GOG has new leadership, which is also the old leadership. CD Projekt Red co-founder Michał Kiciński left the company in 2012. This also meant leaving GOG, which he created.
Now he's back, but users shouldn't expect drastic changes. In fact, Kiciński seems more determined than ever to stick with GOG's anti-DRM efforts, even if it costs him business.
GOG Won't Divert Anti-DRM Message to Secure Triple-A Release
“From the beginning, we did not see DRM as a solution to piracy, because games are pirated almost from day one,” Kiciński told Gamesindustry.biz. “We see DRM as something that can make life more difficult for legitimate customers. The only reason to keep DRM is to please game owners, because that's often a requirement.”
In fact, the gaming community is very opposed to DRM. Despite pushback from publishers and DRM companies themselves, many people associate DRM with performance issues in games.
This is what Kiciński experienced with The Witcher 2, released by Bandai Namco. Even after the game was pirated, the publisher insisted on using DRM, which CDPR was not satisfied with, and took legal action from Bandai Namco to have it removed.
GOG had to hire a private investigator to track down IP rights holders.
“Sorry to disturb you, but you own Deus Ex.”
So it's not surprising to hear that some publishers aren't working with GOG. Because putting a game on a platform means releasing it without DRM. Kiciński, then, does not seem to be greatly distressed by the loss of this business partner.
“We have lost something and we have gained something,” he said. “Maybe some developers actually choose to work with us because of this philosophy.”
In fact, GOG doesn't offer nearly the same amount of games as Steam, and almost every major publisher is skipping it. Still, it covers a lot of bases, with a lot of big PC games like Skyrim, Fallout: New Vegas, No Man's Sky, and more featured on the home page. It also includes mod support, a bit similar to Steam Workshop, making it a little easier to dip your toes into it.
So don't expect GOG to be the prime Triple-A venue to take over Steam. However, expect to continue to target specific niches. This appears to be the message being conveyed by the new leadership. We'll have to wait and see if that's enough to grow the site.
