GOG > Steam?

[jamail77]

I go on my wishlist on both accounts and GOG actually has some on sale while Steam doesn't have a single one of my 44 wishlist games on sale. I go to GOG and get a redeemable offer for 3 free
Fallout games in exchange for the series being pulled from GOG. Steam says it will offer free games more regularly eventually but never commits. GOG has had refunds since the beginning, but Steam only relatively recently updated its terms to allow this. GOG now has more than just games; Steam has a...funky controller?

Seems to me GOG has been coming out on top lately. What do you Escapists think?

 

[votemarvel]

If GoG had new releases, other than their own titles of course, I wouldn't look at the Steam store again.

One of the things I like about GoG other than those you mentioned, is that if there is a regional price difference they will add that difference to your account as store credit.

 

[jamail77]

If GoG had new releases, other than their own titles of course, I wouldn't look at the Steam store again.

Well, you're in luck my friend as there's a reason they don't call themselves Good Old Games any more. They've slowly been adding newer games to their list.

And, yes, the price difference thing is a nice plus as well.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

If the gaming industry didn't have such a hard-on for DRM I'd use GoG more than Steam simply due to the fact that I don't need to run any client in the background all the time to play my GoG games.

 

[Doom972]

It's also worth mentioning that Origin has made great progress and it's actually good enough to compete with Steam and GOG on the same level.

Steam still has some major advantages, such as the Steam community features, the popularity of Steamworks among developers, and of course - the largest games library of all digital storefronts.

GOG is very nice, but unfortunately AAA companies don't like GOG's no-DRM policy, and therefore don't put their latest games on that store.

If you want to get Steam games at cheaper prices, you should look into the Humble Store, as they sometimes offer great deals.

 

[MysticSlayer]

I like GOG more than Steam. I'm not forced to use a client. I don't have to cross my fingers every time I try to play a singleplayer game offline in the hopes that the game I'm running works offline. And generally, GOG just seems to be well ahead of Steam in terms of looking out for the consumer.

Unfortunately, this is also GOG's biggest weakness: AAA developers view them as too consumer-friendly, which really helps the comparatively "neutral" (which I say because I wouldn't necessarily call it anti-consumer) Steam to get the bigger releases that GOG doesn't get. Steam is also much larger, so I've often found that indie developers will go to Steam rather than GOG if they only choose one.

But really, Steam's size and appeal to AAA developers over GOG is the only thing keeping it relevant to me, and even then it barely stays relevant. If I have a choice, I always go GOG. There's even games I have on Steam that I plan to get on GOG once I have the time and money for them, mostly because of the aforementioned problem with Steam's offline mode not always working. For what GOG offers, it's absolutely fantastic. Steam is now just that thing I use because I occasionally have to, not because it's what I prefer.

 

[Silence]

Yes, GoG is >>> than Steam, especially with the Galaxy Client, when it gets more features.

Still, that is the problem: Right now Steam is more convenient and has more games.

 

[Albino Boo]

If GoG had new releases, other than their own titles of course, I wouldn't look at the Steam store again.

One of the things I like about GoG other than those you mentioned, is that if there is a regional price difference they will add that difference to your account as store credit.

Small but rather important point, GoG is inside the EU and its default price is VAT inclusive. So they are making money by converting into a non VAT currency a VAT inclusive price. Steams default price is without sales tax. I'm afraid it's gimmick that does not stand up to examination

 

[Windcaler]

For the last 2 or 3 years GOG has been competing hardcore with steam though I feel like they rarely get noticed. In almost every big sale theyve had for the last 3 years you can find the same games cheaper on GoG around 80-90% of the time. The issue between the two is often Steam has more games while GoG has a better business model, a good return policy, no DRM, and as I said usually better sales for the same games.

I buy from both providers and if given the choice Ill buy from GoG over steam every single time. Its mostly due to my anti-DRM stance but GoG's doing gamers a solid on every front. While steam is really just the walmart of digital distribution (without the better prices to boot)

 

[The Madman]

I generally prefer buying from GOG when it's an option, it's just a cleaner and more simple option that requires a minimum of fuss. Also the tweaks and adjustments they do to make older games run more reliably on modern systems is much appreciated as a fan of the classics.

 

[Tanis]

YES.

No DRM.

FANTASTIC customer support.

Yes.
Yes.
Yes.

 

[Neverhoodian]

GOG has been my go-to digital game store for years due to a variety of factors:

- Serious nostalgia factor from their game catalog.
- Little to no compatibility issues playing old games on newer operating systems.
- My toaster of a computer can't run most modern games.
- I've lost patience with the current industry standards (DRM, microtransactions, Skinner Box progression, broken game launches, etc.). I prefer sticking to the classics.
- Some of Valve's decisions in recent years have rubbed me the wrong way (lack of communication, actively supporting a wretched hive of scum and villainy traders, the whole paid mods fiasco, etc.).

I hardly use Steam at all anymore outside of playing TF2.

 

[Bat Vader]

I prefer GOG over Steam. About a year ago i bought the Jade Empire: Special Edition from Steam and whenever a cutscene was supposed to play it never did. I tried getting a refund on it but I was told there was a fix for it and therefore couldn't be issued a refund. Instead of fixing it I decided to instead buy the game from GOG to help support them and the game works perfectly.

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

I like GOG more than Steam. I'm not forced to use a client. I don't have to cross my fingers every time I try to play a singleplayer game offline in the hopes that the game I'm running works offline.

This... so much this! I am in the Military, and over the last 12 months I have spent over half my time abroad, and a good chunk of the remaining time away on courses and exercises. All of this time away has been spent with little to no internet, and my trusty laptop at my side...

Almost a year ago I downloaded FFVII and FFVIII in the hopes of some nostalgia beating RPG action on my downtime on ops. I even took the official guides out with me in the hopes of finally 100%-ing them. Could I play them? Could I fuck. I was so dissapointed, especially as the weight of the guides also limited what else I could have taken out with me.

Luckily I had Baldurs Gate, Neverwinter Nights 2 and The Witcher from GOG to keep me going. Different type of games though... scratched a slightly different itch.

The only issue with GoG is that the review system is rendered slightly useless. The only people that seem to get the game, then bother to review it, are those looking through the rose tinted goggles of nostalgia. So many have perfect scores, it's crazy!

Relevant:

 

[fenrizz]

I prefer Steam to be honest.
I have most my games there, and I'm not interested in having a second and a third client.

 

[CrystalShadow]

As a service, GOG is definitely on top.
What drags it down compared to steam is a lack of games. When GOG's sales were on, most of the things I wanted on steam simply weren't available on GOG.

Sure there are some newer titles, but they are in the minority for sure.

 

[VladG]

I'll usually buy from GoG rather than Steam when I have the chance. I think they have the most consumer friendly service, and generally try to keep ahead of the curve instead of just close enough behind it (like Steam does). However, their practices prohibit them from getting as big as Steam (at least in the AAA space) and overall Steam does offer better features, even if they're there to sweeten their DRM.

You can't argue with Steam's library size or the value of Steamworks. Especially since the new refund policy which will help a lot with quality control and overall trust in Steam.

GoG is by far the best place for old titles. They do a fantastic job of optimizing / getting them to run on modern machines.

 

[VladG]

I prefer Steam to be honest.
I have most my games there, and I'm not interested in having a second and a third client.

That's one of the great things about GoG - client is 100% optional. It's only there to make updates and library management easier, but you don't need to have it running (or installed) to play anything.

 

[LetalisK]

GOG makes me sad. Every time I go there, I see Tie Fighter and X-Wing and thing "Ooo! I so want to play that again!"

Then I see the screenshots of poop and get very sad. Those games did not age well.