Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy bundle, coming soon

[HEXUS]

GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas to get new graphics, releases, on all modern platforms.

Read more.

[Saracen999]

In the wake of vociferous complaint regarding DRM and online-only features in Hitman GOTY on the GOG store, the online PC games store has decided to remove the title for now. "We shouldn't have released it in its current form, as you've pointed out," wrote a GOG employee on the official forums.

What will be most interesting is how the desire for more modern games on GOG and the store's particular no-DRM character manage to gel. Perhaps the Hitman developers plus GOG will be able to work out a more elegant solution with sufficient appeal to customers, we shall wait and see.

Wait, what?

Did I read that right - a game (or is it more than one) with DRM on GOG?

That bothers me.

The single biggest reason I stopped buying games after Steam started to become prolific was that I am not willing to put up with obtrusive DRM, and most emphatically, not when it puts the ability to obstruct me either installing it, or even using it after installing, into a 3rd party's hands after buying it. What follows directly from that absolute unwillingness to do that was the tedium of checking the fine print on every game prior to buying to see it's DRM status, or even Steam requirements, which was both time-consuming and will-sapping. Eventually, I just gave up bothering to even look, and therefore, buying new games at all.

GOG was refreshing, because I could rely on it. If there's any suggestion of them blurring those DRM-free lines, my interest in GOG will cease to exist, right there, right then. DRM-free is the whole reason I'm there. I'm not willing, at my age and circumstances, to go back to checking fine print for the DRM-free status of games, so if GOG try to blur that, without it being clear at a glance if a game has DRM, I'm outta there, and to be honest, will probably just give up buying any new games, anywhere, at that point. It also, even based on that news article, is making me rethink whether I want to even consider something 3080-ish on either my new build or laptop, whichever I go for.

This feels rather like finding out the foundation of my personal gaming world are built on quicksand. Seriously unimpressed = me.

[jim]

Did I read that right - a game (or is it more than one) with DRM on GOG?

From the very little I've read on the subject, it was a bit of grey territory. The game itself didn't have DRM in the traditional sense, but it did feature some online features that required connecting to a server.

I don't think that's unique - requiring use of a developer server to utilise online features - but what was controversial was that a lot of the single player campaign depended on these online features to be unlocked / used.

So you had a game that on paper didn't have DRM, but did require access to company servers for the full experience - even if you didn't want to play multiplayer.

I can see how it's slipped through their definitions, and hopefully it's a lesson learned for them that they need to apply stricter criteria to what's meant by DRM free.

For me, I totally understand if multiplayer requires company servers, and I don't consider that DRM. But if it impinges on single player gameplay (cosmetics I'm not bothered by), then that doesn't work for me. Problem is, everyone will have a different perspective.

[Saracen999]

Assuming you're right, Jim, that makes more sense. And relieves my mind a lot.

A minor caveat ..., my definition of multiplayer would split it down a bit more, mainly differentiating between, for shortness sake, MP-LAN and MP-OL (multiplayer on your own LAN versus OnLine).

For the OL variant, I'm kinda with you - it has to connect to somebody's servers, but not necessarily the company's, or be subject to their verification/DRM. As that scenario doesn't interest me either way, it's not a concern for me either way.

For MP-LAN, that's a bit more of an issue and would have been a stumbling block for me .... in the past. Not so much now.

I used to have a set of floppy boot disks that would load drivers and confuration BAT's for my NE1000/NE2000 cards to set-up up to 6 of my machines for LAN play here, for friends and myself. It might be 2-player co-op, or multi-player but either way, it was LAN-multi-player and entirely self-contained. But as those card names no doubt tell you, it was ... ummm ... a while ago. Do I need that now? Realistically, rarely, if ever.

So, fundamentally, if I get single offline play, I'm happy. But other GOG users "MMV".

[LSG501]

The 'real' reason that the github gta fan projects, which basically enabled the old games to be played on newer hardware/os with 'remastered' quality, got a dmca ban.... basically rockstar saw they could make money from old games without doing any real work (bit like gta online really).

[QuorTek]

Yes please... and to those that make old games playable again on our big screens thanks bunches it is very much appreciated... as dosbox does not always cut it.

[Smudger]

I'm reading that it's going to be £60 on last-gen and £70 on new-gen. That's a lot, even taking into account you get 3 games. Like when Nike sell you an AirMax from the 90s with different colours and charge you £120 for the privilege...

[Wrinkly]

"Rockstar games wants to say a "heartfelt thank you" to all GTA fans" before saying <please do not try to circumvent the swear filter> to those of us who only use Steam.

[dannyboy75]

GTA 3 was a cracking game, such a huge step forward at the time. It was released just around the time that I took voluntary redundancy from my first 'proper' job, with Siemens. I left with 6 months' pay in my back pocket, and proceeded to waste most of the next 6 months playing GTA 3 instead of job hunting. Some of the mods were epic, I remember a Humvee that you could drive up the side of buildings

[Saracen999]

I'm reading that it's going to be £60 on last-gen and £70 on new-gen. That's a lot, even taking into account you get 3 games. Like when Nike sell you an AirMax from the 90s with different colours and charge you £120 for the privilege...

It's a personal view I guess, but while I might go to £60 for a new game, it'd only ever be one I really, really wanted. That money for old games, remastered or not, triple-pack or not? A snowball stands a better chance in an incinerator in hell on mid-summer's day.

I've bought, IIRC, 29 old games in the last couple of months. Some because I missed them first time round, some because they have extra content or scenario packs, and some just for nostalgia and ease of loading. Many are remastered, or otherwise updated. And I didn't pay anywhere near that for the whole lot. Okay, GTA-x is typically good. But that good? Not IMHO.

There'll be a fair few that will pay it though. And hey, it's their money and if they consider it good value and 'worth' it, then to them it is.

[Smudger]

It's released today, £54 on PSN. Not as bad as previously thought. I'll wait though

[Scycekiller]

Well this was a disappointing release and a half

[Jonj1611]

The reviews haven't been favourable thats for sure

[Smudger]

Compared to what the fan mods have been like, with 4k and HDR, yes, a massive disappointment