Dungeon Keeper Goes Free For Valentine's Day On GOG

[NuclearKangaroo]

Too bad none of the knobs who rated DK mobile as 5 star will ever hear or care about this deal so they can learn how wrong they were.

I would theorise that most of the "people" who rated the mobile version of DK 5-stars can probably be traced back to a single laptop operated by a guy who is "most definatley, 100%, OFFICIALLY not on EA's payroll". But that is just my miserable cynic talking.

OT: Things like this really remind me why i am such a fan of GOG. Pretty much all of my PC gaming is GOG centric these days as they are sadly the only company that seems to accept that DRM is an anti-consumer practice and appreciate that this leads to an unsustainable business model.

i dont agree, if DRM provides enough benefits to the end user (like steam) then it shouldnt be an issue, but if we are talking shit like limited installs and always online connection then yes, that shit can do die in a hole

You raise an interesting point about Steam, but I ask what benefit the actual DRM aspect of Steam provides? Don't get me wrong, I accept things like steam sales are great for the users of the service, but that is something aside from the DRM aspect. What actual benefits are there for having to connect to the internet to play (yes I am aware there is a play offline mode but online is the default)? Or having to run the steam client software in the background? Orin the case of a retail purchase, having to download, connect to steam and register the game before you can play it?

These things are the DRM aspect of Steam and I agree they can be justified if these same things provide a benefit, but the rest of the business model being sound doesn't justify screwing people with DRM.

well if we are going strictly by the benefits of steamworks i can name achivements, cloud saving and steam workshop integration, i believe matchmaking and VAC are part of the package too

but besides that, i do consider sales (as well as the other features not related to steamworks) a benefit of DRM, is a service valve provides and it makes up for their use of DRM

The 70% off was the introductory price when they brought STALKER to their catalogue ($15 USD for all three games ... have to love GOG)and I'm sure they'll bring them on sale again.

id be nice, but as i said, my funds are on my steam wallet so i need a steam sale :/

 

[TallanKhan]

Too bad none of the knobs who rated DK mobile as 5 star will ever hear or care about this deal so they can learn how wrong they were.

I would theorise that most of the "people" who rated the mobile version of DK 5-stars can probably be traced back to a single laptop operated by a guy who is "most definatley, 100%, OFFICIALLY not on EA's payroll". But that is just my miserable cynic talking.

OT: Things like this really remind me why i am such a fan of GOG. Pretty much all of my PC gaming is GOG centric these days as they are sadly the only company that seems to accept that DRM is an anti-consumer practice and appreciate that this leads to an unsustainable business model.

i dont agree, if DRM provides enough benefits to the end user (like steam) then it shouldnt be an issue, but if we are talking shit like limited installs and always online connection then yes, that shit can do die in a hole

You raise an interesting point about Steam, but I ask what benefit the actual DRM aspect of Steam provides? Don't get me wrong, I accept things like steam sales are great for the users of the service, but that is something aside from the DRM aspect. What actual benefits are there for having to connect to the internet to play (yes I am aware there is a play offline mode but online is the default)? Or having to run the steam client software in the background? Orin the case of a retail purchase, having to download, connect to steam and register the game before you can play it?

These things are the DRM aspect of Steam and I agree they can be justified if these same things provide a benefit, but the rest of the business model being sound doesn't justify screwing people with DRM.

well if we are going strictly by the benefits of steamworks i can name achivements, cloud saving and steam workshop integration, i believe matchmaking and VAC are part of the package too

but besides that, i do consider sales (as well as the other features not related to steamworks) a benefit of DRM, is a service valve provides and it makes up for their use of DRM

Ok there are two points here. Firstly those benefits aren't actual benefits of the DRM itself. The DRM aspect of steamworks is that it's mandatory, you can't play the game without using it. I am all in favour of achievements, cloud saving etc, and all of that could be offered DRM free if it was just optional, something people had the choice to sign up to when making steam purchases.

Secondly, things like sales aren't a benefit even exclusive to steam, let alone anything remotely linked to their function as a DRM platform, just look at what GOG is doing now.

 

[NuclearKangaroo]

Ok there are two points here. Firstly those benefits aren't actual benefits of the DRM itself. The DRM aspect of steamworks is that it's mandatory, you can't play the game without using it. I am all in favour of achievements, cloud saving etc, and all of that could be offered DRM free if it was just optional, something people had the choice to sign up to when making steam purchases.

Secondly, things like sales aren't a benefit even exclusive to steam, let alone anything remotely linked to their function as a DRM platform, just look at what GOG is doing now.

let me put it this way

the downsides steam offers as a service are nothing compared to the benefits for me


steamwork is DRM that also provides a framework for steam integration, the DRM is part of it, but so is everythign else, you cant single it out any more than you can single out "power comsumption" froma modern PC, is part of the package along with all the benefits

Valve knows DRM can annoy their customers, to make up for it they provide, steam sales, trading cards, screenshots, community features, market, trading, achivements, cloud saving, workshop integration, big picture mode, etc

 

[TallanKhan]

Ok there are two points here. Firstly those benefits aren't actual benefits of the DRM itself. The DRM aspect of steamworks is that it's mandatory, you can't play the game without using it. I am all in favour of achievements, cloud saving etc, and all of that could be offered DRM free if it was just optional, something people had the choice to sign up to when making steam purchases.

Secondly, things like sales aren't a benefit even exclusive to steam, let alone anything remotely linked to their function as a DRM platform, just look at what GOG is doing now.

let me put it this way

the downsides steam offers as a service are nothing compared to the benefits for me


steamwork is DRM that also provides a framework for steam integration, the DRM is part of it, but so is everythign else, you cant single it out any more than you can single out "power comsumption" froma modern PC, is part of the package along with all the benefits

Valve knows DRM can annoy their customers, to make up for it they provide, steam sales, trading cards, screenshots, community features, market, trading, achivements, cloud saving, workshop integration, big picture mode, etc

I appreciate what your saying and to make it clear i am not saying the service as a whole isn't providing you with a benefit. I quite accept that you feel you are still in a better position using steam than not.

However, what i am getting at is the DRM does not contibute to that in any way. Your pc power consumption comparision is flawed because if you follow that line of thought it would imply that in the same way you cannot build a pc that does not use power to one degree or another, digial distribution is not possible without DRM in some form, which services like GOG disprove.

Benefits such as steam sales and achievements are not provided out of some desire to compensate players for the infliction of DRM but are instead specific business strategies designed to retain customers, sell units and to encourage purchases through steam rather than a competitor. And let me be very clear that i applaud that, because competition is healthy. As a whole i like valve as a business and am very much in favour of what they do. However, their stance on DRM remains morally questionable and in my estimations a very poor business decision.

 

[NuclearKangaroo]

I appreciate what your saying and to make it clear i am not saying the service as a whole isn't providing you with a benefit. I quite accept that you feel you are still in a better position using steam than not.

However, what i am getting at is the DRM does not contibute to that in any way. Your pc power consumption comparision is flawed because if you follow that line of thought it would imply that in the same way you cannot build a pc that does not use power to one degree or another, digial distribution is not possible without DRM in some form, which services like GOG disprove.

absolutely fantastic point, you are right

Benefits such as steam sales and achievements are not provided out of some desire to compensate players for the infliction of DRM but are instead specific business strategies designed to retain customers, sell units and to encourage purchases through steam rather than a competitor. And let me be very clear that i applaud that, because competition is healthy. As a whole i like valve as a business and am very much in favour of what they do. However, their stance on DRM remains morally questionable and in my estimations a very poor business decision.

well global achivements and stuff like that does require some sort of infrastructure, im not sure if they could exist without DRM but they'd definitively need some sort of 3rd party program, so even if steamworks scrapped the DRM part of it, it would still exist in some way shape or form

are you agaisnt DRM purely because of your principles or because of its intrusiveness?



i think valve doesnt have a particular stance on DRM, there are games on steam that make no use of DRM, is not required, likewise valve apparently tells devs to sell their games in as many store fronts and platforms as possible, so again thatd go a bit agaisnt this DRM stance

also from what i understand their DRM is particulary hard to crack, i think valve avoids having too many piracy problems not because its DRM is impregnable but because they offer enough benefits to the end user they prefer to buy their stuff legal

 

[Neta]

I love Dungeon Keeper, but it's a crying shame that the game is virtually unplayable due to the graphics being painful to look at.

I'm not usually one to care about graphics as long as the gameplay is good, but with games where you really need to have clear visual definition of the game components, this game has aged to death.

 

[Strazdas]

I haven't tried the GoG version of Clear Sky yet. I never even got that far in CS, my game would always corrupt near the big 2 storey barn/church in the first section even after applying patch after patch which is why I burned through all my TAGES allowable installs. I just downloaded the first game last night and was going to start playing through this weekend and hopefully start on CS after that.

Yes, the newbie section was the worst one. it would for a fact crash if you were there at the time sun sets for example. They should have given the game to someone like me who likes to play games thoroughly collecting everything and it would have been given them a lot of reproducible crashes.
Good luck with your gaiming and have fun And get out of the clear sky newbie section as fast as you can to lower crashes.