GamersGate AB (formerly Gamer's Gate) is a Sweden-based online video game store offering electronic strategy guidesStaff. "Prima Strategy Guides via GamersGate ". Gamershell.com. 30 July 2009. and games for Windows, macOS, and Linux via direct download. It is a competitor to online video game services such as Steam, GOG.com, and Direct2Drive.
GamersGate sells games for over 250 publishers and developers, including Electronic Arts, Atari, Bethesda Softworks, 2K Games, Ubisoft, SEGA, Capcom, Paradox Interactive and Epic Games as well as smaller independent developers such as 2D Boy, Jonathan Blow and Amanita Design. , there are over 6000 games available through GamersGate.
History The idea of GamersGate was conceived by Paradox Interactive in 2004Caoili, Eric. "GamersGate Launches Microtransactions Platform". Gamasutra. 9 December 2008. after numerous fan requests for better access to Paradox's games were finally answered in the form of direct downloads. After Paradox sold a game to an Argentine fan via a download link that was later removed, word spread on the Paradox forums and international fans began asking if they too could purchase video games through downloads.Reid, Christos. "Alternative Access: Gateway to Gaming " (cont. p.2). The Escapist. Issue 212. 28 July 2009. Seeking to provide cheap distribution of games to countries that did not offer them in physical retail stores, Paradox developed a digital distribution system called "Paradox on Demand" and commenced trial operations in April 2006. On 20 November 2006, the system was officially launched under the name "Gamer's Gate". Interest in the service grew such that in 2008, after other publishers requested that Gamer's Gate distribute their games as well, Paradox decided to separate the service into an independent company called "GamersGate". By April 2009, GamersGate was offering 1000 video game titles.Lee, James. "GamersGate catalogue surpasses 1000 titles". Gameindustry.biz. 21 April 2009. By April of the following year, they had doubled their offering to 2000 titles.Staff. "GamersGate celebrates 2,000th title available for sale". Gamesindustry.biz. 30 April 2010. An additional 1000 games were added in 2011, bringing the company's total to 3000 games.Caoili, Eric. "GamersGate To Launch Ad-Supported FreeGames". Gamasutra. 9 June 2011. This pattern has repeated each year with 4000 games offered in 2012, 5000 offered in 2013,Staff. "LEADING DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION PLATFORM GAMERSGATE ANNOUNCES MASSIVE SUMMER SALE". MCV. 8 July 2013. and over 6000 .
Features As a digital distribution company, GamersGate offers digital rights management-free (DRM-free) games and downloadable content (DLC) for PC, Mac, Linux, and Android platforms. GamersGate is a client-free service that does not require users to log on in order to play purchased games. In a January 2012 article for The Escapist magazine, columnist Shamus Young speculated that these features would appeal to gamers opposed to the passive DRM validation, always-on DRM, and mandatory client program downloads that were common to many of GamersGate's top competitors.Young, Shamus. "Experienced Points: Digital Distribution: The Other Guys " (cont. p.2). The Escapist. 27 January 2012. GamersGate accepts online payment by credit card or cash via Rixty.Staff. "GamersGate and Rixty Sign Deal: Flexible cash payment options for the GamersGate website". Gamershell.com. Accessed 11 September 2014. From 2012-2013, it offered a catalog of free games via its Void system.Wittenkeller, Josh. "Gamersgate officially announces ad-supported free games platform VOID". Gamezebo. 22 May 2012.
GamersGate is one of the earliest digital distribution sitesNunneley, Stephany. "Impulse and GamersGate don't agree with NPD digital sales results". VG247. 23 July 2010. and has undergone major aesthetic redesigns over the years. The first major redesign occurred in May 2009Ziemer, Joe. "GamersGate: Digital distribution site gets a lick of paint". Gameindustry.biz. 20 May 2014. when they adopted a design that Rock, Paper, Shotguns Alec Meer described as "GoG-esque" and "shiny".Meer, Alec. "GamersGate: Redesigned, Crazy Sales". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. 27 May 2009. The second redesign occurred in July 2011Bell, Erin. "GamersGate.com gets an overhaul, adds achievements & more ". Gamezebo. 22 July 2011. and was interpreted by some as a response to changes in the industry including the launch of Origin and the acquisitions of Direct2Drive by GameFly and Impulse by GameStop.Meer, Alec. "A New Suit Of Clothes For GamersGate". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. 22 July 2011.
Downloadable content and developer tools GamersGate was one of the earliest video game stores to offer downloadable content for PC games, starting with downloadable content for the Hearts of Iron and Europa Universalis series.Tanelon, James. "Editorial: The Paradoxical Pay Policy ". The Wargamer. 24 May 2014.Smith, Quintin. "Online Outlined: Paradox Connect Announced". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. 26 August 2010.
In December 2008, GamersGate began offering developers MicroSuite, a free in-game downloadable-content API that allows game companies to insert DLC microtransactions into gameplay. The release of MicroSuite came only a few months after GamersGate's release of the GameNerve Publishing Suite, a management tool allowing users to publish and digitally distribute newly created games in order to maximize profits for the creator rather than an intermediate distribution company.Staff. "Gamersgate Announces GameNerve Publishing Suite". Gamasutra. 23 June 2008.
Client-free GamersGate initially required a software client for its customers to download their purchased games, but on 28 January 2009, the company began allowing customers to download games through a micro-download. Under this system, every game is associated with a small corresponding program that, when downloaded, will retrieve the install files for the customer's computer. Upon retrieval, the user installs the game and may then remove the downloader from the computer. CEO Theo Bergquist has touted the client-less feature of GamersGate as a way to distinguish it from more dominant video game distribution platforms like Valve's Steam.
DRM-free Since its inception, GamersGate has eschewed the use of controversial digital rights management (DRM) schemes common to other digital video game distribution services. Games downloaded from GamersGate are released free of passive DRM validation and always-on DRM, and GamersGate users have the option of transferring purchased games to other accounts. Company CEO Theo Bergquist has emphasized the need for digital distribution companies to trust consumers. Although the potential for video game piracy and similar abuses are present through its method, GamersGate believes that trust in consumers acts as "a source of comfort" for its customers.Arendt, Susan. "Digital Distribution Is a Matter of Trust ". The Escapist. 31 July 2009. The company has sought to work against piracy by cultivating mutual respect between itself and its strong player community. In an article for Information & Communications Technology Law, Peter Holm suggests that perhaps GamersGate's best DRM-free defense against piracy is simply that it makes the legal purchase of games easy and cheap.Holm, Peter. "Piracy on the simulated seas: the computer games industry's non-legal approaches to fighting illegal downloads of games". Information & Communications Technology Law. Vol.23, Issue 1. Pp.61-76. 2014. DOI 10.1080/13600834.2014.899770
In addition to GamersGate's customer-friendly policies, rulings by the Court of Justice of the European Union on the topic of digital right of first sale have clarified that lessors who indefinitely license software thereby exhaust their property rights to the software."Judgment in Case C-128/11: UsedSoft GmbH v. Oracle International Corp. - An author of software cannot oppose the resale of his 'used' licenses allowing the use of his programs downloaded from the Internet". Press Release No.94/12. Court of Justice of the European Union. Luxembourg. 3 July 2012. The effect of this ruling is that European digital distribution customers may resell downloaded games on the secondary market. Because GamersGate is based in Sweden and serves French, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish, and Swedish customers, this ruling has significance for GamersGate's European sales.Walker, John. "Crikey: EU Rules You Can Resell Downloaded Games". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. 3 July 2012.
Games GamersGate has partnered with over 250 publishers and developers including 2K Games,Staff. "GamersGate/2K Games deal". Gamesindustry.biz. 15 August 2008. Atari,Staff. "GamersGate and Atari Sign Deal". Gamershell.com. 7 September 2007. Capcom,Staff. "GamersGate and Capcom Entertainment Sign Deal". Gamershell.com. 29 April 2008. Electronic Arts,Staff. "EA Joins GamersGate". Gamershell.com. 27 February 2009. Epic Games,Staff. "GamersGate.com". Gamesindustry.biz. 23 June 2009. Koei,Staff. "Koei and GamersGate Sign Deal". Gamershell.com. 22 May 2009. SEGA,Martin, Matt. "Sega inks digital distribution deal with GamersGate". Gamesindustry.biz. 19 January 2009. THQ,Geddes, Ryan. "GamersGate and THQ Announce Distribution Agreement". IGN. 16 January 2008.Staff. "GamersGate distributing THQ stuff online". Eurogamer. 17 January 2008. Ubisoft,Staff. "Ubisoft Joins GamersGate". Gamershell.com. 12 March 2009. and Vivendi GamesStaff. "GamersGate and Vivendi Games Partner To Offer PC Titles Via Digital Download". IGN. 30 June 2008.Staff. "Vivendi Games Joins GamersGate". Gamershell.com. 30 June 2008. among many others. GamersGate has also signed distribution agreements with numerous smaller independent video game developersStaff. "Indie Developers Join GamersGate". Gamershell.com. 9 April 2008.Staff. "GamersGate/Layernet deal". Gamesindustry.biz. 26 October 2009. and a wide variety of international developers like the Russian 1C Company,Staff. "GamersGate Signs Exclusive Deal on Selected 1C Titles". IGN. 7 August 2008. the British Blitz Games,Elliott, Phil. "GamersGate inks deal with Blitz". Gamesindustry.biz. 11 August 2009. the German Crimson CowStaff. "GamersGate Open for German Publisher Crimson Cow". IGN. 3 March 2008. and Kalypso Media,Staff. "GamersGate Enters Digital Distribution Partnership with Kalypso Media". IGN. 13 Feb 2008. and the French Microïds.Staff. "GamersGate Adds Microïds to Growing Portfolio of Publishers". IGN. 10 July 2008.
Initially distributing only PC games, GamersGate began offering Mac games in June 2009 and later added Linux games and Android games.Peeples, Jemery. "GamersGate Begins Selling Android Games – Has 50% Off Sale Until Tuesday". Hardcore Gamer. 5 May 2014. , the site lists over 1500 Mac titles. As GamersGate has expanded its catalog to include macOS (formerly Mac OS X) and indie games, it has been acknowledged as a good place to download Mac gamesDuggan, Michael. iPad Multiplayer Magic. Cengage Learning. P.256. 2011. and for new game developers to get published and to make early sales.Dillon, Roberto. HTML5 Game Development from the Ground Up with Construct 2. CRC Press. Pg.220. 27 March 2014. Galindo, David. "". Gamasutra. 27 June 2011.