidth they use (which may or may not matter). And occasionally said client is bound to itself get an update that 'screws things up'.

Overall a lot of negatives and not much positive comes from such a client. I don't get why anyone wants one at all - but some do. So if GOG decides to impose this burden upon themselves I hope they are wise enough to keep it optional.