It wasn’t so way back that Dave Oshry, the CEO of writer New Blood Interactive, sparked a debate across the Epic Video games Retailer’s validity as a PC storefront and real challenger to Steam. Now, it seems that a brand new interview goes to generate related passionate discussions about GOG, which on the finish of final 12 months was acquired by certainly one of CD Projekt Pink’s co-founders. Praising the storefront for its sport preservation efforts and accessible mod options, Oshry does nonetheless query in a brand new interview: “how lengthy are they even going to be round?” The platform has now responded to those claims, agreeing that “sport preservation solely works if individuals care” and “give a shit.”
Steam’s dominance within the PC gaming area is at all times a scorching subject, and I can not envisage a future the place any new or present storefront might actually take its crown away – barring any catastrophic disasters at Valve, in fact. In consequence, challengers like Epic and GOG are laser-focused on a few of the areas the place Steam falls quick with a purpose to maintain and develop their consumer bases.
Epic, for instance, is advertising itself because the developer’s champion to draw extra third-party video games to its retailer – sport makers can hold their first a million {dollars} of income, are charged far lower than they’re on Steam for fee, and might combine their very own cost techniques to bypass that fee altogether. GOG, nonetheless, is all about simple modding, being DRM-free, and preserving traditional video games.
In a brand new interview with RPG Website, Oshry heaps reward on GOG for championing preservation and modding. “All people roots for GOG, proper?” he says. “We would like GOG to be a fantastic factor, and GOG’s nice.” Nonetheless, as Steam continues to be the go-to vacation spot for almost all, he questions the platform’s longevity and affect. “I like their preservation efforts and every thing they’re making an attempt to do, however they want sufficient individuals to provide a shit, or, how lengthy are they even going to be round?”
Responding to protection of Oshry’s remarks, GOG says in a post on X that, partly, it agrees with the New Blood boss and spins his quote right into a rallying cry of its personal.
“We recognize Dave’s honesty, and he is proper about one factor: sport preservation solely works if individuals care,” the put up reads. “GOG was constructed to ensure the video games that formed us stay perpetually. And with the assist of our group, we have been doing precisely that for nearly 20 years. The way forward for preservation is set by gamers who give a shit. So purchase DRM-free, vote on the Dreamlist, be part of GOG Patrons. If video games matter to you, present it. And let’s show collectively that preservation is not area of interest. It is necessary.”
New proprietor Michal Kicinski, who acquired the storefront from CDPR, clearly believes that GOG’s rules can assist it develop and proceed to be a wholesome, worthwhile participant within the PC gaming area – I can not see some other motive why he would’ve purchased it, in any other case. However it’ll be powerful, even with its rules, to lure individuals away from the comfort of Steam the place many gamers’ libraries now reside.
