Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Stardock's Brad Wardell talks about selling Impulse to GameStop]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/31/stardocks-brad-wardell-talks-about-selling-impulse-to-gamestop/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/31/stardocks-brad-wardell-talks-about-selling-impulse-to-gamestop/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/31/stardocks-brad-wardell-talks-about-selling-impulse-to-gamestop/#comments "Not everyone's goal in life is to run a thousand person company," said Stardock founder Brad Wardell, who just today announced that he's sold the growing digital distribution arm of his company, Impulse, to GameStop for an undisclosed sum. "Certainly the path of least resistance would have been to just grow with Impulse and become a digital retailer, but that's not what I signed up for."

Impulse was originally started as a way for Stardock to distribute its own games and software digitally, and was opened up three years ago to other developers. Since then, it's grown to compete with the big player in digital distribution, Steam. Wardell, speaking with Joystiq in an interview today, said that the growth in revenue actually became a cause for concern. "When Impulse became our number one source of revenue," said Wardell, "I realized it was time for us to look at our options there."

Continue reading Stardock's Brad Wardell talks about selling Impulse to GameStop

JoystiqStardock's Brad Wardell talks about selling Impulse to GameStop originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardelldigital-distributiongamestopimpulseinterviewpcpc-gamingsalestardockThu, 31 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Totally crazy, totally canceled indie games, and the people who made them]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/totally-crazy-totally-canceled-indie-games-and-the-people-who/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/totally-crazy-totally-canceled-indie-games-and-the-people-who/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/totally-crazy-totally-canceled-indie-games-and-the-people-who/#comments From World of Goo dev Kyle Gabler to Plants vs. Zombies director George Fan (and everything in between), GDC's "The Failure Workshop" panel was full of thrills. Each of the panel's developers brought a project that never managed to make our acquaintance, offering a detailed explanation of what went wrong.

Gabler, of 2D Boy, kicked the chair out from under his studio's robot-based sidescroller Robot and the Cities That Built Him when he and his cohorts finally decided that it simply wasn't very fun. After months of mock-ups and brainstorming, the game was finally turned into a fairly basic prototype (playable here) that sealed the project's untimely fate.

Continue reading Totally crazy, totally canceled indie games, and the people who made them

JoystiqTotally crazy, totally canceled indie games, and the people who made them originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2d-boybrad-wardellcanceledcancellationcat-and-mouse-foosballchris-heckerdefinition-sixelemental-war-of-magicflashbang-studiosgdcgdc-2011george-fankyle-gablermatthew-wegnermobileoff-road-velociraptor-safarioff-road-velociraptor-safari-hdpcpopcap-gamesrobot-and-the-cities-that-built-himthe-failure-workshopThu, 03 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC: Stardock's Brad Wardell explains the failure of Elemental and how he's making it up to fans]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/gdc-stardocks-brad-wardell-explains-the-failure-of-elemental-a/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/gdc-stardocks-brad-wardell-explains-the-failure-of-elemental-a/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/gdc-stardocks-brad-wardell-explains-the-failure-of-elemental-a/#comments "Unlike the other examples you've heard tonight, this game shipped. It's at the store right now. At Walmart. Yeah." -- Brad Wardell, president and CEO of Stardock.

That ominous statement was slipped into the middle of Brad Wardell's "Failure Workshop" speech this afternoon, where the Stardock head discussed a project he now considers a full-on failure: Elemental: War of Magic. He was just one of five separate developers detailing a project that went awry.

"If someone had an idea, we'd say 'Oh sure, go ahead! Throw that in!,'" Wardell explained, describing the disorganized nature of Elemental's development. "That works okay if you have seven guys," he said, continuing, "It doesn't work so well when you have 18 guys."

Continue reading GDC: Stardock's Brad Wardell explains the failure of Elemental and how he's making it up to fans

JoystiqGDC: Stardock's Brad Wardell explains the failure of Elemental and how he's making it up to fans originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 07:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardellelemental-war-of-magicfailuregdcgdc-2011pcstardockThu, 03 Mar 2011 07:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Stardock's Brad Wardell hopeful for recovery after Elemental shakeup]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/11/stardocks-brad-wardell-hopeful-for-recovery-after-elemental-sha/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/11/stardocks-brad-wardell-hopeful-for-recovery-after-elemental-sha/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/11/stardocks-brad-wardell-hopeful-for-recovery-after-elemental-sha/#comments Our sister site Big Download cornered Stardock CEO Brad Wardell to talk about the troubled title Elemental; War of Magic and the future of the company. Things are apparently looking better than they did after a "disastrous" launch: most employees are back to work, either at Stardock or elsewhere. But Wardell also says that Stardock is doing so much work on the title that by the second quarter of this year, it will "cross the line from being profitable to having lost money." Wardell expects to lose money on the game just to try and save Stardock's name on quality.

Wardell also said that the company is not done restructuring -- it recently hired both game designer Jon Shafer and writer Dave Stern, and Wardell plans to step away from lead development and move to a more executive role. Wardell remains mum on any future titles, but said that the company's Impulse digital distribution service doubled in third-party revenue in 2010, and expects "even greater growth" and increased staffing throughout 2011. If everything Wardell hopes comes to pass, the Elemental launch may have been the best worst thing to ever happen to his company.

JoystiqStardock's Brad Wardell hopeful for recovery after Elemental shakeup originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardellelementalelemental-war-of-magicimpulsepcstardockTue, 11 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Elemental update due this week, enables multiplayer and other fixes]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/08/elemental-update-due-this-week-enables-multiplayer-and-other-fi/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/08/elemental-update-due-this-week-enables-multiplayer-and-other-fi/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/08/elemental-update-due-this-week-enables-multiplayer-and-other-fi/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Stardock founder Brad Wardell (a.k.a. Frogboy) has announced on the official Elemental forums that this week will bring patch 1.08 for the game, which will finally implement multiplayer, as well as more performance optimizations and bugfixes in the wake of the game's troubled launch. Elemental's multiplayer was one of the game options that had been pushed back due to all of the other issues, so stalwart fans of the game are looking forward to mixing it up with others.

Wardell also says that the content connected with the Random House-published tie-in novel will be unlocking soon, so players who've bought the novel will get that. And Stardock is also planning to reveal some of the work going on for the mod community,
"along with easier in-game submissions of mods that aren't maps." Wardell says that's scheduled for the next few weeks, so it seems like he and his team are still working hard to win back players disappointed with how the launch went.

JoystiqElemental update due this week, enables multiplayer and other fixes originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardellelementalelemental-war-of-magicfrogboymultiplayerpatchpcstardockupdateWed, 08 Sep 2010 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Elemental launch results in Stardock layoffs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/04/elemental-launch-results-in-stardock-layoffs/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/04/elemental-launch-results-in-stardock-layoffs/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/04/elemental-launch-results-in-stardock-layoffs/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The "consequences" of Elemental's "disastrous" launch were swift as Stardock CEO Brad Wardell has confirmed layoffs at the company. Shacknews reported yesterday that those let go included developers, designers, and salespeople working on Elemental. Wardell stated in his post on the subject that these are the first layoffs to the company since 1998, while elaborating, "Elemental's revenue was anticipated to provide the revenue both for our main games team's next project as well as a second team. Unfortunately, that is unlikely to happen so we've had to start laying people off."

Wardell contacted Joystiq to say, "We obviously have had technical issues on launch that we are paying for in reviews and weakened sales, but as anyone in our QA can tell you - and I've interviewed them post-launch - we thought the game was ready which merely shows, I think pretty obviously, that we will need to change the way we do QA on major new releases as well as how we handle our own betas."

The executive concludes, "It aggravates me to no end that there's often very little connection between the myriad of poor decisions made at the executive level - including myself at the top - and the people who end up losing their jobs. But my job isn't to dispense economic justice. My job is to try to keep as many people employed as possible and make sure our customers are taken care of."

Update: Added official statements.

JoystiqElemental launch results in Stardock layoffs originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardellelementalelemental-war-of-magiclayoffspcstardockSat, 04 Sep 2010 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stardock CEO calls Elemental launch 'disastrous,' promises to do better]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/03/stardock-ceo-calls-elemental-launch-disastrous-promises-to-do/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/03/stardock-ceo-calls-elemental-launch-disastrous-promises-to-do/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/03/stardock-ceo-calls-elemental-launch-disastrous-promises-to-do/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Stardock CEO Brad Wardell has spoken out again on the troubled launch of his studio's latest game, Elemental: War of Magic. Taking to Stardock's forums, Wardell (aka "Frogboy") said, "I don't think people yet fully realize the completeness of Stardock's fail on Elemental's launch. I'm going to write more about this, but not only did we think v1.05 was ready for everyone, but we felt v1.0 was too. That's the level of disconnect/poor judgment on our part we're talking about."

And while he places the blame on Stardock as a whole, he takes a full paragraph to account for his own mistakes. "EVERY competent software developer knows that the programmer must never be the one deciding whether the program is done. Yet, my love of Elemental broke my self discipline and I began coding on the game itself in vast amounts and lost any sense of objectivity on where the game's state was. I normally only program the AI on our games so I can keep a level of distance from the game itself to determine whether it's 'Ready.' On Elemental, I was in love with the world and the game and lost my impartiality."

He finishes his screed with the promise, "We'll do better," and in a separate post lists off the many changes and additions coming to the game (including free expansions and an intended v1.1 patch in September). Both pieces really are worth reading in full. You can grab them here and here.

JoystiqStardock CEO calls Elemental launch 'disastrous,' promises to do better originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardellelemental-war-of-magicpcstardockFri, 03 Sep 2010 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stardock CEO apologizes for lashing out over Elemental pre-launch criticisms]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/25/stardock-ceo-apologizes-for-lashing-out-over-elemental-pre-launc/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/25/stardock-ceo-apologizes-for-lashing-out-over-elemental-pre-launc/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/25/stardock-ceo-apologizes-for-lashing-out-over-elemental-pre-launc/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Stardock CEO Brad Wardell has apologized for statements he made on the Quarter to Three forums, which PC Gamer subsequently referenced as evidence that folks should wait to purchase Elemental: War of Magic.

In the statement to Joystiq, Wardell expressed that after a "lengthy and heated debate" over issues in the pre-launch version of the game, he spoke hastily and says, "As a result, I want to apologize to our fans for speaking so harshly. It should be said that some of the issues in question from the PC Gamer UK article, in fact, did not appear in any of our beta testing. We were surprised by these issues and, after working days on end with little sleep, I was very frustrated. I should not have engaged in an online debate about these issues, as my haste to defend what we feel is a great product only served to hurt the fans who have supported us and the team who has been so dedicated to this project."

The PC Gamer piece urges its readers not to purchase Stardock's latest release. "We've held off from finishing our review because of the launch problems, but felt this warranted an early warning," PC Gamer's Tom Francis says, claiming the launch version of Elemental "on two very different machines with the latest drivers for everything ... crashed or hit a game-breaking bug every ten minutes."

It should be noted that while our staff experienced similar issues in the game's beta version, we never encountered those bugs in the retail copy. A large patch issued last night is said to have fixed the frequent crashes, though it allegedly made tactical battles unplayable.

Additionally, multiplayer servers are said to be running, but the mode won't be turned on until sometime next week due to "team exhaustion," a rep on the game's forums said. "The early release meant a lot of people who were expecting this weekend off to rest from the grueling last few weeks had to come in. So we're going to let them get a couple of days off later this week and open up the MP next week." With that in mind, it may be a few days before another patch arrives for Elemental. We've placed Wardell's full statement to Joystiq after the break, along with a poll asking for players to let us know if they've run into these bugs.

Continue reading Stardock CEO apologizes for lashing out over Elemental pre-launch criticisms

JoystiqStardock CEO apologizes for lashing out over Elemental pre-launch criticisms originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardellcrashingelemental-war-of-magiclaunchmultiplayerpatchpcpc-gamerstardockWed, 25 Aug 2010 14:06:00 EST<![CDATA[Preview: Elemental: War of Magic]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/23/preview-elemental-war-of-magic/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/23/preview-elemental-war-of-magic/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/23/preview-elemental-war-of-magic/#comments Stardock's Elemental: War of Magic is already extraordinary, smashing genres together that may have been too big on their own in the first place. At its heart, it's a 4X game in the style of Civ or Galactic Civilizations, but it's also a fantasy RPG with a deep and long story, and a tactical battle game. It has a huge singleplayer campaign, a sandbox mode that creates gigantic maps at random, and even a multiplayer mode. It's vast and confusing and intricate, and while there are certain gamers who just won't vibe with all of the numbers and how open the gameplay is, there are others - probably old-school strategy types - who will love it for everything it is.

Stardock's CEO Brad Wardell is one of those for sure -- as he showed me the latest beta of the game earlier this month, his enthusiasm for the game he's built was quite clear. Elemental: War of Magic, like all of Stardock's titles, is as "homespun" as any video game can be, and Wardell's personality and preferences shine through almost all of its (sorry) elements.

Gallery: Elemental: War of Magic

Continue reading Preview: Elemental: War of Magic

JoystiqPreview: Elemental: War of Magic originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4xbrad-wardellcivilizationelementalelemental-war-of-magicfantasygenremagicpcstardockstrategyMon, 23 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Stardock CEO going on modding sabbatical after Elemental ships]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/20/stardock-ceo-going-on-modding-sabbatical-after-elemental-ships/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/20/stardock-ceo-going-on-modding-sabbatical-after-elemental-ships/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/20/stardock-ceo-going-on-modding-sabbatical-after-elemental-ships/#comments Stardock CEO Brad Wardell will take a "sabbatical" after shipping Elemental: War of Magic later this year. It's not unheard of to take some time off after shipping a major product in the industry (horrible example), but Wardell isn't traveling the world. No, instead he's having a full-on geek out: he's goin' modding.

Wardell explained to Joystiq, "It's more than a vacation. For the past year I've been doing multiple jobs at once -- running Stardock, managing external game development, coding on Elemental, building a house, and writing a book. I typically start work at around 8am EST and work until around 11pm and do this every day -- seven days a week -- though recently I've been getting in some Starcraft 2 time. But it has averaged around 80 hours a week overall."

The executive explains that he wants to mod Elemental to make all kinds of other games and get as much out of the Kumquat engine (the company's new game engine) and Impulse Reactor as possible. Then take those lessons and show it to other developers. He also plans to work on Civilization V mods, which uses the same mod program as Elemental. Wardell expressed the time off "won't affect Stardock's product scheduling at all," he'll still be working on stuff. A lot of that stuff just happens to be modding.

[Via Big Download]

JoystiqStardock CEO going on modding sabbatical after Elemental ships originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardellelementalelemental-war-of-magicmoddingsabbaticalstardockwardellSat, 20 Mar 2010 04:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Total Annihilation strategically (and exclusively) moving to Impulse]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/05/total-annihilation-strategically-and-exclusively-moving-to-imp/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/05/total-annihilation-strategically-and-exclusively-moving-to-imp/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/05/total-annihilation-strategically-and-exclusively-moving-to-imp/#comments Stardock has announced that Total Annihilation, Chris Taylor's classic RTS, has arrived on its Impulse digital distribution platform. 10 bucks nets buyers the Impulse client-based version of TA, replete with the game's Core Contingency expansion and modernized multiplayer support.

Stardock head Brad Wardell notes his love for the RTS in the release announcement, even going as far as saying, "Total Annihilation is personally one of my all-time favorite games." Additionally, while the game is currently claimed to be "exclusive" to Impulse, we have to imagine such a critically acclaimed PC title will end up on those other digital distribution platforms at some point in the future. Until that happens, you can pick up the game right here.

JoystiqTotal Annihilation strategically (and exclusively) moving to Impulse originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardellchris-taylordigital-distributionimpulsertsstardocktotal-annihilationFri, 05 Mar 2010 02:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Random House publishing 'Elemental: Destiny's Embers,' assisting game publishers with IP dev]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/01/random-house-publishing-elemental-destinys-embers-assisting/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/01/random-house-publishing-elemental-destinys-embers-assisting/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/01/random-house-publishing-elemental-destinys-embers-assisting/#comments Software publisher Stardock and book publisher Random House announced today that Elemental: War of Magic will have a companion novel. Elemental: Destiny's Embers is expected to release in August 2010 and is written by Stardock CEO Brad Wardell, who is also the game's creator and executive producer -- he's also apparently not using a ghost writer. Elemental, the game, currently has a Q3 release.

The book publishing deal is apparently part of Random House's new division to establish transmedia intellectual property. The group will handle collaboration and development across several mediums, offering "editorial services to media companies that will enhance the world-building and storylines of their already existing IP." So, it seems that Random House is offering to assist publishers in building words. "We create worlds." That's a good tagline -- wait, that may have been used.

JoystiqRandom House publishing 'Elemental: Destiny's Embers,' assisting game publishers with IP dev originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardellelemental-destinys-emberselemental-war-of-magicrandom-housestardockMon, 01 Mar 2010 19:15:00 EST<![CDATA[What's in a Name: Stardock]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/11/whats-in-a-name-stardock/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/11/whats-in-a-name-stardock/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/11/whats-in-a-name-stardock/#commentsStardock In our ongoing feature What's in a Name, we ask developers, publishers and other game industry businesses the stories behind their names. Today our answer comes from Brad Wardell, CEO of Stardock:

"I was in college and started the company to help pay for school until I could get a real job. I needed to get a computer and got a hold of a wholesale distributor to get the parts to build it. When I called, they asked me what the name of the company was and in panic, I looked around and was reading a book by Raymond E. Feist and the chapter was called 'Stardock' so that's what I said the company's name was. It stuck and has been since."

That's it for this edition, maybe next time, we'll tell you the mysterious story behind "Joystiq." It's ... mysterious.

JoystiqWhat's in a Name: Stardock originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardellstardockwhats-in-a-nameTue, 11 Aug 2009 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Stardock hiring lots of devs, hints at upcoming projects]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/15/stardock-hiring-lots-of-devs-hints-at-upcoming-projects/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/15/stardock-hiring-lots-of-devs-hints-at-upcoming-projects/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/15/stardock-hiring-lots-of-devs-hints-at-upcoming-projects/#comments
Stardock is hiring game developers, animators, artists and more. Some may find relocating to Plymouth, Michigan, a hardship (especially those first few winters), but a well-paying job's money goes further there than it would on one of the coasts. CEO Brad Wardell tells us the company is currently looking for "experienced" devs to work on:
The more "technical" requirements can be found after the break. Resumes and cover letters should be sent to jobs[at]stardock[dawt]com. Best of luck to the applicants.

Continue reading Stardock hiring lots of devs, hints at upcoming projects

JoystiqStardock hiring lots of devs, hints at upcoming projects originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardellbusinesshiringjobsstardockWed, 15 Jul 2009 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Stardock CEO: Retailers killing themselves with digital distribution]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/20/stardock-ceo-retailers-killing-themselves-with-digital-distribu/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/20/stardock-ceo-retailers-killing-themselves-with-digital-distribu/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/20/stardock-ceo-retailers-killing-themselves-with-digital-distribu/#comments
We're not exactly sure why Stardock CEO Brad Wardell is in the business of giving advice to retailers, considering his Impulse service is in direct competition with them. But that's exactly what he did when talking to GameBizBlog recently, saying that retailers a playing a dangerous game testing the digital distribution waters.

"Retailers need to be careful about this stuff," he said. "They're kind of signing their own death warrants once they push digital distribution at the store. Once you have the thing set up--once you've experienced how to purchase the game or deal with it online--why would I go back to the store for the next purchase? Especially if the store isn't providing added value. If you're a retailer, you're killing yourself."

... You know, on second reading, that kind of sounds like a threat. Hold on, let us check again. ... Yep, that's a threat.

[Via GoNintendo]

JoystiqStardock CEO: Retailers killing themselves with digital distribution originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardelldigital-distributiongamestopretailstardockMon, 20 Apr 2009 22:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Demigod servers overrun with pirates at launch, better now]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/17/demigod-servers-overrun-with-pirates-at-launch-better-now/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/17/demigod-servers-overrun-with-pirates-at-launch-better-now/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/17/demigod-servers-overrun-with-pirates-at-launch-better-now/#comments
Demigod appears to have been a pirates' cove at launch, as Stardock CEO Brad Wardell explained on his blog a couple days ago: Out of the 120,000 connections on launch day, only 18,000 were legitimate customers (that's not sales, merely "concurrent users"). Obviously, this situation put quite a strain on the servers. He explained that Stardock stress tested for 50,000 players at peak times and wasn't expecting to hit those numbers for weeks.

A letter from Stardock this morning notes that "most" launch day issues were resolved yesterday afternoon. A "doppleganger" of the network was created, along with an update for legitimate players, which now directs them to the clean servers. It's a pretty nasty situation for Stardock, which has actually put faith in gamers by not placing copy protection on its games.

[Via Edge]

JoystiqDemigod servers overrun with pirates at launch, better now originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardelldemigodgas-powered-gamesstardockFri, 17 Apr 2009 14:45:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC09: Understanding what Stardock's Goo means to the used PC games market]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/30/gdc09-understanding-what-stardocks-goo-means-to-the-used-pc-ga/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/30/gdc09-understanding-what-stardocks-goo-means-to-the-used-pc-ga/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/30/gdc09-understanding-what-stardocks-goo-means-to-the-used-pc-ga/#comments
Stardock's Game Object Obfuscation (Goo) sounds super complex (and it is), but all we -- "the consumer" -- need to grasp is that it could very well open up a "used" PC games market. Although this sounds like something that would make publishers and developers irate, the clever part with Goo is those groups actually make coin off the transactions. Stardock is still being cagey about which publishers it has jumping on-board with this client-free DRM solution, but should be making announcements soon. We finally grasped the big picture of Goo while speaking with Stardock CEO Brad Wardell and using the glasses on the table in front of us to diagram how the system will work:

The super distilled basics (use picture above to follow along):
  • Seller: So, you bought a PC game and now want to sell it. You go to the Impulse Marketplace and -- if you accept the "used" price -- your license will transfer back to the publisher and the game can't be played anymore. The game is "sold."
  • Buyer: You want a game, but don't want to pay full price. You go to Impulse Marketplace and will be able to purchase this "used" license from the publisher through the service and download the game from the digital distribution service at a reduced price. That's it. Now you own the license and can sell it back whenever.
  • Publisher: Here's why publishers will probably like this system: The companies receive almost all the money -- minus Stardock's transaction fee -- from the resold license. Essentially, the publishers get to sell the same license several times and have entered the profitable "used" games market.
Goo will go live on April 7th. Considering this is all done through digital distribution, it's best to think of this whole concept as a "used license market" instead of a "used games market" -- there is no physical product changing hands. If Goo takes off, it means that consumers can get money for selling their PC games back to the publisher, and those who only buy "used" games have a secure new option. But, no matter what transaction occurs, the publishers are finally empowered and have cash flow in the used market.

JoystiqGDC09: Understanding what Stardock's Goo means to the used PC games market originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardelldrmgdc-2009goostardockMon, 30 Mar 2009 07:30:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC09: Stardock entering iPhone development, would 'like' to do GalCiv II]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/27/gdc09-stardock-entering-iphone-development-would-like-to-do/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/27/gdc09-stardock-entering-iphone-development-would-like-to-do/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/27/gdc09-stardock-entering-iphone-development-would-like-to-do/#comments
During a conversation with Stardock CEO Brad Wardell and Art Director Paul Boyer, the two -- against the express wishes of their PR handler -- brought up iPhone development at the company and the possibility of Galactic Civilizations II on the mobile platform.

While Stardock's PR pro sat in a chair facepalming (image after the break), Wardell and Boyer discussed development for the mobile device, with Boyer saying he'd "really like" to do GalCiv II. Just to be clear, after we left, the PR lady had a stern talking with them ... beyond the iPhone stuff, it probably had something to do with the duo openly discussing the unannounced Galactic Civilizations III.

Continue reading GDC09: Stardock entering iPhone development, would 'like' to do GalCiv II

JoystiqGDC09: Stardock entering iPhone development, would 'like' to do GalCiv II originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Applebrad-wardellgalactic-civilizations-2galactic-civilizations-3galactic-civilizations-iigalactic-civilizations-iiigdc-2009iphoneiPodstardockFri, 27 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Stardock looking at Master of Orion, Star Control rights]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/17/stardock-looking-at-master-of-orion-star-control-rights/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/17/stardock-looking-at-master-of-orion-star-control-rights/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/17/stardock-looking-at-master-of-orion-star-control-rights/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Stardock keeps 4X strategy gamers' hearts aflutter with word that it's trying to get the rights to Star Control or Master of Orion. Of course, if the publisher can't get them, like what happened with its recent attempt for the Master of Magic rights, Stardock can always just circumvent and make its own franchise -- thus, Elemental: War of Magic was born.

Stardock CEO Brad Wardell tells Gamasutra that the company would base its SC or MoO sequel off the second games in the respective franchises and not the poorly received third iterations. Wardell also confirms that Stardock is currently building a second full internal development team. Given the company's release strategy, whatever game it decides to do, we won't see it until 2011 or beyond.

JoystiqStardock looking at Master of Orion, Star Control rights originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardellmaster-of-orionPCstar-controlstardockMon, 17 Nov 2008 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stardock sticking with Q1 release strategy for next half decade]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/10/stardock-sticking-with-q1-release-strategy-for-next-half-decade/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/10/stardock-sticking-with-q1-release-strategy-for-next-half-decade/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/10/stardock-sticking-with-q1-release-strategy-for-next-half-decade/#commentsFiled under: ,


Stardock just seems to "get it" when it comes to not putting any more burden on our time (or wallets) during the holiday season. The company's CEO, Brad Wardell, tells Gamasutra that the small publisher plans to release a title "every first quarter of every year" over the next five to six years. This way it can avoid the holiday glut, along with the marketing dollars required to stand out in the crowd.

The Q1 release strategy, although not explicit up until now, seems to have worked well for the publisher. Galactic Civilizations II cut out a niche and Sins of a Solar Empire was a bona fide sleeper hit. We know that Gas Powered Games' Demigod is scheduled for February of next year and Stardock's internally developed Elemental is already slated for February of 2010. The publisher has its 2011 game already planned, but isn't announcing it yet.

[Via Evil Avatar]

JoystiqStardock sticking with Q1 release strategy for next half decade originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardelldemigodelementalPCstardockMon, 10 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Stardock announces Elemental: War of Magic]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/04/stardock-announces-elemental-war-of-magic/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/04/stardock-announces-elemental-war-of-magic/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/04/stardock-announces-elemental-war-of-magic/#commentsFiled under: ,


Stardock, developers of the Galactic Civilization series, announced today that its next "major" PC title will be a fantasy 4X strategy game called Elemental: War of Magic. In classic Stardock bluntness, the company admits the subtitle is corny, but that it actually wanted something that was old-school and "generic." The title will essentially be a fantasy Civilization where magical shards provide power. The game will also include a single-player campaign and "persistent multiplayer."

Elemental: WoM will begin its public beta in June of 2009, with a release in Feb. of 2010 for $50 (talk about ample notice). Like all Stardock titles, the game will have "no on-disk DRM" and will be updated through the company's Impulse digital distribution system. Early screenshots, giving an idea of Elemental's art style, can be viewed below. Stardock makes clear to point out that the images are still early and are likely to change over the next year and a half.

[Via Big Download]

Gallery: Elemental: War of Magic (PC)

JoystiqStardock announces Elemental: War of Magic originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardellelementalelemental-war-of-magicPCstardockTue, 04 Nov 2008 14:15:00 EST<![CDATA[ Joystiq interview: Demigod, Sins, and the death of PC gaming]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/24/joystiq-interview-demigod-sins-and-the-death-of-pc-gaming/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/24/joystiq-interview-demigod-sins-and-the-death-of-pc-gaming/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/24/joystiq-interview-demigod-sins-and-the-death-of-pc-gaming/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


With publisher Stardock's rise the last couple of years and the announcement that it'll be publishing Gas Powered Games' next title, Demigod, it was time catch up with the two companies. We spoke with Stardock's CEO Brad Wardell and Gas Powered Games' founder Chris Taylor and asked some niggling questions on our minds ... and fired a few total shots in the dark which yielded results (like Demigod on consoles?). Find out more about Stardock and why Gas Powered Games decided to hook up with the little-publisher-that-could for its next title in our interview.

OK, let's get right into it, what's Demigod?

Chris Taylor - Demigod is a frantic team-based action game with RPG and RTS elements mixed in. If that doesn't sound familiar, it's because we're sort of inventing a new style of hybrid gameplay. The player selects a Demigod, and fights for a place in the pantheon of Gods in these incredible arenas. Each battle puts the player in command of either an Assassin Demigod, or General Demigod. These two types gives the player a choice of whether they command just the single Demigod, an Assassin, or whether they take command over every single unit in the game, like a traditional RTS, a General.

Gallery: Demigod (PC)

Continue reading Joystiq interview: Demigod, Sins, and the death of PC gaming

Joystiq Joystiq interview: Demigod, Sins, and the death of PC gaming originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brad-wardellchris-taylordemigodgas-powered-gamesPCPS3sins-of-a-solar-empiresinsofasolarempirestardockwardellXbox-360Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:25:00 EST