GOG.com

About GOG.com

GOG.com operates as a digital distribution platform for video games and films, positioned as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Polish video game company, CD Projekt. The company was established in 2008 by Marcin Iwiński and Michał Kiciński, the founders of CD Projekt, who envisioned a platform to legitimately sell classic games that were otherwise largely available only on abandonware sites. Their experience stems from founding CD Projekt in 1994, where they initially focused on importing and localizing foreign video games for the Polish market, a business born from selling games at a Warsaw marketplace during their high school years. This background in combating piracy by adding value through localization and physical extras informed GOG's core philosophy.

Originally launched under the name "Good Old Games," the platform's initial mission was to resurrect classic PC games, making them compatible with modern operating systems. This often involves significant effort, from reverse-engineering code when the source is unavailable to packaging games with compatibility software like DOSBox or ScummVM. On March 27, 2012, the company rebranded from Good Old Games to GOG.com, expanding its catalog to include newer AAA and independent titles. This strategic shift broadened its market appeal beyond retro gamers to a wider audience of PC players on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

The business generates revenue by taking a commission on game sales. The standard model is a 70/30 revenue split, where GOG receives 30% of the sale price. This fee also covers payment processing and VAT handling. A defining characteristic of GOG.com's business model is its strict DRM-free policy, which grants customers the freedom to download and install their purchased games without online activation or other restrictions. This customer-centric approach is a key differentiator in the digital distribution market. In addition to its storefront, GOG developed the GOG GALAXY client. This optional application serves not only as a library and launcher for GOG purchases but also aims to unify a player's entire collection by integrating with other platforms like Steam, Epic Games Store, and even console networks like PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. The client allows users to see their full library, track friends' activity, and launch PC games from a single interface, addressing the fragmentation of the digital games market.