Why Try GOG Galaxy Even If You’re Using Steam
Game offerings site GOG released their Galaxy Library app last week. PC users have had Steam for a long time, but GOG wants Galaxy to improve the status quo. This is why it is worth adding to your repertoire.
GOG Fixes Many Steam Issues
GOG is not shy about being different from Steam. Previously, when you bought a PC game, you had a copy on your local computer that you could install as many times as you wanted, on any number of machines, and forever. As you would expect from a service formerly called Good Old Games, GOG is looking forward to making a comeback.
Any game you buy from GOG comes DRM-free. You can download it as often as you like from the GOG servers, but you can also download the installer backups for the game. You never need to register with the service to install them. Games also work completely offline. While Steam’s offline mode has improved over time, GOG doesn’t bother with having to be online at all.
All things considered, Steam has done a better job than most in finding a compromise between publishers who demand DRM and gamers who hate it. However, there is no way to please everyone, and nothing beats the lack of DRM. While Steam publishers can opt out of DRM if they choose, buying games through GOG you know what you’re getting.
GOG lets you play games with Steam users
Steam is not just a game store. It is also the world’s largest community of PC gamers. As console gamers can tell you, it sucks to choose who you play with based on where they bought their games. This is the conflict over which people go to war . GOG hopes to avoid this type of conflict by allowing its users to play online with Steam players.
This means that if you use GOG to buy or download a game, and your friend is using Steam, you can play with each other online. GOG describes this feature as being available in cross-platform games, so it’s unclear how many games will support this feature.
Even without cross-play, GOG already has its own in-game achievement system, friend lists, live chat and game stats. This means buying from a third-party source does not mean completely isolating or ditching any additional features that gamers usually enjoy. Perhaps most importantly, you can also turn off all of these social features entirely. With Steam, you can go offline, but even if you mark your chat profile as offline, you will likely notice that you are online again soon.
Sometimes you may find offers that you won’t receive on Steam
It’s no secret that Steam is not the only source of deals on the Internet . In fact, when we did our own analysis of who had the best deals, we found that Amazon and GOG were among the best . However, GOG does not offer Steam keys, which means that you will have to play the game without the Steam community and additional features.
However, now, as we mentioned above, you can play these games online with Steam users, or have a similar experience in GOG Galaxy. This means you have another great-selling store that you can buy from, but still get a Steam-like experience.
Steam Finally Got Legal Competition
One of the biggest advantages to console gamers is the competition between Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. Each spurs the other on not only to create better games, but also to create a better platform. Valve has practically no competitors. If a company does something that users don’t like, their only real recourse is to protest until they stop . If there is a feature that Valve does not implement, it is tough.
GOG is the closest thing to a complete alternative to Valve right now. He is not here yet. There are still a ton of games missing and there are features still to be created. However, if you want DRM-free games, backups you can download yourself, or the ability to turn off social features entirely, GOG can provide what you want.
The best part is that GOG is moving forward. Just today, GOG announced that it will add several high-profile new games, including Darksiders I & II, Saints Row 2 & 3, and Metro: Last Light, to their DRM-free library. Maybe not up to Skyrim or Mass Effect, but publishers are taking notice.
In the long run, GOG could push Steam to improve its own experience and provide the features their customers wanted. Even if you’re happy with Steam or don’t want GOG games, having a second horse in this race can make the PC gaming industry a better place for everyone.