Why is there no pre-load on GOG?

[endruwiggin]

 

You need to ask GOG. They could easily do it, as they have to break their games into several files of 2 GB or smaller (or, at least, that's how they decide to do their games). Easy enough for them to allow people to DL the files and keep the final executable back until release day.

Actually, that wouldn’t work.

I don’t need the small .exe to extract the game data included in the .bin files.

 

For some time they used password-encryption on the .bin files, but their password generation algorithm has been found and published quickly. So they decided to just dump the whole password-encryption thing.

 

 

You don't need a password, they just need to exclude data from the whole installation files, lets say 50 megas out of it, and let us download that missing megas when the game launch.

No password needed since the installation will be corrupted without the last data.

Plus really, if you CAN download then it means you ordered, and people who want to pirate the game will already find ways for that ... so basically they just punish the honest costumers..

[vv221]

My point being if they give you all but one last file, then you'd at least be able to have the bulk of the game DLed and only have to grab the last file to have the game ready to go. You can't very well play it without all the files.

Sorry, I wasn’t clear enough in my last post (I’m never clear enough when writing about technical bits).

GOG splits its Windows installers in two parts: a bunch of .bin files providing the game data, and a small .exe which sole purpose is to decompress the .bin files. With the right tools (actually any RAR unarchiver) you don’t need the .exe to access the full game data files.

 

What I’m saying here is that preloading can not be done by GOG without modifying the way they split installers.

So it *could* be done, but at the cost of implementing a new dedicated method to build Windows installers. And another one for GNU/Linux archives. And another one for OS X installers… Oh, and they have only a couple hours to do this if they want to be ready for PoE

 

Do we understand each other now?

Edited March 24, 2015 by vv221

[Ink Blot]

Do we understand each other now?

 

I understand you, but I don't think I'm making myself clear. Let's say PoE is split into 6 .bin files by GOG. All they need to do is provide the .exe (the installer/decompressor) and five of the .bin files, holding back the last one until release day, at which time it's added to the accounts of people that own the game. You DL the last file and then you can install. Not exactly a pre-load per se, but at least it gives you a leg up on DLing GBs of game files. With only 5 of the 6 .bin files, you cannot install the game.

 

Hope that's clearer.

[vv221]

I understand you, but I don't think I'm making myself clear. Let's say PoE is split into 6 .bin files by GOG. All they need to do is provide the .exe (the installer/decompressor) and five of the .bin files, holding back the last one until release day, at which time it's added to the accounts of people that own the game. You DL the last file and then you can install. Not exactly a pre-load per se, but at least it gives you a leg up on DLing GBs of game files. With only 5 of the 6 .bin files, you cannot install the game.

Yep, that would work.

But a new problem arises then: Linux archives (and maybe OS X too, I didn’t check) are not split. They’re uploaded as one whole .tar.gz file (or .deb for the ones allowing an easier install on Debian-derivative distributions).

I for one would have no problem with preloading being offered to Windows users only, but I think you can guess as well as me what kind of a storm it would spawn on their forums from Linux and Mac users feeling treated as "second-zone" GOGers

 

I could think of a couple ways to allow preloading on Linux too (like stripping only the binary from the archive), but such process would need quite some time to implement and test before going live. So preloading for every OS on GOG is not out of question in the future, but there’s no way for it to be ready in time for PoE.

[Ink Blot]

 

Yep, that would work.

But a new problem arises then: Linux archives (and maybe OS X too, I didn’t check) are not split. They’re uploaded as one whole .tar.gz file (or .deb for the ones allowing an easier install on Debian-derivative distributions).

I for one would have no problem with preloading being offered to Windows users only, but I think you can guess as well as me what kind of a storm it would spawn on their forums from Linux and Mac users feeling treated as "second-zone" GOGers

 

I could think of a couple ways to allow preloading on Linux too (like stripping only the binary from the archive), but such process would need quite some time to implement and test before going live. So preloading for every OS on GOG is not out of question in the future, but there’s no way for it to be ready in time for PoE.

 

Good point on the Linux/Mac. I'll admit I was thinking only of the platform I'm on. 'Windows blinds', as it were...

[vv221]

Good point on the Linux/Mac. I'll admit I was thinking only of the platform I'm on. 'Windows blinds', as it were...

Well, to be honest I don’t care about any version but the Linux one, so no way I’m getting mad at you for doing the same with your own OS

 

My knowledge of the Windows installers comes only from the games that I own there that are Windows-only. Actually I’ve written small scripts turning Windows installers into Linux ones for around 100 GOG games, so my study of the said installers was mostly for my own interest…

 

Okay, now that I’ve destroyed hope for preloading on GOG I’ll leave all of you in peace

[BrainMuncher]

If they ever add pre-loading it will probably be a feature of gog galaxy, once that gets rolling.

[eisberg]

Preloading gives you a encrypted version of the game the steam client then decrypts it on release day. GOG can't do that as they don't have a client to do that kind of DRM stuff.

 

I have often wondered what the download speed versus decrypt time tradeoff is.

Incorrect actually.  For Witcher 2 they, GoG,  had a pre-load, then on the day of the release, you just had to download a very small file to play the game.

[aozgolo]

Just a clarification, usually pre-load games just install the essential game files and while they may encrypt these, typically they just don't release the primary executable (.exe) until game release, which is typically a much smaller download.

[LurkerLito]

GoG could easily add DRM-free preloading, the only thing they'd have to do is split the archive file to Data and Executables. That would allow them to let you download all the Data ahead of time which usually accounts for 90-95% of the download, then the smaller Executables/DLL pack along with the installer could be downloaded separately later. But I understand the developer's paranoia about leaks, so I really wouldn't mind them encrypting the "preloads". They can always reissue the installer later after the first patch for a DRM-Free installer. But as someone else posted preloads most likely won't happen till their Galaxy platform is done.

[Halsy]

 

 

 

Steam needs to die now, or at least see some real competition to stop them from engaging in this anti-consumerist behavior.

The massive amount of sales Steam does is anti-consumerist? There's not much anti-consumerist about Steam beyond its terrible customer support.

 

I'd say the indefensible difference in regional pricing is just about as anti-consumerist as it gets.

GoG does that particular one so much better, by offering you a coupon worth whatever you pay in excess, that you can redeem on your next purchase.

 

Just think about it, some people cannot pay as much for games as most of us can. Now steam could sell them the games for the same price as to everyone else, but in those countries games would be for the elite only. So its not that we pay more, its they pay less. In my book thats very much pro consumer. Anti consumer would be abusing that and getting the games for the cheaper price and hurting the guys making the games with that.

 

The real problem is that we cannot buy some games in germany even though we are mature and they do block the activation of those games here.

 

 

Sophistry. I currently live in Canada. So, where's my 20% regional pricing difference? Or 25% from Europe? Or 50% if it's coming from Britain?  We do pay more for most things because we can. Clearly you're unfamiliar with entities like Pricing Boards. You know why milk is so expensive? Because they charge us based on what we can pay. Same with Maple Syrup and all manner of things. Did you know just before Al Capone got busted he actually bought a dairy farm because he realized the markup on dairy was greater than it was on booze. In fact, he famously said, 'We've been in the wrong racket all along!' and a racket it is. Did you know there's a 'strategic maple syrup reserve'? Seriously And it's legal. They hold back millions of gallons of the stuff in order to inflate prices. A few years back the mob was actually stealing the stuff to sell on the black market - Google it if you don't believe me.

 

So, why then should we have to pay more for the exact same product? It's a virtual product. People cross border shop for better deals all the time. So why not on the internet? Actually you can, if it's coming from China. I order a lot of stuff from China directly these days because I get it for about 1/10th of the price I do here and I get it with free expedited shipping - something you don't get in Canada from the US or Europe. Yet, I'm supposed to pay $60 or $70 for a video game just because I can? That doesn't sound like any Free Market I've ever heard of. The Free Market is the best product and/or service for the lowest possible price. So where is this exactly? Why do the corporations get to benefit from this and not us? Because it cuts into their bottom line? Because then they'd only make reasonable profits instead of insane ones? GabeN is a billionaire there guy. He doesn't need our money but he sure seems to enjoy forcing us to give it to him. Take our business somewhere else then? Where? Where else? Uplay? Origin? Or any other digital delivery service that has terms DICTATED by publishers that amount the same anti-consumerist policies and practices? Show me where this magical digital distributor exists and I'll go there and buy from them

 

Telling consumers what they may or may not do with their purchase, or worse still, how they're allowed to purchase it, is as anti-consumerist as you get.

[Vardia]

 

 

 

 

Steam needs to die now, or at least see some real competition to stop them from engaging in this anti-consumerist behavior.

The massive amount of sales Steam does is anti-consumerist? There's not much anti-consumerist about Steam beyond its terrible customer support.

 

I'd say the indefensible difference in regional pricing is just about as anti-consumerist as it gets.

GoG does that particular one so much better, by offering you a coupon worth whatever you pay in excess, that you can redeem on your next purchase.

 

Just think about it, some people cannot pay as much for games as most of us can. Now steam could sell them the games for the same price as to everyone else, but in those countries games would be for the elite only. So its not that we pay more, its they pay less. In my book thats very much pro consumer. Anti consumer would be abusing that and getting the games for the cheaper price and hurting the guys making the games with that.

 

The real problem is that we cannot buy some games in germany even though we are mature and they do block the activation of those games here.

 

 

Sophistry. I currently live in Canada. So, where's my 20% regional pricing difference? Or 25% from Europe? Or 50% if it's coming from Britain?  We do pay more for most things because we can. Clearly you're unfamiliar with entities like Pricing Boards. You know why milk is so expensive? Because they charge us based on what we can pay. Same with Maple Syrup and all manner of things. Did you know just before Al Capone got busted he actually bought a dairy farm because he realized the markup on dairy was greater than it was on booze. In fact, he famously said, 'We've been in the wrong racket all along!' and a racket it is. Did you know there's a 'strategic maple syrup reserve'? Seriously And it's legal. They hold back millions of gallons of the stuff in order to inflate prices. A few years back the mob was actually stealing the stuff to sell on the black market - Google it if you don't believe me.

 

So, why then should we have to pay more for the exact same product? It's a virtual product. People cross border shop for better deals all the time. So why not on the internet? Actually you can, if it's coming from China. I order a lot of stuff from China directly these days because I get it for about 1/10th of the price I do here and I get it with free expedited shipping - something you don't get in Canada from the US or Europe. Yet, I'm supposed to pay $60 or $70 for a video game just because I can? That doesn't sound like any Free Market I've ever heard of. The Free Market is the best product and/or service for the lowest possible price. So where is this exactly? Why do the corporations get to benefit from this and not us? Because it cuts into their bottom line? Because then they'd only make reasonable profits instead of insane ones? GabeN is a billionaire there guy. He doesn't need our money but he sure seems to enjoy forcing us to give it to him. Take our business somewhere else then? Where? Where else? Uplay? Origin? Or any other digital delivery service that has terms DICTATED by publishers that amount the same anti-consumerist policies and practices? Show me where this magical digital distributor exists and I'll go there and buy from them

 

Telling consumers what they may or may not do with their purchase, or worse still, how they're allowed to purchase it, is as anti-consumerist as you get.

 

 

To that i have to agree, i was referring to actual lower income countries that have been abused by key resellers. If you earn 1k$ or 10k$ a month on avg. should not matter for your gaming prices. Maybe even in the "third world" countries it should not be that much cheaper as the poor would not be able to afford a pc anyways. But yeah its still more likely there that you do not have nearly as much disposable income there as here and lower pricing there gives consumers the chance to stay out of piracy. 

 

Steam is pretty harmless compared to TV and other media though. Why can't i watch doctor who when its being broadcasted .. or game of thrones or anything really? 

 

Well my point is, the lines between helping a country with very low avg. income and abusing consumers is very thin and often crossed, yet the idea behind it is not anti consumer to begin with, it is just being abused and yeah we in Germany pay more too.

[barbo82]

OKAAyy then; so back to the original question: when will the download be available on GoG?

[Luckmann]

 

 

It is normal for people to hate successful things. And when this things are also super popular, its almost prestige to hate them.

That's not "normal". That is the definition of subhuman.

 

Luckily, this is not a case of people just hating Steam because it's successful.

[vv221]

OKAAyy then; so back to the original question: when will the download be available on GoG?

On release day.

I feel sorry for those who’d like to preload, but it is not a GOG feature… yet

 

-----

 

Take our business somewhere else then? Where? Where else? Uplay? Origin? Or any other digital delivery service that has terms DICTATED by publishers that amount the same anti-consumerist policies and practices? Show me where this magical digital distributor exists and I'll go there and buy from them

If due to your country of residence you happen to pay more than the US price for a game, GOG gives you back the difference as store credit you can spend on any of their products. Try a search with "gog fair price".

I can’t think of any other retailer doing something similar, but feel free to prove me wrong.

Edited March 25, 2015 by vv221

[Calib4n]

 

Pre-load however is a textbook example of DRM.

 

So now Steam is not DRM, but they chose the DRM-sollution, why isn't it on DRM-less GOG?

 

I still think the answer is rather straight-forward...

 

EDIT: Yeah, I used to hate Steam too, now I have like 700 games on it XD

I haven't bought any game on Steam for over half a year now. And I'm proud of it. 

 

Same here man, I've been Steam-free for more than 9 months now. And my GOG game total has finally overtaken my Steam game total. I only use Steam for Dota 2 now. I'm done buying games on it.