GOG is getting acquired by its original co-founder

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Acquisition Rationale & Structure

  • Official line: CD PROJEKT wants to focus on RPG development; selling GOG lets each pursue its own mission.
  • Many commenters see GOG as a lower-margin, more volatile business being spun off from a stronger studio business.
  • Some speculate GOG is being ring‑fenced so that if CD PROJEKT is ever acquired, GOG can remain independent and mission‑driven.
  • People generally like that GOG will be privately held by a founder rather than under public‑market pressure.

Financial Health & Viability

  • FAQ says GOG is “stable” with an “encouraging year”; some readers find that phrasing evasive.
  • Analysis of CD PROJEKT filings shows tiny profits on relatively large revenue and very high cost of sales (~70%+), likely driven by revenue share with developers.
  • GOG’s contribution to group profit is small; commenters see the spin‑off as rational but worry about long‑term sustainability and growth, especially against Steam.

DRM‑Free, Ownership & Offline Installers

  • Strong support for GOG’s DRM‑free stance and downloadable installers; many consciously buy there over Steam despite worse UX or higher prices.
  • Long debate over whether Steam purchases are “leases”: concerns about revocable licenses, delistings, changing content, and store shutdown risk.
  • Counterpoint: Steam has a decades‑long track record, delisted games usually remain downloadable, and for many users practical convenience outweighs theoretical ownership.
  • Users acknowledge that even GOG licenses are not legally “ownership” and can’t be resold, but offline installers are seen as a meaningful safeguard.

Linux, Clients & Ecosystem

  • Many want an official Linux Galaxy client and/or formal support for Heroic, with cloud saves, achievements, multiplayer, and Linux builds wired into GOG’s backend.
  • Others argue GOG’s value is precisely that no client is required; community tools (Heroic, Lutris, lgogdownloader, minigalaxy) plus documented APIs already exist.
  • Experiences with Heroic/Galaxy‑compatible features (cloud saves, achievements) are mixed; some report they work, others find them flaky.

Preservation & Catalog

  • GOG is praised as one of the few commercial actors serious about game preservation and classic titles running on modern systems.
  • Concrete examples: Heroes of Might and Magic 3, Master of Magic; GOG often preferred over newer “HD” or Steam versions.
  • Some note GOG’s biggest weakness is not enough new releases; many would rebuy modern games DRM‑free.

Piracy & DRM Debate

  • One camp claims widespread piracy makes DRM‑free AAA releases non‑viable.
  • Others counter that most Steam DRM is trivial, piracy is largely a service/price problem, and DRM mainly harms paying customers and enables artificial expiry of games.

User Experience & Trust

  • GOG generally seen as ethical and user‑friendly, but there are blemishes:
    • Galaxy’s technical quality and security (old CVEs).
    • A notable refund denial due to mis‑logged playtime.
    • Past missteps like always‑online HITMAN and Gwent on GOG.
  • Overall sentiment: cautious optimism; people hope independence strengthens GOG’s preservation/DRM‑free mission but remain wary about its financial and competitive position.