Sins of a Solar Empire finally gets demo treatment

by Jason Dobson { Mar 21st 2008 at 9:00PM }

Sins of a Solar Empire might just be the best game you've never played. Then again, maybe you have, considering how well the PC game has been selling since its early February debut. Still, if there's one thing that's been missing from the experience, its how to court those players still on the fence, with a demo for the 4X strategy hybrid being noticeably absent. Until now that is, as Iron Clad and publisher Stardock have finally pushed out a demo, which is currently available for download from Gamespot.

The news is great, really, but the question as to why the demo took so long to produce had to be asked. So we did. We broached to topic with Stardock president and CEO Brad Wardell, who told us that "when Sins of a Solar Empire was released, Stardock and developer Iron Clad felt that our first priority had to be to existing customers...once we released v1.03, we were able to spend the necessary time to put together a quality demo." Quality is a word people throw around too easily, so those of you who pick up the demo, drop us a line below and let us know if Wardell's comments are justified.

Tags: 4x, iron-clad, ironclad, sins-of-a-solar-empire, sinsofasolarempire, stardock

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neebs @ Mar 21st 2008 9:10PM

Go and download. Such a great game.

Marshmallow713 @ Mar 21st 2008 9:12PM

Dido. I've been playing it sense the first Beta and it's the most fun I've ever had with any type of RTS. Good stuff.

SirPasta117 @ Mar 21st 2008 9:51PM

wow^ go get a dictionary

Neebs @ Mar 21st 2008 9:54PM

If you're going to insult someone's spelling, do it with good grammar, please.

Marshmallow713 @ Mar 21st 2008 10:40PM

Soury me no type so purfectionally for yous! 4 X's RTSing are grandosity mounts and FUN!

fred @ Mar 22nd 2008 1:03AM

MAYBE HE LIKES HER MUSIC, HUH??

Nick the Hero of Canton @ Mar 21st 2008 9:30PM

Downloading...thanks Joystiq, hope it works.

hydralisk456 @ Mar 21st 2008 9:34PM

BUY THIS GAME!!! I can't stress this enough. No DRM, great developer support, easy to mod, easy to use map builder, and a "steal" for only $39.99. Plus it's loads of fun!

DvO @ Mar 21st 2008 11:43PM

Boo for Gamespot exclusive. =/

sicsided @ Mar 21st 2008 9:48PM

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYA!

Jeff @ Mar 21st 2008 10:06PM

This is the example of a perfect PC game release.

Firstly, they made an excellent game. That's the first priority.

Secondly, they didn't load it up the ass with DRM. Instead, they promised lasting support from the developer, good online features... you could pirate this game if you wanted, very, very easily. It plays without a CD key entered. But so many have chosen to buy it because stardock has it set up that you can't play online without a CD key, and that you can't access patches without a CD key.

I really can't stress how great this game is.

I notice in the last post you mention "number crunching" and "micro-managing". This game is actually very easy to get a hang of. It is sort of the "action movie" of strategy games. You assemble your huge fleets and watch them do epic battle basically 100% on their own. That might sound like a bad thing, but it really works out quite perfect.

I was playing this all day today.

Go download this, and enjoy your life.

Triforceowner @ Mar 21st 2008 10:15PM

"It is sort of the "action movie" of strategy games."

Honestly, when I get in a huge fight, I just zoom way the hell in on some fighters and watch them as the battle progresses. It is so much fun.

Jeff @ Mar 21st 2008 10:39PM

LMAO. Me too.

When someone one-ups me epically and pops out of nowhere with a huge fleet, I usually zoom in on it and look at in all its glory for a few seconds before I start to respond.

I'd be totally fucked if my ships weren't smart enough to attack anything in the gravity well by default =)

sinergy @ Mar 21st 2008 10:25PM

call me lazy but I don't want to sign up just to download a demo. MIRROR ME!

Einhanderkiller @ Mar 21st 2008 10:40PM

http://files.filefront.com/Sins+of+a+Solar+Empire+Demo/;9861753;/fileinfo.html

sinergy @ Mar 22nd 2008 10:58AM

thanks dude :D

AusfroT @ Mar 22nd 2008 4:06PM

Really an amazing game, i play into the wee hours every time i fire it up.

psychoticdream @ Mar 21st 2008 10:42PM

come on guys DL or buy it its definitely an incredible game

i lost an entire weekend playing it o.o!!!

DustoMan @ Mar 21st 2008 10:43PM

This game is awesome. If you are a fan of RTS games, download this demo NOW!

Jeff @ Mar 21st 2008 10:50PM

Honestly, I'm not a fan of RTS games. I only bought it because Stardock seemed like such awesome guys, with their plans to support it so much post-release and stuff. I wanted to support a PC game being made right!

But I love it. Only RTS I've enjoyed since Starcraft.

Joeshie @ Mar 21st 2008 10:52PM

One of the best games in recent memory. Unless you have a totally shittastic computer, you should at least try out the demo.

dramamoose @ Mar 21st 2008 11:00PM

And even if you have a mildly shittastic computer (ex: my current one, a 4-year-old rig that was only moderately good for gaming back then), download it. It runs amazingly.

Jeff @ Mar 21st 2008 11:29PM

They did a great job with the art direction. It all LOOKS wonderful, but it really isn't too complicated. Not many polys or effects-- just art.

A few patches from now we're going to be getting ultra high resolution textures, though, for those of us who can handle it. Can't wait to see how glorious all of the ships and planets look.

Timodi @ Mar 21st 2008 11:46PM

Crazy. I've been in a 4x mood all day and have been looking at various games, wondering why there wasn't a Sins demo. Then, bam. About time.

I'll second the FileFront.com link. You don't have to sign up for GameStop.

http://files.filefront.com/Sins+of+a+Solar+Empire+Demo/;9861753;/fileinfo.html

pwnetheus @ Mar 22nd 2008 12:31AM

Definitely recommend this game. Be prepared, however, to have your entire day go by you. I played on a SMALL map and I think that game took like 4 hours.... and I lost. ='(

Dave Silva @ Mar 22nd 2008 1:55AM

That picture reminds me a lot of Homeworld (which I enjoyed.)

Any similarities between the two?

ogvor @ Mar 22nd 2008 3:19AM

Yes, in that it is a real time space strategy game, but also not quite, in how it is more focused on all the faces of strategy: Economics, Culutre, Research, Diplomacy, and yes, Combat. You'll find huge battles that include everything from tiny fighters to massive capital ships, but you won't find the level of detail in the combat that something like Homeworld II has. You'll need to keep track of your alliances, trade routes, colonial developments just as your fighting your battles, so it's not quite the same, but definetly similar.

Great game in my opinion, definetly give the demo a try.

Dave Silva @ Mar 22nd 2008 3:32AM

... yeah. I won't enjoy it. I hate micromanagement. :\

But thanks for answering my question!

Jeff @ Mar 22nd 2008 11:03AM

I actually find this game quite small on micromanagement. I think you got the wrong impression of it somewhere =)

t_m @ Mar 22nd 2008 12:08PM

its macromanagement. Homeworld was micromanagement. ;-)

BigD145 @ Mar 22nd 2008 1:26PM

Not really. Homeworld used 3 dimensions, this uses 2. Space is 3 dimensions. (Yes, I'm oversimplifying things by not messing with 4 dimensions, namely spacetime.) Homeworld had some epic strategy by getting you to think on more than just a single plane. Sins could just as easily be a board game. It's got this British feel to it. You line up your army on a flat field and then attack each other all at once. Even the star systems are arranged on a flat plane.