Hi,

I have asked many people why they like Steam. The most common response was that: the Steam Client! It is very easy to install games, perform updates, change the language and you have an overview of your game library. For most people these things are more important than DRM-free content (it seems at least)!

Are there efforts to develop an optional GOG-Client? "Client" is a stupid word (it sounds like activation procedures). I would call it "Control Center" or something like that.

It's rumored for some time, but no official statement was made so far.
As long as it's optional and brings more people to GOG - let it happen!

An optional client program to download and manage games would probably draw in a lot more users, especially if it added social functions and an achievement system. The idea of this puts a bad taste in my mouth... But, I could live with such a thing as long as it was 100% optional.

What if they put the current GOG downloader on steroids and it was the only version of it - do you consider the current GOG downloader optional, even for larger files?
Just curious, I always use the downloader, I don't want to get 98% through a 1GB download before a normal download decided to crap out and I have to start again!

Question is why would it be so bad? (outside the bullcrap achievements..i could live without it)

To me it would be enough if I would get an e-mail from GOG when there is an update for a game in my library. At the moment is it very hard to find out, which games in the library are updated.

Completely agreed. And it makes me sad.

Not really. You just need to be logged in either in the downloader or on the GOG page and you will be instantly informed and directed to the updated game. My main issue are the little technical quirks like that update flags won't disappear as soon as they should or that a "new update available" message may popup numerous times in the downloader when it just shouldn't.

I agree, though, that emails would be nice for people who don't visit the page often.

As for the client thing: I just want the downloader to get a little expanded so maintaining an up-to-date local backup would be easier. I wouldn't want to see a whole client, though. This might lead to a whole lot of undesired things.

Edit: If you are referring to the installer 2.0 updates - those are intentionally not getting an update flag as those updates are (normally) of no relevance to the game's functionality or content.

I don't know but so far GOG has shown not much interest in a control center. Even the GOG downloader misses essential features like optional updating the installer (those who need updates that is).

As for Steam users: I'm not sure they care for DRM free at all. If they love the Steam client so much who is also sometimes in the way between them and playing resulting in more clicks then without the client under some circumstances, then I guess they will anyway not have much fun with the simplistic approach of GOG.

As long as its 100% optional im all for it. and I mean 100% optional. not like the free games, used to be you added them to you account manually, now you just have them appear. Dont get me wrong not a bad thing per-se but there are free games on the site i have no interest in and it would annoy me to find them in my library. Bit like that Volvo game on gamersgate.

Think about it: a GOG client with chat functionality. It would be like the ninja thread all over again, but with annoying constant notification sounds. What else would a person need to achieve happiness?

There already is, the downloader client. They just need to expand it with new features, first e.g. starting from being able to initiate downloads from within the client itself (and not by logging in and clicking also on the web page), integrity checks for already downloaded files (so that you know whether you need to download anything again) etc.

And yeah, keep it optional, especially for installing and running the games. But also for downloading, in case someone wants to download GOG games on a platform which is not supported by the GOG client, or there is some firewall, proxy or configuration blocking the downloader client from working.

For instance, I am unable to download any Steam games where I am now, because Steam client is unable to connect to Steam servers from here. GOG Downloader client downloads work from here though, but the main point is that direct http-downloads (without any client) do too. Just for the record, I am a Steam user. I let you guess a few times whether I care about DRM. :)

It's on the record. However and just for the record: how many more Steam users are out there? Millions?

Yeah, maybe I am just not the proverbial real Scotsman, like all the other Steam users are?

Got a problem with us Scots eh eh eh! ;)

Steam user number 2... for the rcord!!!