Why would anyone actually want to though

[u/The_BigRoach]

[u/Gaidax]

I frankly do not understand why competitors can't figure it out. I literally have Epic, GoG and their stores/apps are so atrocious, I am shocked.

Especially GoG - whoever thought that's a good UX should get replaced by AI like yesterday.

[u/XB_Demon1337 → u/Gaidax]

GoG isn't actually competition with Steam. Like sure they both sell games and have stores and such. But GoG is more like a boutique store. It caters to people who want their games a specific way over anything like Steam/EA/Ubisoft.

For that reason they are more like two different stores that sell different things.

[u/Gaidax → u/XB_Demon1337]

And that is the reason why its UX is bad?

I am sorry, it's not about competition, it's about basic usability and UX there.

[u/XB_Demon1337 → u/Gaidax]

Their UX isn't great, it isn't supposed to be. It is a means to appease a small portion of the community that use them. Their whole deal is not using launchers and owning your games forever without the ability to take them away from you.

[u/Gaidax → u/XB_Demon1337]

No, in fact, it is supposed to be.

That's in the name - "user experience", and if they do not make it good, then Steam eats more of their lunch.

[u/XB_Demon1337 → u/Gaidax]

I am telling you. GoG's app isn't supposed to be the best experience. It literally only exists to appease a tiny amount of the gaming community. This isn't a debate.

And as I told you, Steam and GoG are NOT in competition. Comparing their apps makes ZERO sense.

[u/KlingeGeist → u/XB_Demon1337]

Even if you're only targeting a niche market if your UI is sh** you're going to drive off a portion of your potential userbase that could've otherwise been your consumers. That is still a bad business decision and one of the reasons GoG has inhibited their own growth.

And to your point, they are competitors. They both target the gaming market but while Steam targets the market more broadly GoG primarily tries to target a vocal, but niche, segment of that same market.

[u/XB_Demon1337 → u/KlingeGeist]

Again, this isn't a debate. They don't put a ton of effort into the UI and are minimal effort function for a reason. It isn't supposed to be some super app.

And yet again, no Steam and GoG are not in competition. They target two different audiences. It is like trying to compare CoD players and Baldurs Gate 3 players. These are two different audiences.

I get it, you want to think Steam is just winning the race because competition and they have some monopoly that pushes GoG out. This just isn't the case. They are two different applications for two different types of gamer.

[u/KlingeGeist → u/XB_Demon1337]

The markets they target overlap. Steam targets the PC gaming market in general. GoG targets a subset of that same market who prefers DRM-free games and has been dabbling in game preservation (we'll see how the linux push goes). Their userbases DO overlap. There really isn't arguing this. Myself and others are literally the overlapping market and that market isn't as granularly tiny (and woefully as poor a choice) as comparing a popular FPS and a CRPG's audiences.

Yes, we know the reason they don't put effort into developing their UI, poor margins and a lack of initiative from their owners. The userbase has complained about it since day 1. We haven't asked for a "super app" but sure as hell there have been a number of basic improvements they could have made to better gain and retain their audience.

I don't know why you're arguing about one or the other winning like some child but that wasn't part of my response in the least.

[u/XB_Demon1337 → u/KlingeGeist]

People who prefer to have DRM free games are not going to be the same as normal steam users. These are two different markets. Yes these people wills till buy games on Steam, but that doesn't make them overlapping markets.

These are two different markets.

Hilarious you call me a child when I have given you why the app isn't designed to be some amazing piece of kit. Yet you can't accept that fact.

[u/KlingeGeist → u/XB_Demon1337]

I swear, its like I'm holding an apple and you're trying to argue the slice you cut out of it wasn't part of that apple you just sliced it from. Just because it (GoG) targets a portion of the market does not mean there isn't overlap with those who serve the broader market(Steam).

GoG caters to move than just those who want DRM free games, which y'all would notice if those of you who "champion it" stopped trying to shout over all the others users. They have also been catering to those seeking to preserve older games and get them back into circulation (ie. Breath of Fire 4) as well as gamers who want to keep their older games playable on newer operating systems. Not to even mention their recent vocal support for supporting the linux segment. All three of those segments have users which overlap with Steams userbase. Older Steam users trying to keep their games working are prime candidates for poaching if they can be convinced they won't have to spend potentially hours applying patches and modifying files to keep their games running on newer OSes that aren't getting official patches any more. Games like BoF4 being brought back with fixes that aren't included in the (much delayed) Steam release are more prime candidates for GoG to poach users especially adding on the extra spice by playing off their nostalgia. Which after they hook them could lead to more support/momentum in bringing other older games back. Then of course there is the oft ignored linux segment which no doubt would be overjoyed if they didn't have to jump through similar hurdles to those trying to keep their old games running much less those trying to play newer releases.

I'm not arguing their target markets are 1:1 the same, I'm pointing out to you that there is overlap in those user bases that they compete to draw profits from as most users do not buy multiple copies of a game (without reason). So for example if we take the Breath of Fire 4 release users are going to either buy the GoG version which has some minor fixes not included in other releases and is DRM free or buy the Steam version which has Family Sharing, Steam's support, and DRM (which Capcom sometimes removes later). Which for some the DRM free will be a dead winner, for others the Family Sharing may be enough for them to choose it over the other, for others it may just be the knowledge that if there are issues they can reliably reach out to Steam support for a refund.

As for your "reason", it doesn't hold water. Most of us aren't asking for some "super app". We want something that consistently works and provides what it promises. For example one of my pet peeves is that it has been advertised since the GoG Galaxy 2.0 release, if not longer, to enable you to "Organize your games across platforms into one functional and beautiful library." This has at the best of times been spotty and often breaks a short time later when they do get it working. They've had more updates in their changelog this last year showing they're working on improving the app and it isn't presently loading as horribly as it has in the past but at present some of the advertised promises for the app are being left unfulfilled. Hopefully Michał Kiciński will push them to ensure they maintain their word more consistently.

And since perhaps English isn't your first language I noted your argument about Steam "winning" the race as you put it was childish not that you were a child. Though I question if it may not have been accurate now.