Giant videogame retailer GameStop has got its foot firmly in the door of digital distribution on the PC side. Today they've announced that they purchased Impulse from Stardock Entertainment. Along with that acquisition, the company purchased startup company Spawn Labs which had technology for videogame streaming.
A week after the Xbox Live Arcade release of Blacklight: Tango Down, PC owners can now experience the game as well. Blacklight: Tango Down available for download on the PC via Steam, Microsoft Games for Windows, Impulse and Direct 2 Drive for the price of $15.
There are some say that digital distribution will eventually kill retail products, I'm not sure if that's true, but if these weekend sales on Impulse and Steam are anything to go by - they'll certainly finish off my wallet. This weekend Impulse is offering Sins of a Solar Empire for only $4.
Left 4 Dead 2 highlights the digital deals this weekend, no doubt spurned by the recent DLC. A good deal for those of you that may have missed the original as well is a two pack of L4D and L4D2 for $33 bucks. Steam Left 4 Dead 2 - $20.09 (33% Off) Left 4 Dead 2 Four Pack - $60.29 (33% Off) Left 4 Dead + Left 4 Dead 2 - $33.49 (33% Off) Trine - $5 (75% Off) Good Old Games Descent + Descent 2 - $4.19 (50% Off) Descent 3 + Expansion - $4.19 (50% Off) Freespace + Expansion - $4.19 (50% Off) Freespace 2 - $4.19 (50% Off) Impulse THQ Ultimate Bundle - $99.99 (71% Off) [Includes multiple co-op titles] Games for Windows Resident Evil 5 - $24.99 (50% Off)
It seems like it was just yesterday when word of Ironclad Games' Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity pack reached our ears. December and January have come and gone so fast, and now this all-in-one bundle is available for your co-op enjoyment at the reasonable price of $39.95 through Stardock's Impulse platform, or local retail outlets. As we mentioned before this pack not only includes the full version of Sins of a Solar Empire, a title we rather enjoyed, but the two expansions - Entrenchment and Diplomacy - as well. Trust us when we say, that's a lot of co-op gaming in one box, and a good way to spend a possible three-day weekend.
In one of the most brutal and honest interviews I've seen in a long time, Stardock CEO Brad Wardell lays out the state of PC gaming on the table. You can tell the man has a chip on his shoulder, and he's not afraid to tell the world about digital distribution, Microsoft's shortcomings, and the fact that company's flat out lie about their sales.
Stardock has announced the official launch of their Impulse Client Phase IV. The update brings a completely redesigned interface which closely resembles features from Windows 7. The entire store has been redesigned, and there's now a rating system for games purchased which appear on the store as well.
Stardock and NVIDIA have announced a brand new version of Impulse today. Dubbed the "NVIDIA Edition," it will provide NVIDIA graphics card owners seamless driver updates and other optimizations for their PC.
Stardock's Impulse looks to trump Steam's PC gaming portal and digital content delivery system by adding matchmaking into its newest update. The new update will bring like-minded gamers together by detecting each game that you play, constructing a profile based on how you prefer to play games, and suggesting other those other players.
If you are looking forward to the upcoming RTS/RPG Demigod, then you are going to need to get on Stardock's Impulse service. Similar to Steam, Impulse is a digital marketplace and community platform for gamers to buy games and play online.
