Hitman - Game of the Year Edition was released on GOG on September 22 but was shortly faced with an avalanche of review bombs from users. This is because even if the main story and bonus missions were playable offline, an internet connection was required for other modes like Escalation missions, Elusive Targets and Contracts as well as to get features like unlocking new equipment, mission scores and starting locations. Players associated this online requirement as a form of DRM and, by extension, anti-GOG.

As a response to the backlash, GOG decided to remove the game from its online storefront two days ago, stating that "we shouldn’t have released it in its current form". However, this does not necessarily mean that the delisting will be a permanent situation as GOG also mentions that it is in talks with developer IO Interactive.

Below is the full statement on the issue from a GOG representative:

Dear Community,

Thank you for your patience and for giving us the time to investigate the release of HITMAN GOTY on GOG. As promised, we’re getting back to you with updates.

We're still in dialogue with IO Interactive about this release. Today we have removed HITMAN GOTY from GOG’s catalog – we shouldn’t have released it in its current form, as you’ve pointed out.

We’d like to apologise for the confusion and anger generated by this situation. We’ve let you down and we’d like to thank you for bringing this topic to us – while it was honest to the bone, it shows how passionate you are towards GOG.

We appreciate your feedback and will continue our efforts to improve our communication with you.

Source

 

[Deleted member 194275]

GOG is amazing, really. You can download a .exe file and keep it safe forever. As long as you keep your files and have computer + electricity you have your games.

hope they never tip their toes on the DRM seas again.

 

[seseiSeki]

Wasn't the only thing missing leveling up and the unlockables behind level ups? Couldn't you play the whole game from start to finish without Internet?

 

[AbyssalMonkey]

The game must have been cracked a lot to get rid of the online requirement . If I wanted to be online to play offline games I would buy stuff in the Epic Store.

hopefully IO patches the game. I mean, it's a 5 year old game, it deserves an offline patch

Spoken by people who don't understand the situation, throwing in their "moral support vote cards". How the internet works these days I guess.
The game was entirely playable offline. You could boot the game and complete it, never connecting to the internet. There was never an online requirement.
The only online components were:

• Unlocks tied to your IOI account.
• An online leaderboard for randomly generated missions to compete with other players.

The only one of these that is actually annoying is the persistent unlocks. And it isn't as simple as "patching it out". Any cracked version you would have gotten from the high seas would be the exact version GOG was selling. They probably would have to add an entirely new addition to the code to fill in the for the back end functionality the server, which is the same server being used for their newly released Hitman games. They couldn't just hand that over to consumers. They'd need to cut parts of it out and jerry rig it back in.

I said it in the previous thread, and I'll say it here. The game was fine. It probably shouldn't have been released in it's state, but it's not like it was a horrible release.

 

[chrisrlink]

at least their keeping to their no drm motto

 

[chrisrlink]

Spoken by people who don't understand the situation, throwing in their "moral support vote cards". How the internet works these days I guess.
The game was entirely playable offline. You could boot the game and complete it, never connecting to the internet. There was never an online requirement.
The only online components were:

• Unlocks tied to your IOI account.
• An online leaderboard for randomly generated missions to compete with other players.

The only one of these that is actually annoying is the persistent unlocks. And it isn't as simple as "patching it out". Any cracked version you would have gotten from the high seas would be the exact version GOG was selling. They probably would have to add an entirely new addition to the code to fill in the for the back end functionality the server, which is the same server being used for their newly released Hitman games. They couldn't just hand that over to consumers. They'd need to cut parts of it out and jerry rig it back in.

I said it in the previous thread, and I'll say it here. The game was fine. It probably shouldn't have been released in it's state, but it's not like it was a horrible release.

if they do rerelease it maybe the "paid unlocks" could be converted to DLC instead

 

[ChaosEternal]

Great, now when are they going to relist Devotion? They're still a bunch of unprincipled hacks in my eyes until they do.

 

[subcon959]

I remember playing one of these games and it wouldn't connect online and it was really annoying. I can't remember exactly what it was but it did affect my single player experience to the point I just quit until the connection was back up.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

It's BS your "always online" statement. Always online means that game cannot be played at all without being connected to their servers. Which is BS.

Okay, seriously now (my last reply here as I don't like being talked down to). There was no reason to use strong language because you disagree with my statement.

I didn't buy the game and don't know the answer to the following question from own experience:
Are those "bonus features" available WITHOUT constantly being online (or at least being online on each start of the game)? Is it sufficient to be online once for playing 100% of the single player features offline?

If this is the case ("one time activation"), I made a mistake and take back "always online"
If those bonus features require constant online or at least online each time starting the game, I stand by my statement. It doesn't matter for me if the core features of the game work offline. Again: That is what I meant with "Not starting a discussion what counts and what doesn't count as digital restriction." If not 100% of the game is DRM free, the game is not free of DRM.

 

[MarkDarkness]

From a business standpoint, I think it is important that GOG has done this. Their userbase is very specific/niche, and retaining them is much better than retaining a single game.

 

[XDel]

I hate the internet any more. Was better in the early early 90's, minus the speed.

 

[MasterJ360]

The main requirement is alot HDD space for these Hitman games lol. I remember the DLC + Update on the PS4 were just as big as the game combine like around 80GB.

 

[the_randomizer]

Online DRM requirements for single player games was an abortive mistake. DRM be damned.

 

[raxadian]

if they do rerelease it maybe the "paid unlocks" could be converted to DLC instead

Yeah, is been five years, stuff depending on an Internet connection to a server that will disappear one day, for offline content? Not cool. Online matches is one thing, but the rest is that Joker DLC for certain Batman game that could only be played online.

 

[ChibiMofo]

It's BS your "always online" statement. Always online means that game cannot be played at all without being connected to their servers. Which is BS.

Settled down. And no more caffeine today.

 

[samcambolt270]

Well, yes. The same way you would use your voice to tell somebody to shut up in a place where silence should be kept.

This is the best comeback XD

 

[guisadop]

Spoken by people who don't understand the situation, throwing in their "moral support vote cards". How the internet works these days I guess.
The game was entirely playable offline. You could boot the game and complete it, never connecting to the internet. There was never an online requirement.
The only online components were:

• Unlocks tied to your IOI account.
• An online leaderboard for randomly generated missions to compete with other players.

The only one of these that is actually annoying is the persistent unlocks. And it isn't as simple as "patching it out". Any cracked version you would have gotten from the high seas would be the exact version GOG was selling. They probably would have to add an entirely new addition to the code to fill in the for the back end functionality the server, which is the same server being used for their newly released Hitman games. They couldn't just hand that over to consumers. They'd need to cut parts of it out and jerry rig it back in.

I said it in the previous thread, and I'll say it here. The game was fine. It probably shouldn't have been released in it's state, but it's not like it was a horrible release.

I actually thought yours was a joke post. Most of the game was locked behind online, since unlocks are like 80% of the content. The base (offline) game is not "fine", it's like a demo version sold for full price, and there's no reason at all for it to be online-only.

 

[CoolMe]

They pulled quite a sharp turn on this one, they jumped from "We will not tolerate review bombing.." to "We appreciate your feedback..", makes you question if this will probably happen again..

 

[osaka35]

good. have to fight for your consumer rights, or else you won't have 'em. they always go with the flow of least resistance as it pays best in their minds, so make proper games be the path of least resistance to 'em.

 

[the_randomizer]

CD Projekt Red can kiss my ass

 

[xdarkx]

Surprised it took them this long to remove the game from the store even though a lot of people that bought the game says the game isn't DRM-free, and that GOG tout itself as a DRM-free store. Not to mention, some people reported their review of this game got removed for calling this out.