Publisher tinyBuild won't patch or update GOG games "because games are continuously torrented through DRM free builds"

[AnotherGills 25]

tinyBuild, a publishing studio best known for Speedrunners and Hello Neighbor, has released many DRM-free versions of their titles on GOG.com. While this should be viewed with positive regard from a consumer perspective, there is a major issue.

Two tinyBuild-published games, Party Hard, and Party Hard 2, both have had their GOG releases neglected. Both games are missing DLC and patches that are currently available on Steam.

Other tinyBuild games for sale on GOG are also missing bonus content available on Steam counterparts such as soundtracks.

Reddit user Snolus seemingly engaged in a dialogue with an unnamed tinyBuild employee on Discord, expressing concern on the matter. Snolus uploaded screenshots of the conversation on Imgur.

In the conversation, the tinyBuild employee made multiple claims regarding the DRM-free nature of GOG releases.

Quote

"We unfortunately would never be able to support a deluxe edition or a soundtrack because the second 1 person purchases it, it is available to upload anywhere on the internet."

Quote

"updating games on GOG is very unlikely because games are continuously torrented through DRM free builds. We appreciate people who purchase our games via any platform however we have to be smart in business and knowing that updated versions of games being stolen DRM free is not smart business"

Snolus does provide a counterpoint, specifically "The Steam versions of most games - if they do have any kind of DRM - are usually available for illegal download on the same day".

The employee acknowledges the point, but does not provide any reasoning in response other than "DRM is still safer in the end."

What are your thoughts on this matter? Do you feel DRM provides any meaningful prevention of piracy?

[Guest]

tinyBuild's stance on this is so backwards it's obvious they DNDTR (Did Not Do The Research).

Games with DRM have their soundtracks pirated online via YouTube, with the uploaders using in-game - nowadays lossless - recordings if there's no official soundtrack. They also seem blind to the fact deluxe-edition soundtracks - even on Steam - are literally a bunch of files that anyone can upload. In other words, DRM-free upon download completion.

Why offer DRM-free builds of a game when people know they'll never be updated for fear of enabling piracy.

Also, they apparently are unaware of the convenience argument. For example, they can just upload their soundtracks to YouTube Music, Spotify, or whatever, so people who would otherwise pirate them can listen for free and tinyBuild would still get money.

[AlexKVideos1 22]

Why even put it on GOG then if they are so concerned of people stealing it?

Atleast people will buy it on GOG so they can get a DRM free experience without pirating it. Absolute morons.

[AmethystViper 2]

First Inti Creates with how they screwed Kickstarter backers, Igarashi, and Fangamer over with how they handled giving them (myself included) the PC version of Curse of the Moon and are so adamant about pushing Steam DRM down our throats for that'd make an open letter about it when they were called out on it rather than letting backers have a GOG/DRM-free version of the game like the campaign promised, now these guys are desperate about "maintaining sales" that they'll stop supporting games they've put out on GOG... the nerve of developers these days...

[Paynamia 0]

Brilliant, now people who would pirate it anyway just wait a day for the crack, while people who would've bought it on GOG instead never buy their games. Meanwhile, people who oppose this ridiculous stance may also stop purchasing their games. Good work, looks like lost sales all around to me.

[BONKERS 32]

Like mentioned, being on Steam is not going to stop piracy (lulz) and it's not going to stop piracy of the soundtrack.
People can rip it from the game, make recordings of in game playback (Lossy encode of a lossy encode. Not great).

But yeah this just really points to ignorance and just making a bunch of assumptions.

No "Client store" will stop piracy. DRM won't stop piracy.

Stop punishing your paying customers.

[rusticlout 1]

Are they clueless... when there is a demand, release groups will crack their games, regardless of the protection used.

Tinybuild always were brain-dead when it comes to piracy and grey market related topics.