Adventure Gamers - Forums

I use both sites for most of my games.

I tend to use GOG for classical games (released pre 2000) and Steam for more recent releases.

Why? Because my assumption is that Steam has some benefits like having save-games stored in the steam cloud and the management of game and file versions is somewhat covered for you.

Is that correct? Does Steam automatically update game files, when the developer makes updates?
It’s a pretty critical thing these days, where new games coming out are buggy as hell on release day, with key changes being pushed through in the weeks after.

How does GOG handle such matters, for their more recent game releases?

If my assumption is correct, I will mostly continue as decribed above, otherwise I might looking into making some changes asto where I buy newer games.

After buying 4 older titles from GOG that could not play in my laptop (Tex Murphy Overseer, Zork Grand Inquisitor and a couple more that I can’t remember) for apparently no reason, I lost my trust in them entirely.

Steam works just fine for me…

GoG will carry an updated version of the game, but it’s up to you to download it again.

Though I don’t know how it will work with their new GoG Galaxy Service, which I think will function much like Steam in terms of a front end/GUI. (But still remaining DRM free)

Bt

Thanks for the feedback.

I haven’t heard of the GoG Galaxy service, but if it works similar to Steam, then like Steam it will force a mandatory internet connection right?

Offline use was a clear USP for GOG, so it seems like they are becoming more like Steam.

They both have their place. I like Steam because it’s a good user experience, updates automatically, socially integrated, lots of features. But I only have room for one Steam in my life. I’m not going to run 4 different clients on my computer. So anything beyond Steam I want to be like GOG, simple, DRM free and client free.

subbi - 22 October 2014 08:31 AM

Thanks for the feedback.

I haven’t heard of the GoG Galaxy service, but if it works similar to Steam, then like Steam it will force a mandatory internet connection right?

Offline use was a clear USP for GOG, so it seems like they are becoming more like Steam.

No, it’s not mandatory. But if you want automatic updates to game, you are going to need it to be online. You’ll still have the DRM-free games system they have now.

It’s more for people that want a centralized system for the games (and maybe add achievmements and social stuff)

Frogacuda - 22 October 2014 08:43 AM

They both have their place. I like Steam because it’s a good user experience, updates automatically, socially integrated, lots of features. But I only have room for one Steam in my life. I’m not going to run 4 different clients on my computer. So anything beyond Steam I want to be like GOG, simple, DRM free and client free.

That’s exactly how I’d like to keep it aswel.

I’ve never used Steam.
I used to use Big Fish, and the Big Fish client put me off of ANY sort of client-based download/activation system.

After one of their so-called updates, the Big Fish client stopped working at all on my game computer—so NONE of the games I’d bought from them could be installed and activated on that computer. No explanation why, no ability to go back to the previous version of the Big Fish client (the one that had worked properly). After uninstalling, using ccleaner, and reinstalling the game client didn’t work, and waiting and trying newer versions of the client did not work, all Big Fish could suggest was reinstalling Windows. Even though I had another computer where the new client still worked (a non-ideal laptop) I got fed up with being at the mercy of the Big Fish client and quit the membership.

The failure of the Big Fish client made it clear how dependent every single game I’d bought from Big Fish (and all the money I’d spent) was on whether the current version of their client worked properly on my computer. I don’t intend to buy any more games that are dependent on whether a company’s “game client” works.

Having a game not work on your computer happens sometimes. I’ve had it happen a couple of times with games from GOG—sometimes due to Windows version, sometimes due to widescreen vs 4:3 or drivers. But having ALL the games you’ve bought from a company suddenly refuse to install or activate on a computer because of a CLIENT update is unacceptable. I’m not taking that risk again, not with Big Fish or Steam or any other company.

Steam may be fine for those that want it. But I don’t trust game “clients” and don’t want them sitting between me and my legally purchased games.

What TimovieMan said. (and that’s not something I say very often!)
Steam isn’t getting my money, nor any other product with online-DRM crap.
And why in the seven hells would you want your saves stored on a “cloud”? Just put it on my hard drive, thanks.

If there is an option for both, I go with GoG every time.  DRM free means that you actually own the game, rather than renting, which is done with steam.  I make 2 exceptions. If a game is steam only and then pretty much only during one of their extreme sales, I will buy it.  For example, I got The Bridge on Steam for 99 cents.  Alternatively, if it is a must have game(very rare for me), that will only ever be available on steam, I will go there. 

I will also pay a premium to buy on gog or the humble store over steam.

Steam has complete control over your games.  If they disappear or decide to close your account or who knows what… they can do whatever they want and you lose everything.  With GoG, you buy DRM free, so you can download and back everything up with independent installers, at your leisure.  Steam theoretically has a way to back things up, but it is not user friendly, still requires the steam client, etc.

It should be noted that Steam now sells some DRM-free games and the offline mode works much better.

Iv gravitated towards steam more in recent years because of the client features, and because i dont care about drm as much as i used to. In most cases it has no effect on performance. If gog is able to deliver a powerful light weight client, i may consider going back to gog more.. But its tough because steam has much more thorough catalogue, and their sales are hard to beat. Preferably id like to have my digital purchases as consolidated on one service as much as possible.

TimovieMan - 22 October 2014 05:51 PM

And why in the seven hells would you want your saves stored on a “cloud”? Just put it on my hard drive, thanks.Yeah, that too. Thanks for reminding me.

Useful for gaming in more then one device