When CDProject lied to all of us about Cyberpunk, well... we are gamers, we are used to be mistreated by gaming companies. I was disappointed, and sad, but I wasn't angry. Because it was just another page in our history of bullshit. I was there when Arkham Knight was released broken on pc, I was there when Final Fantasy XIV was released as a joke. I was there when Bethesda appeared with their "sixteen times the detail" in Fallout 76, etc... That's the world we live in. Making games is hard, few people with power care about the players who pay money for the games, until rage is unleashed. We are never listened if we don't act as enraged animals, that's the only way we can, sometimes, get some attention. And of course, that's dreadful for both sides, but that's the reality of the situation, even if we hate it.

Now, I can deal with all of that. However, when western companies bend the knee to the oppresor tyranny of China, then I have more problems. That's how freedom of expression die, when nobody has the balls to do what is right. If they don't like the game, they shouldn't buy it. But it should be an option for the rest.

By delisting that game, you are delisting our freedom, you are becoming an ally for the dreadful tyranny of China, and you are leaving many of us behind. You are in a difficult position due to your own mistakes, that could make you feel pressure to please China. But you shouldn't let that pressure destroy your values and dignity. You shouldn't add another mistake to try to fix the previous one.

That's what has been happening here since too many years ago. So many mistakes and miscalculations. There was a time where you didn't just follow trends, you did first what you thought was right and that brought you a great position. Don't stop believing that. Don't stop caring. Because that's how it feels. Maybe you won't be the richest but you will have always a big support. Maybe you won't be as big as EA or Ubisoft in many decades but since when that became so important. That didn't look like the target of this company when I was playing the original witcher, back then. It wasn't perfect but it was special and unique. Full of care and attention, you didn't try to do the biggest thing in the world.

One step at a time.

I could forgive you for bringing a broken game, ruining the Cyberpunk experience, and I could keep supporting you despite that. As I said, we are abused anywhere we go. But I can't do that if you leave your most basic values behind. The lies, the betray to Red Candle and to the freedom of expression implied in that act, the submission to China... And more lies mixed with that obvious fact...

We are people first, not gamers. Be people first, not businessmen. Please.

Great post and I'm 100% with you. It is unfortunate that it's probably going to fall in deaf ears.

Well, technically that is not true. This post will be read — by me and other forumites. Just not by the people that actually need to make the decision to change. They only hear the ka-ching of the register, so you and me are forced to vote with our wallets to have a chance of being heard.

I'm sad to say this but I'm hoping that Gog will have a major financial setback this next quarter and that CP77 will be a major flop, the size we never heard of. A flop so big that the entire management of CDP will be sacked and swapped. And then maybe the new management will think "Hey what if we got back to doing what worked in the past, like listening to the actual customers?"

GOG staff be like: "Oh another Devotion thread", "Let's ignore it".

man, mods should start banning these guys from posting.

no, not selling a videogame is not a violation of "freedom of expression" ffs

get real

Now that's how you champion Freedom of Expression!

I don't care what you think. Downvote me if you want, I won't lick Gog's boots like they did to CCP's just because you're annoyed that there are too many people that don't agree with what you think.

This is obviously a troll post, therefore i reported it!

Yep.
The level of self-perceived victimhood among gamers is truly mind blowing.
I wonder if the OP was actually shedding tears while writing his essay.
It certainly reads that way. Ah yes...another victim chimes in: https://www.gog.com/forum/general/devotion_is_coming_to_gog_on_dec_18th/post1054
(Edit: since GOG screws up the linking again) Here's the quote:
I have been threatend by gog staff to refrain from political discussions or my account will be banned:

https://ibb.co/n1CXMvr

Pretty much every moderated forum on the internet deletes low effort spam. Shocking, I know.

And all their mods are minions of The Great Pooh!

Nah, seriously... I gave up on explaining what freedom of speech/expression/whatever really means years ago already. Especially on the internet! Sometimes I recommend people to go to the next supermarket, tell people there what freedom of speech is and stop the time how long it takes until they get thrown out of the store ;P

Dudes, your version of "freedom of expression" can be easily translated in "freedom for people to say whatever they want, as long as I agree too". Usually, the freedom of speech preachers are the first to want to shut other ups, like the trite "SJW you must stay silent"! Which invalidates any opinion you could have on the matter.
Neither GOG nor any other business has obligations to to do anything that isn't mandatory. Accepting videogames isn't mandatory; you could say their was a shitty move -and I would agree- but no freedom of expression was violated.
So suck it up and stop blathering bs.

Yes, that's why I don't understand why you even spend time writing them.

Anyway: I am more than just annoyed with Gog AND I want it to be clear to them. They messed up hard and I'm boycotting them indefinitely. But I hold a small (baseless, I know) hope that they will eventually realize that something went wrong somewhere and start looking for explanations. They might find my post among many that tell them how they have alienated their userbase.
And then (again, baseless hope) maybe they will take steps to rebuild the trust they lost. I don't really expect it. But if no one does anything then it's certain that nothing will change.

Meanwhile, you're happy with them. So go buy or play games, or go F* yourself if you feel like it. Whatever floats your boat. I don't care.

Our views are so fundamentally different that you won't convince me that what they did is A-ok, and I'm not writing here to convince you. So neither view will change and thus I won't waste time answering you anymore.

Boycott videogame stores indefinitely, like all of them. Because nobody sells the game you started caring about so much like last week.

I agree that Gog isn't obligated to release the game, so them pulling back isn't really breaking freedom of expression. But that's neither what I said nor what is in the OP.

Gog isn't guilty of restricting the freedom of expression of the taiwanese devs. What they are guilty of is kowtowing to a insecure dictator bully that wants to enforce worldwide censorship because he can't take a harmless joke. So while Gog could just restrict the game on China they instead bent over to the bully and restricted the release in the whole world. Quite the morally reprehensible move, even if legally ok.

Lying about "messages from many gamers" only made things worse. They're taking us for idiots if they think anyone believes that shovelful of BS. And then they decide to go silent, certainly expecting this to blow over. Ever since the Linko debacle Gog's special move in a crisis has been the ostrich special. Hide and pretend it isn't there until it passes.

But breaching freedom of expression? That is an accusation I didn't see anyone make in this matter, so you're defending against a point that was never made.

Edit: Ah, I see now that your argument is due to the thread title. But I think the key is in the OP's phrase "when western companies bend the knee to the oppresor tyranny ... That's how freedom of expression die". Which is a perfectly reasonable point.

One last word, because it's an important distinction I have to make.

This isn't specifically about this game. This is about the reprehensible behavior of the store I used to support.

And I wish (and am doing what I can to make) them go back to being a store I'm ok with giving my money to. What game it happened to is irrelevant. It happened, and it never should.

from: brazil

you'd guess you have enough to worry about with bolsonaro, methinks. are you "boycotting" him too?

Take your freeze peaches somewhere else, Mr. Troll. They're already mouldy, and my nose can't stand the smell.