This Saturday, 8 codes for Metro 2033 Redux are going to vanish in a puff of smoke. It's one of the most well-received FPS games. I posted about the availability of the codes on Reddit. BenKii posted about it in the ninja thread. I donated my code right after the giveaway became available. And in spite of all this, there are no takers.

It got me thinking about something that's been on my mind before: just how small is the GOG user base? We really can't find fewer than 10 people even mildly interested? I've only seen people turn their noses up at a giveaway like this when it's on the Epic Games Store or garbage-tier games.

Just proves my point that GOG (greatly exaggerates) inflates numbers. I, too, could not give my copy away at all. And it's a top-notch title. Also, the forums are always dead with only the same handful of people keeping them alive....same for Reddit.

Then, we also get Wishlist entries claiming 23,000 or so odd people requested X or Y game. (Breath of Fire IV)

I just don't believe any of that at all. I'd say that the entire user base probably totals around 30,000 or less to be honest.

30,000 users X a $200 a year spending limit is around $6,000,000. Sounds about right to me. (arbitrary amounts for conversation sake) Again...just arbitrary numbers because I spend more than that monthly....as do many others. so, the userbase could be even smaller.

It would be wise not to believe any number coming from their mouths at all.

Aren't these keys all from the very recent giveaway from GOG themsleves - they gave it away for free for everybody? Also the game was free at the same time on Steam (and even Xbox if not mistaken) and also it was free in the past on Epic. I think everyone just have it (possibly multiple copies) from all these giveaways (or at least everyone who was interested in it)!

Forum or online presence proves nothing at all. Most GOG customers I know have zero online interaction with the community.
For the last ten years the forums became such a toxic cesspool that most old users deserted the place. Myself, I stopped visiting this place for a few years although I never stopped buying here.

I don't like grimdark post-apoc games that revel in the grim darkness. I prefer post-bounce games about people getting things back together or are already back together.

That's a factor too. The unabashidly grimdark post-apoc genre is BLOODY SATURATED, MAN.

Perhaps not...but GOG's ever declining yearly profits are a clear indicator, no?

I'm estimating for every $1 USD spent on GOG, at least $212 USD is spent on GOG in 2024. So roughly 1:212 ratio of paying GOG to paying Steam customers.

GOG roughly has < 0.2% revenue market share in past 13 years. PC market keeps growing <= 5% every year, but GOG isn't able to capture much of it.

Check out the financial thread for more discussions - https://www.gog.com/forum/general/cd_projekt_strategy_and_development_of_the_company_financial_results_suggestions_by_armchair_ceos

You guys realize it's a 2010 game that has been put on sale for dirt cheap and also given away multiple times, right?

At some point the number of people interested in the title simply reaches 0 lol

It's just too scary.

r/RandomActsOfGaming is good place to giveaway codes, but a ton of GOG codes get given away there already (because of Prime)

Well, I for one have zero interest in either FPS or postapocalyptic settings, and the number of people who actively check the GOG forums (which is probably a relatively small subset of GOG users) who aren't bothered by either genre and didn't pick up the game themselves when it was free or purchased it for as little as $2 before that or played it at some point in the past is bound to reach a limit at some point.

I own the game on GOG since 2015.
Bought it for cheap.
And I guess, I'm not the only one.

I'd sure have taken a copy, hate things going to waste, but I claimed it when it was on GA recently so I already have one.

I already purchased it a while back, so I guess you have a point that people would rather pay for it in that case.