Joystiq

GameStop touts large selection of in-store downloadable PC games

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:15:00 EST

GameStop announced today that its stores have "one of the largest PC game selections at retail," with - wait for it - over 1,500 downloadable titles available to purchase in its 4,400 stores. Oh yeah, you can also purchase this digitally distributed product on GameStop.com ... like a moon man living in some mad future.

The announcement today isn't so much "news," as it is a reinforcement of the digital world to come and how GameStop fits into it. As the company explained in February, it sees significant revenue from customers purchasing digitally distributed content by cash or store credit. Not everyone has credit cards or uses PayPal.

"This tremendous PC game collection ensures gamers will always find what they want, and they can use cash, gift cards and trade credit as currency," said Steve Nix, GameStop's GM of Digital Distribution, who also notes customers can use their PowerUp Rewards for added value. GameStop is also offering up to 75 percent off PC games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Civilization 5, Age of Empires 3, Deus Ex Human Revolution and Magicka Collection starting today.

GameStop touts large selection of in-store downloadable PC games originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Find out if your PC meets Max Payne 3's minimum requirements

JC Fletcher — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:45:00 EST

We hope you just bought your computer today. Even better, we hope you were just about to go buy your computer, because otherwise you may have to have to turn some settings down in the PC version of Max Payne 3. Rockstar posted the system specs, including both recommended and required processors (it'll run on an Intel Dual Core 2.4 GHZ or an AMD Dual Core 2.6 GHZ, but Rockstar recommends an i7 3930K 6 Core x 3.06 GHZ or FX8150 8 Core x 3.6 GHZ). Find the full specs after the break.

Rockstar also announced pre-order incentives for the digital version at several shops, including Steam (Max Payne 1 and 2, multiplayer DLC for MP3) and Impulse (the two classic games, some multiplayer DLC, and an exclusive map). Find the full list of retailers with pre-order offers on Rockstar's site, and decide if any of them are worth the 35GB download.

Continue reading Find out if your PC meets Max Payne 3's minimum requirements

Find out if your PC meets Max Payne 3's minimum requirements originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Valve games come to Impulse

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:30:00 EST

Valve, proprietor of Steam -- which is basically the Walmart of PC digital distribution -- now has its games available on Impulse. Your confusion is as great as ours, but here we are.

The Impulse store, owned by GameStop, announced last week that Valve titles would become available on the service. Apparently, the shock of this caused almost everyone in the media not to report this fact for an awkward length of time.

The Valve games available through Impulse right now are Portal 2, Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, The Orange Box, and Half-Life Complete. Best part: the games still require Steam to play.

Valve games come to Impulse originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

GameStop completes Impulse integration, ex-Microsoft exec Shane Kim joins board

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST

GameStop recently announced it has completed the integration of digital sales platform GameStop Impulse and has added former Microsoft Games Studios VP and strategy honcho Shane Kim to its board of directors. Both are major moves that continue the company's methodical positioning of pieces in preparation to accommodate digitally distributed product alongside boxed retail offerings.

Kim, who spent nearly two decades at Microsoft, had been quite direct about the complications involved in a future where publishers, retail and platform holders had to compromise on games being sold through online portals. With his knowledge of Microsoft's efforts with Xbox Live, he should be a valuable asset advising on GameStop Impulse.

Purchased from Stardock in March, Impulse -- now GameStop Impulse -- is now completely integrated into the company, claiming to offer over 1,200 games at GameStop.com. The company isn't looking to get Steam-rolled when it comes to eye-catching sales, so it plans to hold daily deals on PC titles, with discounts reaching up to 75 percent.

GameStop completes Impulse integration, ex-Microsoft exec Shane Kim joins board originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

SSFIV Arcade Edition PC to discourage piracy (and frustrate buyers) with 'limited' offline mode

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 26 May 2011 17:58:00 EST

Okay, so there is a catch. We figured Capcom had a "solution" in place when it confirmed that Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition was coming to PC. The problem? Piracy -- the threat of which kept Capcom from releasing vanilla SSFIV on PC just a year ago.

In a blog post on Capcom-Unity, company VP Christian Svensson has addressed some "Stuff You Want to Know About SSFIV:AE for PC." Scroll down and you'll get to the catch.

"SFIV unfortunately was plagued by pirates and hackers that messed up leaderboards," Svensson writes of the original iteration on PC (which still sold well by Capcom's earlier account). "To hopefully remedy that, SSFIV:AE will be making use of what is called SSA technology."

While not as random as certain TSA measures -- SSFIV:AE players can still wear shoes and needn't limit their beverages to 3.4-ounce bottles -- the game's Software Security Assurance protocol is no less strict. Players are required to be signed into Games for Windows Live in order to access most of the game's features and content.

In offline mode, SSFIV:AE is reduced to a sort of demo, with players limited to local play only (obviously), but also restricted to 15 of the 39 fighters and unable to save settings or challenges progress. DLC is inaccessible when playing offline, as well.

Should the GWFL connection be lost mid-game, the player is given a chance to sign back in at a "logical break point" -- but should that fail ... you're in demo mode. And if you don't live in a GFWL-supported region? Svensson calls that a "buyer-beware situation."

Prospective purchasers should also be aware that Steam and Impulse will implement their respective "security solutions" (in addition to SSA), and that Steam users won't use GFWL Marketplace to purchase DLC. "We'll provide more details on that wrinkle at a later date," Svensson notes.

SSFIV Arcade Edition PC to discourage piracy (and frustrate buyers) with 'limited' offline mode originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 May 2011 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Star Ruler to be taken off Impulse in protest against GameStop takeover

JC Fletcher — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST

Not everyone is happy about GameStop's acquisition of Impulse. In a post on the official site for the space RTS Star Ruler, developer Blind Mind Studios announced that it would remove Star Ruler from the service when the takeover is enacted -- "likely some time in May," Blind Mind says.

"We are ending sales through Impulse due to GameStop's long, negative behavior toward the PC platform and independent games," the developer's statement reads. "We would never have signed onto distribution through GameStop, and being forced into this situation has only made it worse for us." Blind Mind notes that its history with Impulse has been positive to date, and, "We supported Brad Wardell's direction of Impulse." Wardell's absence "ruins our faith in the service's future."

The developer is working to ensure that updates and patches will continue to be delivered through Impulse to anyone who bought Star Ruler from the service. Barring that, it will release an automatic updater of its own.

Star Ruler to be taken off Impulse in protest against GameStop takeover originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Stardock's Brad Wardell talks about selling Impulse to GameStop

Mike Schramm — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST

"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

Stardock'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

GameStop indulges in some Impulse buying ... no seriously, it bought Impulse (and Spawn Labs)

Christopher Grant — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST

Love 'em or hate 'em, you can't say the people of GameStop are taking the challenge of "digital" lying down. The massive Texas-based retailer (everything's bigger in Texas) just announced the acquisition of streaming tech outfit Spawn Labs - you'll recall the HD-720 box we brought on the Engadget Show - and digital distribution portal, Impulse.

Whoa, whoa, whoa ... so GameStop purchased Stardock, Impulse's owner? Nope! "GameStop has acquired Impulse, Inc.," the official Stardock FAQ on the deal reads. "Impulse is a separate business unit from Stardock Entertainment." No layoffs are anticipated, staff stays with Impulse, customer service is still handled by Impulse (for now!), and the group is actually hiring.

The press release says that Impulse will offer "three specific components." First is the client, dubbed "Impulse::Client" here, which users can use to download games. Duh. Next is Impulse::Reactor, which "provides content publishers customer friendly DRM and copy protection tools. It also allows developers to enable achievements, account management, friend lists, chat, multiplayer lobbies, and cloud storage within their games." Last is Impulse::Publisher which gives pubs "real-time reporting and management tools."

GameStop's interest in Impulse - one of the industry's biggest competitors to market leader Steam - is obvious. What's not so obvious is its interest in Spawn Labs. "Once the Spawn Labs integration and testing on a new consumer interface is complete, users will have immediate access to a wide selection of high-definition video games on demand on any Internet-enabled device," the press release reads. That sounds to us like GameStop is getting into the cloud-based gaming arena (ie: OnLive).

We're following up with GameStop, Stardock, and all the other concerned parties and we'll let you know what we uncover.

GameStop indulges in some Impulse buying ... no seriously, it bought Impulse (and Spawn Labs) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Impulse takes dragon-sized bite from Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition price

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 23:00:00 EST

From a value perspective, it's pretty hard to deny the cost to amount of game ratio of Impulse's half-price deal on Dragon Age: Origins. It includes both Origins and the Awakening expansion for 25 bucks. Throw in the fact that it's actually a good game and, well, you've got yourself a heckuva deal.

Continue reading Impulse takes dragon-sized bite from Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition price

Impulse takes dragon-sized bite from Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition price originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Steam has Ubisoft hits on sale this weekend; Impulse has Medal of Honor

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST

Whether you're in the mood for shooting or shooting, Steam and Impulse have your back this weekend. Active now, Steam's offering Assassin's Creed, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, Far Cry 2 and Rainbow Six Vegas 2 in a bargain $3 bundle; while Impulse has Medal of Honor for $15.

Continue reading Steam has Ubisoft hits on sale this weekend; Impulse has Medal of Honor

Steam has Ubisoft hits on sale this weekend; Impulse has Medal of Honor originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 05 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Stardock announces Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, 'free to play' dev tools for Impulse SDK

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:10:00 EST

Stardock announced a new Sins of a Solar Empire expansion today, subtitled Rebellion. In a separate press release, the company revealed a major update to its game development platform, Impulse Reactor, which will allow developers to implement "free to play" gaming through the Impulse digital distribution network.

The Impulse Reactor update is expected to go live this month and will add features to the SDK enabling "free to play" elements for games running on the Impulse platform. If you're one of the millions of players that has dropped coin on Riot Games' League of Legends or Turbine's DDO or Lord of the Rings Online, you've probably got a good idea of the potential here.

As for Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, it's described as a "full-fledged expansion" of the 4X RTS space series -- not a sequel. Brian Clair, director of publishing for Stardock, told us that, like the original, Rebellion will not feature a single-player campaign, but will build upon the gameplay introduced in the original Sins and its micro-expansions.

Given the timing of the Rebellion announcement alongside news of the upcoming "free to play" options added to Impulse Reactor, we asked if this next Sins would be a free-to-play title. "Definitely not," Clair said, though pricing has not been set.

Rebellion will support achievements, multiplayer leagues and other features. Speaking to concerns voiced by players that don't have the hours to set aside for a standstard multiplayer match in Sins, Clair said, "We're going to continue looking at ways to address that for folks who want to get a game in under an hour."

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion is expected to be released in late 2011; however a Stardock representative told us the company is taking the "done when it's done" approach to development.

Continue reading Stardock announces Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, 'free to play' dev tools for Impulse SDK

Stardock announces Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, 'free to play' dev tools for Impulse SDK originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Impulse holding El Presidente's Day weekend sale

Alexander Sliwinski — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 03:00:00 EST

Sure, officially, Impulse is holding a President's Day sale this weekend, featuring some of your favorite strategy and sim titles, but an "El Presidente Day" sale sounds so much more exotic. The highlight of the sale, particularly to anyone who doesn't think democracy is the only way to rule, is the banana republic simulator, Tropico 3, for half-off at $7.50.

For those who cling to democracy and letting the unwashed masses have a voice, The Political Machine 2008 is only $3 and Democracy 2 is $11.50.

However, if that whole "government" thing sounds messy, and you believe the only reign worth having is one in which you can declare full-scale war, Command and Conquer 4 and Tom Clancy's EndWar are $10 apiece.

Impulse holding El Presidente's Day weekend sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Impulse marks Mass Effect down to five bucks today

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST

You know, we're starting to think Impulse is the most aptly named digital distribution platform of all time. For instance, we already own Mass Effect on 360 -- but since Impulse's store has the PC version for five dollars today, we might just spontaneously, recklessly purchase a second copy.

Continue reading Impulse marks Mass Effect down to five bucks today

Impulse marks Mass Effect down to five bucks today originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Stardock's Brad Wardell hopeful for recovery after Elemental shakeup

Mike Schramm — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST

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.

Stardock'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

Impulse drops prices for the Fourth of July

Mike Schramm — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST

Not to be outdone by Steam and its dangerously generous sale this week (you do own Torchlight by now, right?), Impluse is running its own 4th of July sale, with 68 different downloadable PC games given prices set to move, some even better than Steam. If you want some quality RTS action, the Company of Heroes pack is a great deal at $29.99, Command and Conquer 4 is $24.99 and the Sins of a Solar Empire expansions are $5 off.

Not quite as much variety as the Steam sale, but what's there is well-priced. PC gamers, you have no excuse to bother with any of the "going outside" or fireworks this July 4th weekend -- not when there are all these great cheap games to play!

Impulse drops prices for the Fourth of July originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Elemental: War of Magic slated for August 24

Randy Nelson — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

It seems like just last Friday we were showing you new screens and video from Stardock's latest PC strategy title, Elemental: War of Magic -- we were -- and today we're able to tell you that the game, which had originally been scheduled for February 2010, will launch on August 24. Elemental will be available at retail, as well as via Stardock's own Impulse service, for $49.99. Hey, you even get to choose your purchasing strategy ... how about that?

Gallery: Elemental: War of Magic

Elemental: War of Magic slated for August 24 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sins of a Solar Empire for $4; Mass Effect and Dragon Age bundles part of Impulse sale

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 28 May 2010 21:00:00 EST

Impulse's Memorial Day sale this weekend has Sins of a Solar Empire at the heavenly price of $4. Go buy it now -- full stop. Whatever nit-picky issues the 4X strategy title may have can be thrown out an airlock at that price point. It may lack a single-player campaign to teach the ropes of glorious galactic armada warfare, but setting up a medium-sized map using normal AI is a good place to start. Which reminds us: Gratuitous Space Battles is also on sale.

Impulse also has a more mainstream space opera experience on sale with the first two chapters in the Mass Effect saga bundled for $42. Want something not involving spaceships? There's a Dragon Age: Origins bundle, which includes the original game and Awakening, for $48 -- that'll definitely keep you busy all weekend. Check out the rest of the Impulse weekend sales after the break.

Gallery: Sins of a Solar Empire

Continue reading Sins of a Solar Empire for $4; Mass Effect and Dragon Age bundles part of Impulse sale

Sins of a Solar Empire for $4; Mass Effect and Dragon Age bundles part of Impulse sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 28 May 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mass Effect 2, Mirror's Edge highlight weekend Impulse sale

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST

Impulse purchasing may be in the stars this weekend if you're a PC gamer without Mass Effect 2 yet -- seriously, what are you waiting for? This weekend, Impulse has the regular and "digital deluxe" edition of Commander Shepard's suicide mission for $30 and $40, respectively. That's $20 off the regular price.

Other deals include indie darling World of Goo and the experimental Mirror's Edge for $10. The full list of discounted games is after the break.

Continue reading Mass Effect 2, Mirror's Edge highlight weekend Impulse sale

Mass Effect 2, Mirror's Edge highlight weekend Impulse sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

PC Street Fighter IV only $20 from Impulse, GFW On Demand

Richard Mitchell — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:15:00 EST

Following last week's killer deal on Batman: Arkham Asylum, Games for Windows on Demand continues its series of game sales with Street Fighter IV. Right now, the service is offering Capcom's fighter for 50 percent off, knocking the price down to a palatable $19.99. Or, if you prefer, Impulse is also offering it for the same price. Of course, it's worth noting that Super Street Fighter IV will be released in just a month, so you might just skip the whole thing and wait for a couple of weeks.

Unless, of course, the allure of "a nifty little special set of things" is just too much to resist.

Source - Games on Demand Spring Sale
Source - Street Fighter IV on Impulse

[Via 1UP]

PC Street Fighter IV only $20 from Impulse, GFW On Demand originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Total Annihilation strategically (and exclusively) moving to Impulse

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:30:00 EST

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.

Total 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

Impulse halving price on Trine, Gratuitous Space Battles this weekend

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 15:30:00 EST

Between all of January's blockbuster releases, we're guessing you're already up to your neck in gaming opportunities this weekend. However, if you're looking to add a bit more slag to the top of the pile, digital retailer Impulse has cut the price of a few PC games for this weekend only. Until tomorrow, you can pick up fantasy-platformer Trine for $9.99, or the self-explanatory Gratuitous Space Battles for $11.49. There's a few other discounts currently running as well -- go check out Impulse for more delicious bargains.

Impulse halving price on Trine, Gratuitous Space Battles this weekend originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Braid, other PC titles on sale this weekend on Impulse

Xav de Matos — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 04:00:00 EST

This weekend the Impulse digital delivery store has a handful of games on sale including the critical and commercial darling Braid. Knocking 50% off each title, the sale also includes Sins of a Solar Empire from publisher Stardock -- also known as the guys and gals behind the Impulse service. Have a few extra dollars left over from the holiday season? Here's what you can get with that extra coin:

Alganon -- $21.69
King's Bounty: Armored Princes -- $27.73
Sins of a Solar Empire -- $18.47
World War 2: Time of Wrath -- $22.82
Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim -- $16.30
King's Bounty: The Legend -- $16.30
Braid -- $5.42
Supreme Commander: Gold Edition -- $16.30

Braid, other PC titles on sale this weekend on Impulse originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 09 Jan 2010 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Impulse adds The Saboteur and more to online store

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:30:00 EST

Look, we know you've been waiting with bated breath for all those Hearts of Iron 3 content packs to arrive on Impulse, so we were glad to tell you that they've finally arrived. Sure, so did The Saboteur and X-COM, but we know you're not concerned. We suppose it's possible you'll tire yourself out with the new Hears of Iron 3 content to the point that you'll need a break, so we should probably point out that a mess of other games made it onto Stardock's digital distribution platform this week. Being the good friends we are, we've dropped the whole list just after the break, just for you!

Continue reading Impulse adds The Saboteur and more to online store

Impulse adds The Saboteur and more to online store originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sins of a Solar Empire 'Trinity' set coming

Randy Nelson — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:15:00 EST

Stardock has announced that an all-inclusive collection featuring its fab Windows-based 4X strategy title Sins of a Solar Empire, its first expansion, Entrenchment and the upcoming Diplomacy expansion will release on February 9 for $39.99. In addition to availability on Stardock's own Impulse digital distribution service, the set will make its way onto shelves across the US in something called a "box."

Anyone who pre-orders Sins of a Solar Empire - Trinity via Impulse will get instant access to the beta version of the Diplomacy expansion, which seems like a good strategy to us.

Sins of a Solar Empire 'Trinity' set coming originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Stardock: Steam is top digital distribution earner, Impulse second

David Hinkle — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:30:00 EST

Stardock isn't a publicly traded company, though it strives to be as open as possible about its business. This is where the annual Stardock Customer Report (PDF link) comes in, an annual assessment of the company's financial situation. Stardock, a publisher of games such as Sins of a Solar Empire, is also behind digital distribution service Impulse, which boss Brad Wardell says is the second only to Valve's Steam platform in terms of revenue generation.

"Our estimation is that Steam - as the current market leader - enjoys approximately 70 percent of the overall digital distribution market with Impulse at 10 percent and all others combined at 20 percent in terms of actual dollars generated per month," Wardell explains. As Wardell estimates, 25 percent of PC platform sales will come from digital distribution channels during 2009's calendar year, so we're talking billions of dollars here.

"Steam and Impulse both have the advantage of exclusive content (Left 4 Dead, Half-Life, Sins of a Solar Empire, Demigod, etc.)," he adds, but explains that Valve's strides in getting major publishers to sign on for Steamworks as a DRM solution (Dawn of War II, Modern Warfare 2) effectively nullifies those games' chances of appearing on Impulse. This is a big area where Impulse is missing out and even though it offers its own alternative -- Impulse Reactor -- the company already missed the boat on its share of the big, fat money-filled pie.

[Via Gamasutra]

Source - Stardock Customer Report 2009 (PDF)

Stardock: Steam is top digital distribution earner, Impulse second originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Modern Warfare 2 refused by digital distribution retailers; Steamworks to blame

JC Fletcher — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:22:00 EST

PC gamers aren't the only ones angry about the way Modern Warfare 2 is shaping up. PC retailers, starting with IGN's Direct2Drive download service, have made the bold move to leave piles of money on the table by refusing to sell it. It's not in protest of the dedicated server issue or the multiplayer cap, but rather the fact that the game relies on Steamworks for updates, saving and Achievements; and Direct2Drive isn't thrilled about selling a game that requires the bundling of a competitor's product.

"At Direct2Drive," the statement on what would be the Modern Warfare 2 product page reads, "we believe strongly that when you buy a game from us, you shouldn't be forced to install and run a 3rd party software client to be able to play the game you purchased." The site offers an Amazon link to purchase the game, and a $5 coupon for other Activision titles on Direct2Drive.

Impulse and GamersGate won't be offering the Modern Warfare 2 either. Impulse tells VE3D that "the most obvious issue is the forced inclusion of a competitor's store that blocks us from carrying the game."

[Via Gamasutra]

Modern Warfare 2 refused by digital distribution retailers; Steamworks to blame originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

GameStop details three-point plan for digital distro future

David Hinkle — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:00:00 EST

GameStop doesn't really have to worry about digital distribution devices like the PSP Go right now -- in the Go's case, it's because there's pretty much nothing on it -- but, in the future, the company may need to consider adapting to a less physical media-dependent market. Though some say that day won't come until 2017 (others say digital distribution will endanger the company), Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian recently attended an analyst-only GameStop meeting at the NYSE (via IndustryGamers) where the company actually detailed its plans to prepare for the rise of ~~the machines~~ digital distribution.

GameStop's three main goals to adapt included increasing in-store sales of point cards for online purchases, expanding its digital distribution of PC and casual titles via its website and making a strategic investment in the space or acquiring an online entity specializing in digital distribution. The first two are pretty cut and dry, but that last item really gives one food for thought.

There are certainly a plethora of online distributors that GameStop could own; Steam, Greenhouse, Impulse, GoG and Direct2Drive are all established and popular digital distribution services, though we think GameStop may have some trouble should it pursue Steam or Direct2Drive -- which are owned by Valve and IGN (News Corp.), respectively. And, hey, if GameStop decides to purchase any one of these and doesn't like it, there's always the option to trade it back in for ... ah, forget it.

GameStop details three-point plan for digital distro future originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

NPD study finds 40% of recent game purchases were impulse-driven

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:58:00 EST

An NPD Group study, using our Canadian brothers and sisters as guinea pigs, has apparently determined that 40 percent of game buyers purchased on impulse (no, not Stardock's Impulse) in the last six months. GI.biz reports that the study found the driving factor for these losses in willpower were pretty packaging, online accessibility and cheaper pre-owned titles.

NPD's Matthew Tattle notes that it's surprising to find impulse purchasing going on during a recession, but that "it's clear that hardcore gamers will find a way to satisfy their need for something new, different and enjoyable." Or, maybe, their ADD is just kicking in and they can't focus on the fact that we're in a recession?

The average impulse purchase was under $27 (USD), as compared to the average $42 planned purchase. The study also found that females were more likely to buy on impulse and that 15 percent of purchases were made through online transactions. So, apparently some impulse purchases were on Impulse.

NPD study finds 40% of recent game purchases were impulse-driven originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Labor Day 'Impulse' buy: Sins, Demigod and Dawn of Discovery on sale

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:51:00 EST

With what we're told is the weekend of Labor Day ahead of us, an Impulse sale is trying to do its best to keep us indoors on this last unofficial weekend of summer. The Impulse store currently has some great titles at deep discounts.

Stardock-published games Sins of a Solar Empire (with Entrenchment) and Demigod are both only $20. Meanwhile, the economic real-time strategy sim Dawn of Discovery is $25. There's plenty of other deals, including World of Goo for $10, so try not to spend those last fleeting days of summer inside. We dare you.

[Via Big Download]

Labor Day 'Impulse' buy: Sins, Demigod and Dawn of Discovery on sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Future Capcom titles hitting Steam day and date with retail; more RE5 DLC considered

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:35:00 EST

Capcom's business and strategy VP Christian Svensson mentioned in a recent interview that the company plans to release future titles on Steam day and date with retail. ButtonBasher, following up on information provided in a recent Rock Paper Shotgun interview, discussed the topic of PC digital distribution and Svensson noted that Dark Void and Bionic Commando will be available on Steam at the same time as retail. The executive also noted that Capcom's western offices take digital distribution "very seriously."

Svensson added that the company is "considering" more DLC for Resident Evil 5. He notes that "there's nothing to announce by any stretch," but that a request for DLC suggestions on the company forums created a thread that's "hundreds of posts long." That's not really shocking, considering fans are passionate enough to give their blood for RE swag.

[Thanks, Jono]

Future Capcom titles hitting Steam day and date with retail; more RE5 DLC considered originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 May 2009 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Broken promises, or 'How GameStop's error cost Stardock a vacation'

Xav de Matos — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:30:00 EST

Stardock employees had their Easter weekend ruined by GameStop when the retailer decided to break street date on the Gas Powered Games-developed action RTS, Demigod. "We were looking forward to the weekend to recover," Stardock CEO Brad Wardell wrote on the publisher's official forum. "Instead, we found ourselves back at work having to turn on and configure the multiplayer matchmaking servers."

Beyond losing vacation time, Wardell theorizes the early availability of Demigod will cause piracy of the copy protection-free title to be "maximized." But the outspoken (anti-intrusive DRM) exec says Demigod's early release may serve as proof of the actual effects of piracy. In response to GameStop's decision, Stardock released the game via its own digital distribution service, Impulse, a day early (on Monday).

While Wardell wouldn't discuss speculation that GameStop intentionally released Demigod early to combat Stardock's digital distribution service, the CEO says Stardock is in talks with GameStop to find out "how this happened."

[Via Gamasutra]

Broken promises, or 'How GameStop's error cost Stardock a vacation' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Demigod expects retail to pray for release April 14

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:40:00 EST

Stardock let us know that Demigod is ready to take control of PCs April 14. The new-fangled RTS, developed by Gas Powered Games, is priced at $39.95 for the standard version and $49.99 for the collector's edition. The additional ten-spot will net deity wannabes a soundtrack CD, poster and a pewter figurine of The Rook.

Demigod is also available to purchase on Stardock's Impulse digital distribution system. The game will utilize Impulse for its multiplayer functionality, too, but full details have yet to be revealed.

Gallery: Demigod (PC)

Demigod expects retail to pray for release April 14 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Trailer of 'Entrenchment' for Sins of a Solar Empire shoots lasers, flies around

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST

We already told you about developer Stardock's upcoming expansion "Entrenchment" when it was announced last August. We told you about the delay that hit the expansion and pushed back its release window and then when it finally got dated (we were so proud!), only to get pushed back to February 25th (what a downer!).

Well today, we've got no bad news for you. The brand new trailer you see above and the less than brand new screenshots you see below in the gallery are all we've got for you on the Impulse digital download service-exclusive expansion coming in a few weeks. We apologize for the squished format of the video but we get what we get and we don't get upset.

Trailer of 'Entrenchment' for Sins of a Solar Empire shoots lasers, flies around originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Braid PC price rewound to $15

Ludwig Kietzmann — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:13:00 EST

Jonathan Blow has cast his reign on your Braid: The PC version of his acclaimed puzzle slash poem game will now cost $14.95, a full five cents cheaper than the Xbox Live Arcade edition. Initially priced at $20 by Stardock's Impulse distribution platform, Braid PC is due for release on March 31st. All pre-orders will reflect the new price.

Writing on his blog, Blow winds some of the controversy down, candidly explaining that the $20 tag seemed reasonable compared to similarly priced PC games, such as World of Goo and Crayon Physics Deluxe. Since the XBLA release was "nicely profitable," however, the designer has decided to shrug off the higher price -- which has proven to be "unpopular in certain areas of the Internets."

We feel kind of bad about sending those death threats now.

Braid PC price rewound to $15 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

XBLA darling Braid lands on PC March 31st [update]

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:31:00 EST

Earlier this afternoon, PC game publisher Stardock revealed plans for the March 31st release of the acclaimed puzzle-platformer, Braid, on its Impulse digital distribution platform. Pre-orders start today and come with a 33% price increase, bringing the game to a (not so) nice and round $20. Last summer, the 1200 XBLA release of Braid drew criticism from thrifty gamers the world over for its notably high price point at the time (how far we've come!).

At the height of the criticism, developer Jonathan Blow explained the reasoning behind the controversial price as a means to assure that he broke even, writing on his blog, "I had to guard against the Space Giraffe problem," referring to Jeff Minter's critically acclaimed XBLA title that released for 400 and sold "only 19k copies." He further expounded on his point to 1UP last year, stating, "If those are the only people who like the game [a niche group], then I'd basically be bankrupt."

However, considering the enormous success of Braid (both critically and commercially) on XBLA over the last eight months, we're left wondering why the price tag has been upped and if the game's outspoken creator has something to say about it. We've asked Mr. Blow for comment.

Update: The price has now been lowered to $14.95.

XBLA darling Braid lands on PC March 31st [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sins of a Solar Empire sells 500,000 copies

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Strategy, Business

Stardock has revealed that its sleeper PC hit Sins of a Solar Empire has sold over half a million copies. The company's CEO Brad Wardell tells Gamasutra that 400,000 units were sold at retail, while 100,000 in sales came from digital downloads. Not bad for a full-bodied PC strategy game that cost less than a million dollars to make.

Wardell is certainly becoming an interesting character in the narrative of this industry, with relatively small publisher Stardock really stepping up. He explains part of Sins' success is that it was designed to run on a "four-year-old video card" and still look good. He says there might be a "piddly super-mega effect" that gets missed, but the result is more sales for the game, a strategy which sounds similar to Blizzard's take on being a PC developer. Sins' first mini-expansion, Entrenchment, will be available for $10 later this year.

[Via Big Download]

Sins of a Solar Empire sells 500,000 copies originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Stardock reveals Sins of a Solar Empire: Entrenchment

Justin McElroy — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Strategy

Did you ever finish a six-hour long match of Sins of a Solar Empire and think, "What I really want is more"? If so, you have some serious, clinical mental problems. But, you've also got some good news coming your way: Today Stardock announced the first expansion to the game: Entrenchment.

We're not even going to try to decode what the $9.95 expansion (due late this year) adds to the game, so here it is straight from the space horse's mouth: "Entrenchment promises to bring fans a Starbase defense platform for each race (extremely powerful and armored bases housing a variety of weapons and other upgrades capable of defending an entire planet), turret upgrades for each race to make them more powerful mine fields and a Subspace Inhibitor platform that will slow enemy ships within its range."

...Umm, great?

Stardock reveals Sins of a Solar Empire: Entrenchment originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Stardock launches Impulse digital distribution system

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: PC

The future of mass digital distribution inches ever closer, as Stardock throws its hat into the ring with Impulse. Although Impulse does have Sins of a Solar Empire, The Political Machine '08, Penny Arcade: OTRSPODE1 and touts "more than 100 games," many of them are currently third-tier titles.

Much like the upgrades to Steam, Impulse will support online save game data, multiplayer matchmaking and game rankings. Also, if a publisher takes advantage of the service, Impulse allows users to tie games to their accounts -- even if they weren't purchased through Impulse -- meaning they'll be available to re-download at any point in the future without hunting for discs or activation codes. There's plenty of other information for PC users to scour over on the Impulse website.

It's good for consumers to see more competition in the digital distribution marketplace and we're more than happy with the new features Impulse and Steam are adding. Now Impulse just has to grow its library so it doesn't get lost in the haze of Steam.

Stardock launches Impulse digital distribution system originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Jet Impulse looks really, really hot

Jason Wishnov — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video

A Nintendo-developed dogfighter, Jet Impulse, has recently opened their official website for perusal. The game formerly known as DS Air is, for the moment, Japanese-bound only; this will change, however, when we threaten Nintendo with deadly force.

Two videos adorn the pages, highlighting both game mechanics and opening cinematic. We've been hankering for more air since Star Fox Command ended so very quickly; hopefully, this title can make the trip stateside before long.

[Via NeoGAF; thanks Mutsu!]

Jet Impulse looks really, really hot originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Feb 2007 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments