Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Where will you buy BG3?: Stadia vs GOG vs Steam?

Where will you buy BG3?: Stadia vs GOG vs Steam?

I had crappy internet, and I'm sick of GOG, so I'm learning hard towards Steam. Plus there is a way if your computer is on to run Steam games over your cellphone.

https://youtu.be/cpe7Iv_TKG4

Here is a YouTube video with some details.

I've created an account just to answer this question :)

GOG all the way, there is no doubt about it. Even though I am owning 100+ games on Steam, I am no longer buying there. DRM-free is the way to go. Especially when we are talking about a cult game series like BG.

I've realized that even though not all the games make their way to GOG on day one, they will end up there eventually. It's not like I don't have time to wait. I have almost 300 games on GOG, half of them unplayed yet. So there is nothing that can be released anywhere else that would make me choose it. For example I am keen on playing "The Outer Worlds" by Obsidian, but I can be patient. Eventually all Obsidian's games ended up on GOG.

For the fun of it, I am wondering why you are sick of GOG? I would say the same about other gaming services, where the games are actually services, not something you own.

Ideally GOG.

steam for me. gog was really bad. it has many issues for me. this come from my personal experience with pillars 2. i was a backer back then.

I've also backed Pillars 2 and chose the GOG version. I never had any issues with the game or the DLC's that were added (I had the season pass as well).

I personally stray away from Statia, I tried OnLive and LiquidGaming when those were a thing, and online services just won't be the same in current day imo. I don't really have any pro's and cons otherwise if you're just a gamer. However, if you ever intend to get into modding Baldur's Gate 3 (if that's supported), I highly recommend considering Steam, simply because of update policies and how GOG works. GOG users who has tried to mod D:OS2 has had all sorts of issues with slow engine updates, etc.

GOG or Steam, GOG preferably, but it realy all depends on the multiplayer integration

I think GOG will be the best.

Other selling platforms are more a testing area for half developed games in progress. Plus there is some kind of data dependency I do not want to take part.

Therefore I can wait until DRM free software comes with a final version on GOG.

Important games like the BG series I want to play with my own copy, full version, fair price for a full and nearly bugfree version, and without the internet connection. Latest games do sometimes not have a minimum code for offline lan, an offline lan multiplayer mode programmed like in BG1, BG2 or the newest positive examble Divinity Original Sin 1+2.

There should be more games DRM free. Honest buyers will buy good quality anyway.

IF I buy the game, and that's a big if, it will definitely be on Steam. I like having all my games in one place, and for better or worse that has become Steam and won't be changed other than in some drastic situation.

I'm digging the new Steam library system, and didn't get into the beta for GoG's new launcher. That said, probably GoG. That's where my other BG games are, no sense in separating them.

I plan on buying BG3 through Google Stadia.

Stadia is a no-go for me as I don't want to support Google - plus, I live in rural England and the internet here is awful. Streaming services just don't play nice with the connections here! Steam would be nice as it's what I'm used to, but GoG seems so much nicer with the fact that more money goes to the devs and it's DRM-free. Definitely thinking of going there for my copy.

honestly even without google, stadia just sounds like a shitty service.
"Oh yeah,how abotu you dont own your game, or your hardware ,and deal with lag"

I'd rather buy it from Larian and cut out all the middlemen.

Is that an actual choice?

Anyways because I have garbage internet, and because I have not been happy with GoG, and because Steam Link will allow me to play BG3 on my phone or tablet, sort of, I think I'm going to pick steam. Plus that would allow me to post to the Steam forums.

I found the copied post on steam explaining that just because a game is on steam it doesn't mean it's not DMR Free, because it's t the choice of the developer's if it's DMR free or not, and he uses Larian Studios' own Dragon Commander as an example of a DRM free Steam game.

"satoru1111https://steam.pm/5xb84 3 points 3 years ago 

Lets clear up a few misconcpetions

You are purchasing a license for the game on Steam and GOG. Do not delude yourself into thinking you 'own' the game on GOG. You don't

https://www.gog.com/support/policies/gog_user_agreement

2.1 We give you and other GOG users the personal right (known legally as a 'licence') to use GOG.com to download and/or stream (depending on the content) and use GOG content and other GOG services. This licence is for your personal use. We can stop or suspend this licence in some situations, which are explained later on.

Do not confuse teh inability to enforce said license as implicit ownership. You don't own the games on Steam and GOG. ANd both services explicilty say they may revoke your games.

Steam has only one real DRM module. CEG. And very few games use encrypted executables on Steam. Mostly only AAA studios bother.

With respect to Steamworks this tweet sums it up

https://twitter.com/icculus/status/471441666419990528

Steamworks is by itself not DRM. In fact you can incorporate literally every Steamworks feature possible, and make your game 100% DRM free.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/243950/

Dragon COmmander has literally every possible Steamworks feature imaginable. SteamCloud, Multiplayer matchmaking, achivements, trading cards, etc. Yet the game is 100% DRM free. Steamworks isn't DRM unless the dev MAKES it that way.

If a game is not DRM free on steam, its because the devs made it that way. Nothing on steam forces devs to put DRM on their games. Steamworks can be integrated into a game, yet be a 100% drm free game.

If you don't like the DRM on steam, go yell at the developers to make it DRM free. Because ther's literally no reason why it can't be done."

Nope you do not need to own a game to post on Steam forums.

Steam

@Omegaphallic

You are way off my friend. GOG is and will always be DRM free. Simply buy the game, download it, and play it on any PC you want. You can't do that on Steam, even if the game is uploaded to Steam as DRM free by the developer. Steam itself is the DRM. It doesn't allow you to back-up your game or to play it anywhere without being logged into the steam account (even if it's offline mode, it's still DRM).

From the same User Agreement you have sent me:

"In the very unlikely situation that we have to stop running GOG we'll do our best to give you advance notice, so that you can download and safely store all your DRM-free content."

In your example from 2.1 it's referred to services like streaming. The content is yours. They can't take it away. You buy the game, you download it and then you can even delete your gog account. You can play that game for your entire life, and beyond.

Look at this page from GOG, this is what they stand for: https://www.gog.com/news/the_fck_drm_initiative, Respectively: https://fckdrm.com/