Digital Restriction Management is common in gaming, typically it goes by DRM and it's what developers do to control what gamers can do with their game. Ultimately, it's a developer's defense against pirating games and losing money on the lack of people purchasing games.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt does not have DRM – why? Because CD Projekt Red doesn't believe the practise.
Speaking with IGN last year, CD Projekt Red made their stance on DRM very clear, they don't like it — at all. "Each time we are thinking about a decision, the first rule is we have to treat gamers like we'd like to be treated. We don't believe in DRM because we hate DRM. It also doesn't protect, not really. Games are cracked in minutes, hours, or days, but they're always cracked. If you want to pirate you'll find a way. But if you're a committed gamer and are buying the game why should we place a barrier on you?"
To further illustrate how much disdain they included something called the Defensive Regulatory Magicon – DRM for short – in the game. You can see it used above – in the image and see it's funny Grimoire entry below (click the picture to make it legible):
If you noticed GOG in the items description and thought to yourself, 'wait – isn't that an online game store?' That's because it is, in fact, it's CD Projekt Red's own Witcher 3 store!
[Reddit]
