In an odd twist of fate, CD Projekt's GOG.com has opened up its service to allow users to import their Steam library into GOG's Galaxy. The GOG Galaxy is a app client that allows you to easily browse and navigate your gaming library, and by adding the ability to import Steam games, it makes it that much easier to use.
PC Gamer is reporting that GOG.com has a new connect feature that allows users to link their Steam account to their GOG account, and it will automatically parse through the library to add in relevant games that are available from GOG. What this means is that if you already own a game on Steam, it will add it to your GOG account.
Some games available via Connect will come and go as limited time offers through the participation of various developers and publishers, but once you connect the game to your library, it stays. Some of the games available right now include The Witcher: Enhanced Edition, Saints Row 2, Shadowrun Returns and The Witness.
The only downside is that the service right now is being absolutely hammered and users are being put into queues as GOG attempts to handle the massive load. You can connect your Steam account using the GOG.com/connect site to start the process.
Now some people are wondering why exactly would you want to import some of your Steam games into GOG Galaxy? Well, the reason is that GOG only deals in DRM-free titles. They're taking it back old-school, allowing users to download and purchase items from their store without having to worry about Denuvo, SecuRom or any of the other multiple layers of DRM that are applied to games that are oftentimes found on Steam.
Some DRM can literally break a game, like in the case of Dark Void, Order of War or Darkspore, all of which were crippled by the DRM, making them unplayable for users.
While companies will use the excuse that DRM helps protect the property from piracy, the other issue is that it also prohibits some legitimate consumers from using the products they paid for.
Steam, unfortunately, still has many gamers that utilize these DRM service that can sometimes backfire on users, debilitating them from accessing the games they paid for. GOG's DRM-free service completely removes that headache.
Of course, GOG's lack of DRM has made some developers and publishers wary of allowing their games on the service, hence its smaller catalog of titles that are made available. Nevertheless, a lot of companies that have either been revitalized or got their start through crowd-funding on Kickstarter have put their games on GOG with DRM-free options. In fact, some of the Kickstarter bonuses is being able to pledge to the project while being entitled to a DRM-free copy of the game. Those kind of measures have helped a lot of games get crowd-funded through Kickstarter and IndieGoGo.
Of course, there is a security measure in place for some people who would attempt to abuse the system. PC Gamer notes that GOG has it setup where it will check your Steam library and if a game has been refunded, then it will be be removed from your GOG catalog as well, unless you purchased it directly from GOG. In this way, it ensures that people cannot buy a game from Steam, connect it to GOG so it's added to their library, and then get a refund through Steam while keeping a copy on GOG.
The GOG Connect is available right now but it's undergoing some growing pains, so you may want to give it a few days before attempting to import your Steam library.
