The DF video where they were cooing over it showed that it comes with a separate config window you can use to adjust the settings for the renderer, so that would probably let you turn things off while still using the new assets - provided you could get it to launch with whatever the default settings are.

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However, I feel that @CatKiller is being technical and, IMO, is wilfully ignoring the point @wytrabbit is trying to make.

No, they simply have no point. Buying from GOG doesn't give you magical ownership. Their claim that it does was just wrong. There is no legal difference between buying from GOG or Epic (their initial examples), nor from Steam, nor anywhere else. There is no practical difference between buying from GOG and buying a DRM-free game on Steam, and piracy.

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But a Publisher can't just revoke your license "just because" or if they're shutting down the game.

Yes, they can.

Also they're referring to your GOG library, and nothing short of sending law enforcement to confiscate your hardware can deny you access to any games you've already downloaded. Once they're on your computer, and if they're DRM-free, it's yours to keep.

I'm sure you'll agree that "they probably won't bother to come to your house" is an entirely different kettle of fish to the total ownership that you were claiming earlier. GOG is no different legally to Epic, Valve, Microsoft, Nintendo, nor anyone else that sells you a licence to use software.

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GOG sells you an actual lifetime ownership license. The publisher cannot remove the game from your library once you buy it.

No they do not. They neither have ownership of the games, nor can they sell that ownership to you. You are licensed to use the games, and they are authorised to sell that licence to you. They reserve the right to remove all the games from your library.

We give you and other GOG users the personal right (known legally as a 'license') to use GOG services and to download, access and/or stream (depending on the content) and use GOG content. This license is for your personal use. We can stop or suspend this license in some situations, which are explained later on.

https://support.gog.com/hc/en-us/articles/212632089-GOG-User-Agreement?product=gog [External Link]

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not defending epic on this one but some devs dont trust linux because cheaters can modify the kernel to break anticheat. the only real solution for that is verified boot with a signature whitelist. that would mean you can only play on popular distros with one of their official kernels but its better than nothing

It's not the only solution, just the one that they prefer.

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If that is true, why would you choose Epic over GOG, since GOG sell games that let you own it for life? They both have open source launchers, they both have popular storefronts, but Epic offers the same licensing as Steam where you don't actually own the game just a license to play it.

GOG also only sells you a licence to play it - that's how software works. It's exactly the same if you buy a physical copy, for that matter.

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They've shown off some more footage of it, and I'm thoroughly torn on it. I love the idea of enhancing games, and the newer textures look like a big improvement while keeping the style but overall this looks far too bright and shiny and just seems like it's lost part of what made it special. Still, as another sort-of tech demo of what the possibilities are with such upgrades, it's still quite interesting.

Yeah, it's a sign of the conflict with their art direction. They've got to show that it's doing something rather than stopping at looks good, so it often dips into looks worse.

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I'm really looking forward to this. I hope the text won't be too small on the Deck.

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Microsoft has more buckets of cash than Valve, has a long-standing manufacturing and logistics pipeline, and has Xbox brand recognition outside of PC gaming. They've bought almost all of the big publishers so they can simply demand that those games are playable on their device rather than having to rely on 0.7% of a slice of the gaming market to nudge developers in the right direction.

But Valve don't have any option but to stay the course. They aren't going to submit to Microsoft even if they haven't yet become a Linux-first company. The biggest strategic move they can make is to improve their own logistics pipeline to allow worldwide distribution - the biggest flaw of the Deck has always been that people that want one can't get one.

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There already is a don't ask again option when you get multiple choices on how to launch a game. On desktop it's a tickbox "Always use this option", can't remember how it's shown on Steam Deck.

On the Deck it's a binary sub-menu - you have to choose between "ask each time" and "don't ask again" before it will launch at all.

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