GOG is the only big option if you want to own the games you purchase.
Rooty@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Too bad, I use Steam and it works wonderfully on Linux, but i don’t want it to be the only option.
Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 2 months ago
woelkchen@lemmy.world 2 months ago
That’s not how copyright laws work anywhere. You don’t own anything, it’s just a license.
lepinkainen@lemmy.world 2 months ago
GoG Vault would disagree with you on that.
You can download the full installers and keep them, nobody can take them away or disable it remotely
JackbyDev@programming.dev 2 months ago
What they mean is that technically you still are being granted a license to use it. The same was true for things like DVD movies. They’re technically correct, but missing the point.
woelkchen@lemmy.world 2 months ago
GoG Vault would disagree with you on that.
They are free to disagree on laws but they are still bound by them.
You can download the full installers and keep them, nobody can take them away or disable it remotely
That’s true but if your license is revoked, you’re illegally in possession of the game assets.
Nibodhika@lemmy.world 2 months ago
How is that different from backing up the game folder on steam? In both cases it’s true that:
- You’re not doing anything illegal at the moment you do it
- You can use it to play the game on a different computer (as long as the game is DRM free which is not granted on either platform)
- The company (Valve/GOG) can’t remotely erase your copy
- If the company removes the license from you your backup is now technically illegal but it’s unlikely to be enforced
I fail to see how GOGs approach is any different, they still sell you a license and you’re backing up the installer in case the license gets removed and/or you’re forbidden from redownloading the game.
Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 2 months ago
In case of Steam.
With GOG I get an actual license key & terms that state my ownership.
woelkchen@lemmy.world 2 months ago
With GOG I get an actual license key & terms that state my ownership.
No, the intellectual property is not transferred to you. You have no clue how copyright works.
Nibodhika@lemmy.world 2 months ago
No you don’t. You get the same license as you do on Steam, here’s the license btw …gog.com/…/16034990432541-GOG-User-Agreement-effe… :
We give you and other GOG users the personal right (known legally as a ‘license’) to use GOG services and to download, access and/or stream (depending on the content) and use GOG content. This license is for your personal use. We can stop or suspend this license in some situations, which are explained later on.
Which is very similar to Steam. In both cases you can keep the files you’ve downloaded on your machine, and on most cases you can copy those files to a different machine and keep playing it. GOG has better marketing on this regard, but they’re both very similar, neither enforces DRM nor forbids it entirely, although GOG does tend to be a bit stricter (but they still allow it) whereas steam is a bit looser but knowingly implemented a weak DRM and let’s you know in the game page if the game has any stronger form of DRM.
Mubelotix@jlai.lu 2 months ago
Who says you have to respect the laws? Just pirate if publishers mess with players
woelkchen@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Just pirate
What’s the point of GOG then?
woelkchen@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Neither do I but it is. GOG doesn’t support Linux. Heroic is a 3rd party community effort. Valve is currently the only company making financial investments into Linux gaming.
sneezycat@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
It does support Linux: it lets you download Linux installer for games that have a Linux port.
The lack of GOG Galaxy on Linux just means you have to manually manage your games.
woelkchen@lemmy.world 2 months ago
GOG lets publishers upload various installers but GOG does nothing to support them, let alone offer something like Proton (which is open source, so they could take and integrate it for free).
Cethin@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
No one needs to “offer” Proton. It’s available freely for anyone. I think some people think Proton is a Steam thing. It isn’t. Yeah, Valve did a lot of work on it, which is great, but it isn’t limited to them. Vlave has essentially unlimited resources, and I’m happy they spent some making improvements for WINE, but GOG does not have nearly the same resources. I wouldn’t expect them to put their effort into that. Valve only did because they were building hardware that they wanted to run Linux.
lengau@midwest.social 2 months ago
Many more companies than Valve are making financial investments into Linux gaming, including companies that own various Linux distributions (Red Hat, Canonical, etc.), CodeWeavers (who amongst other things have been contracted by Valve on a lot of Proton work) and to a lesser extent Humble Bundle.