Switch to GoG - Good Old Games.

[Iron Knights]

Sure, they don't have every latest release for sale, but there is no launcher requirement. You buy the games and you OWN the games, not a Lease contract. You don't have to use the Galaxy launcher and you don't have to install from it. You can download installation files from the website server with just your login. They provide you with a shortcut file in the directory to send straight to desktop and you have a link to the executable, no Galaxy. You can find games re-composed to work on Windows XP & higher all the way back from the DOS days. Plus they now have a partnership with CD Projekt Red (Witcher Series & Cyberpunk 2077). But what's great about it, you put games on the wish list and you get a discount in 2-3 weeks. Much lower prices than Steam.

[C²C^Guyver |NZB|]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Pierce Dalton:

See?

Yep, and the people who continually claim that Steam is awful, are still here. Funny that.

[Haruspex]

I would agree. I even had a plan at one point to completely phase out my use of Steam in favor of GOG over time.

There were a few issues with that:

• Many games don't come to GOG because publishers are afraid that if they don't lock their games down with DRM, nobody will buy it and will opt to pirate it instead. My desire to play some of those games outweighs my anti-DRM stance.
  
• GOG has had some financial issues. There was that year they actually lost money. They tried to do too much, too quickly, and Cyperpunk under performing at launch didn't help in the short term. This left me uncertain about the sustainability of the platform. I don't want to board what I perceive as a sinking ship. I think they'll be okay, but Steam is a massive dreadnought compared to GOG. I don't see Steam sinking any time soon.
  
• My bank hates them for some reason. Every time I go to make a purchase on GOG with my bank card, my bank overreacts and locks my account, forcing me to jump through several hoops to prove it was me and get my account unlocked. I think it's because they're based out of Poland.
  
• The Steam Deck happened, and while I can get GOG games running on it, it's more annoying to do, whereas if I just buy the game on Steam it's as simple as clicking "install" then "play". (Most of the time anyway.)
  
• Linux. I'm not thrilled with Microsoft's moves since Windows 8, and Linux represents and escape from Microsoft going full evil. Valve knows this too, and is ensuring their platform can continue to survive if the worst happens. I can get GOG games to work on Linux, but like the Steam Deck it's just more annoying to do. It's basically automatic on Steam, like the game was native.

As far as Valve as a company today, and the trajectory they seem to be on, I feel they're the safest bet for my library and my present and future purchases. Of course there's always the possibility that could change, but it's not, and it hasn't, so here I am.

[Eagle_of_Fire]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Pierce Dalton:

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Eagle_of_Fire:

Main problem with GoG is that you need a valid credit card which can be billed oversea. If it wasn't for this problem I would have bought way more games from them.

Acquiring a pre-paid card just don't work outside of NA for this purpose.

I don't need it. I can pay with my bank app reading a QR code, that option isn't available for you?

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Iron Knights:

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Eagle_of_Fire:

Main problem with GoG is that you need a valid credit card which can be billed oversea. If it wasn't for this problem I would have bought way more games from them.

Acquiring a pre-paid card just don't work outside of NA for this purpose.

I wasn't aware of that, but my CC bill shows G.o.G. Entertainment, that's it, no hint for international billing. Might work with a debit card but you shouldn't leave that on file either.
The "SouthWes..." Airline scam got my number somewhere also, I am wary of security issues.

As someone who know how the internet work, I simply don't use a credit card to pay anything on it. Even less anything directly tied to my main bank account. Funny how banks keep claiming everybody info is safe but you do have public screwups every few years. Those are only the tip of what we know.

I also don't even own a cellphone. I'm not a conspirationist or anything but I don't need it and you'd be surprised how much you can save a year not having to pay anything by the month and having to switch device every two years or so just because the new shiny got out.

Just to be clear, those are personal choices. Choices which led me to never ever get scammed nor have any problem whatsoever. Nobody I don't know ever call me on my (normal) phone, I never get ads, etc. Funny how that work too.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย C²C^Guyver |NZB|:

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Pierce Dalton:

See?

Yep, and the people who continually claim that Steam is awful, are still here. Funny that.

Might have to do with the fact that most people have a few grands already invested here, Captain Obvious. What would be the gain to never open Steam again if you already spent all that money there?

[Azure Fang]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Iron Knights:

Oh, but I do own the games. I have the installation files with any and all updates. I can run it independent of a launcher, COMPLETELY. I can install them & run them on any PC, WITHOUT A LAUNCHER and WITHOUT PERMISSION from a Launcher Corpo. to do so.

You still don't own the game. You hold a license for the game. GOG or the publisher can still revoke the license and render your usage of that installer illegal.
https://support.gog.com/hc/en-us/articles/212632089-GOG-User-Agreement?product=gog

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย GOG License:

2.1 We give you and other GOG users the personal right (known legally as a 'licence') to use GOG services and to download, access and/or stream (depending on the content) and use GOG content. This licence is for your personal use. We can stop or suspend this licence in some situations, which are explained later on.

Sorry, but this has been the case as far back as physical media.

[Start_Running]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Iron Knights:

Sure, they don't have every latest release for sale, but there is no launcher requirement. You buy the games and you OWN the games, not a Lease contract.

And if you ever read the Terms of Service and their EUULas you'd know that it's the same as STeam's. You fell for a rather low-tier marketing trick. :P

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Iron Knights:

You can find games re-composed to work on Windows XP & higher all the way back from the DOS days.

As can you on Steam. in fact if you look in some steam games you'll actually find GoG files ;p

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Iron Knights:

Plus they now have a partnership with CD Projekt Red (Witcher Series & Cyberpunk 2077). But what's great about it, you put games on the wish list and you get a discount in 2-3 weeks. Much lower prices than Steam.

I've been on GoG for years, and I have never seen any actual difference in the discounts.
And if by Partnership you mean 'owned by' then yeah. Also that put a game on your wishlist and you get a discount in 2-3 weeks is traight up BS I have games in my wishlist there that I don't think have ever seen a discount.

You know. as fars as marketing bots go...4/10

[C²C^Guyver |NZB|]

Well let's take one of the posts here. He has 250 games yet can't wait to bash Steam every chance he gets. It just makes you look silly to continually bash a platform that you get on every day. The OP has a 17-year-old account and it seems just now realized that you own a licenses to access the games here. It's been that way since Steam launched in 2003.

[C²C^Guyver |NZB|]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Azure Fang:

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Iron Knights:

Oh, but I do own the games. I have the installation files with any and all updates. I can run it independent of a launcher, COMPLETELY. I can install them & run them on any PC, WITHOUT A LAUNCHER and WITHOUT PERMISSION from a Launcher Corpo. to do so.

You still don't own the game. You hold a license for the game. GOG or the publisher can still revoke the license and render your usage of that installer illegal.
https://support.gog.com/hc/en-us/articles/212632089-GOG-User-Agreement?product=gog

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย GOG License:

2.1 We give you and other GOG users the personal right (known legally as a 'licence') to use GOG services and to download, access and/or stream (depending on the content) and use GOG content. This licence is for your personal use. We can stop or suspend this licence in some situations, which are explained later on.

Sorry, but this has been the case as far back as physical media.

Well, there you go. I was actually trying to find that and couldn't.

Kind of makes this thread useless now.


EDIT
This all makes sense if you think about it for a few seconds. Why would GOG sell the same thing on two different platforms, The Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077 etc and be like "You own it on GOG but not on Steam lol"

[Iron Knights]

A) Banks - my CC is only registered so I can pay the amount back from my account, otherwise I can default the CC, I have control not auto pay. But also the bank - "We cannot block Corporations' incoming charges, you must dispute them." but "Transaction to <name> blocked." when I try to setup a monthly payment to family at another bank.
B) Cellphones - The chip you never knew you were "implanted" with. I'd rather have ham radio but even family is not on board with that. However, the obsolescence is now tied to Frequency bands which are encoded, so when they delete a bunch you must get the new shiny.
C) As for the "not showing" people that don't know what Ownership is in this thread (outside the Steam Employees and Shills), I kinda feel sorry for them. They will be owned soon enough and not like it.

[Yzal]

You don't need to announce your departure, nobody cares.

[C²C^Guyver |NZB|]

You've spent 17 years on Steam, isn't a little late to be talking about conspiracies?

You don't see how backwards your logic is? You've used something for almost two decades and yet you're telling others how awful and bad it is.

[C²C^Guyver |NZB|]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Lazy Dog:

You don't need to announce your departure, nobody cares.

They never just leave. That would be too easy. They always have to make some sermon or have some manifesto.

[Pierce Dalton]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย C²C^Guyver |NZB|:

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Pierce Dalton:

See?

Yep, and the people who continually claim that Steam is awful, are still here. Funny that.

Where else can you play Resident Evil 3?

[C²C^Guyver |NZB|]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Pierce Dalton:

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย C²C^Guyver |NZB|:

Yep, and the people who continually claim that Steam is awful, are still here. Funny that.

Where else can you play Resident Evil 3?

If you truly stood by your convictions, PS5.

However I'm going to guess that the Steam version looks vastly better. I have it but I haven't played it yet so.

[Realigo Actual]

Still blaming gog for overreach. There is a simple answer for gog's sudden troubles and the stumbling of Galaxy. It's called the Epic Game Store.

[muckymucks]

Use Playnite and launch your games from all launchers in one.