Beamdog Client Refresh, GOG Galaxy Out of Beta

In some semi-generalized and DRM-eschewing news that directly affects classic RPG fans, I thought I’d call out the fact that the team at Beamdog has released a new client that features “DRM-free versions of your purchased games, easy-to-access forum links, quick links to the latest versions of online game manuals, and better connections to support.” Their old client will continue to function, but this one sounds much snazzier:

The new Beamdog Client will run any product made by Beamdog, and we encourage you to try it out with your Enhanced Edition games. Just download, install, log-in, and point the new client at your existing games using the Find Existing Game button.

Why use the new Beamdog Client? Lots of reasons! In addition to easy updates, the new Beamdog Client features DRM-free versions of your purchased games, easy-to-access forum links, quick links to the latest versions of online game manuals, and better connections to support. Plus, buying directly from Beamdog helps us support the games you have and make more of the games you love!

Sharp eyed users will notice the new Beamdog Client supports products on Mac (we’ve specifically designed it to work well with Sierra) and Linux. Though Linux users will see an empty list where games should be, perhaps that’s a sign of things to come in the future. 😉

We’d like for our fans to use the Beamdog Client in the language of their choice. French, Polish, and German are just the start. Watch for more languages in future updates.

Windows XP users will not be able to use the new Beamdog Client. We’re sad to let that operating system go, however time, and technology, marches on. Any titles you have through the old client made by studios other than Beamdog will continue to be run through the old client.

For those of you asking what will happen to the old Beamdog Client, the answer is nothing. The client and launchers you’re used to using will remain as it is, but will not receive any future updates. We’ll be channeling our efforts into finding solutions for issues within the new Beamdog Client. All of our legacy launchers and clients will continue to be available here.

Coincidentally, CD Projekt has also made a client-related splash by officially taking GOG Galaxy out of beta with the release of version 1.2 – an update that debuts cloud backup for your save games in such greats as Planescape: Torment, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, and Heroes of Might and Magic III, among other niceties.

GOG Galaxy, our gamer-friendly Client, is coming out of beta with a major new update that greatly improves and enriches the user experience with the introduction of many long-awaited features. Let’s take a closer look at some of them:

The highlight of Update 1.2 is, of course, the Universal Cloud Saves. This new feature makes it possible to add cloud saving functionality not only to new games, but also to titles that never offered cloud saving before. Thanks to this, excellent games like Planescape: Torment, Heroes of Might & Magic® III, or Vampire®: the Masquerade – Bloodlines gain the benefits of saves syncing and cloud backup for the first time ever. Of course, if you prefer to keep your precious saves close at hand, GOG Galaxy also lets you download a backup of your saves data at any time and use it as you see fit.

This huge Update introduces the option to customize the Client to your needs by selecting which features you want to use. In addition, there is a brand new hibernate mode that cuts down on Client CPU usage while playing a game, and saves resources as well as battery life when idling in the background. We also went through the GOG Galaxy community wishlist and packed Update 1.2 with some of the most-requested features, including bandwidth limiting and scheduling, FPS counter, screenshot capturing, a sleek in-game overlay, achievement rarity, desktop and in-game notifications system, a new chat, and more!

Share this article:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *