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Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

GOG is getting acquired by its original co-founder

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

๐Ÿ“ Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. Praise for GOG's DRM-Free Ownership Model

Users celebrate GOG's offline installers enabling true ownership, contrasting Steam's revocable licenses.
"getting DRM free games is worth every penny" (roxolotl).
"GOG is the only major storefront where I feel like I actually own the product" (Fiveplus).
"If you buy and download something from GOG, it is yours. You can still play it in the next millenium" (paxys).

2. Strategic Benefits of the Spin-Off

The move aligns with CDPR's RPG focus while giving GOG independent backing from founder Michaล‚ Kiciล„ski, shielding it from corporate pressures.
"Selling GOG fits CD PROJEKTโ€™s long-term strategy... GOG gets stronger backing" (FAQ via embedding-shape).
"CDPR essentially can be increasingly driven by shareholders. If they are making GOG private now, they can pursue their own vision" (shmerl).
"GOG is stable and has had a really encouraging year" (FAQ via embedding-shape).

3. Calls for Improved Linux Support

Demand for native Linux client, Galaxy features (cloud saves, achievements), or Heroic/Lutris integration; current workarounds are flaky.
"Please release a Linux client or... support... Heroic Games Launcher" (cherryteastain).
"neither support 2 key features of GOG Galaxy: 1. cloud saves 2. achievements" (dundarious).
"Backend Galaxy support for Linux builds... Multiplayer, achievements, cloud saves" (shmerl).

๐Ÿš€ Project Ideas

[GOG-Meta] Cross-Platform GOG Cloud Sync Service

Summary

  • A middleware service and client that bridges GOG Galaxy's cloud-save and achievement APIs for Linux-native games and third-party launchers (Lutris, Heroic).
  • Solves the problem where GOG Galaxy features are missing or "flaky" on Linux, ensuring users don't have to "use the Windows version instead" to get cloud saves.
  • Provides a stable, standardized implementation for community developers to use instead of reverse-engineering the backend individually.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Linux gamers and FOSS launcher developers (Heroic, Lutris)
Core Feature Universal Cloud Save sync and Achievement API wrapper for Linux
Tech Stack Rust/Go (CLI), GOG Web API, SQLite
Difficulty High
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • HN users specifically complained about the lack of feature parity: "neither support 2 key features of GOG Galaxy: 1. cloud saves 2. achievements."
  • It addresses the "flaky" nature of current community implementations mentioned by users: "I've had it upload saves to the wrong path."

[Steam-to-GOG] Ownership Arbitrage Monitor

Summary

  • A discovery tool that monitors a user's Steam wishlist and cross-references it with GOG to find DRM-free alternatives, pricing gaps, and "Preservation Program" status.
  • Solves the friction of manually checking if a game is available DRM-free before "settling" for a Steam license.
  • Highlights when a game is cheaper or has a more compatible "classic" version on GOG compared to the Steam version.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Privacy-conscious gamers and digital preservationists
Core Feature Wishlist scanner with "DRM-Free Available" notifications
Tech Stack Python/Node.js, Steam/GOG APIs, IsThereAnyDeal API
Difficulty Low
Monetization Revenue-ready: Affiliate/Referral-based

Notes

  • Matches the workflow described by users: "I always search GOG before Steam... Steam is really great for what it is but youโ€™re not buying games youโ€™re leasing them."
  • Leverages the "isthereanydeal" sentiment mentioned in the thread while focusing specifically on the GOG mission of ownership.

[GOG-Safe] One-Click Offline Archive Automator

Summary

  • A self-hosted tool that automatically downloads, verifies, and organizes GOG "Offline Installers" to local storage or NAS.
  • Solves the concern that GOG is "still just a middleman" and that ownership only exists if you have the installers backed up locally.
  • Provides checksum verification to ensure backups haven't "rotted" or been corrupted over time.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Data hoarders and "prepper" gamers
Core Feature Automated backup/versioning of GOG installers with MD5 verification
Tech Stack Docker, Python, GOG CLI (lgogdownloader base)
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • Directly responds to the fear of digital decay: "Which is the same as what can happen to GOG if you don't have the files backed up... if you do happen to have them backed up, is there such a large difference?"
  • Appeals to the "Data-hoarding archivist" segment present in the HN discussion.

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