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24 Hour Impulses: The Concept

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24 Hour Impulses: The Concept

from JoeUser Forums

Over the past few months we’ve been working on creating a system to send users “instant messages” via the Impulse tray program.  Now users who have “Show Promotions” enabled in their “Impulse Now” settings can receive balloon notifications from their system tray on special offers that come in.

Here’s how it works:

[Need a nice screenshot of a balloon showing up <g>].  Impulse has been working to put together a series of special promotions during the month of December. Anyone with Impulse installed and has the tray program running (which it is by default) and hasn’t turned off promotions will start receiving special offers.

These aren’t ordinary sales, however. They’re special deals we’ve put together with developers that only exist for 24 hours and are priced at a level we aren’t able to promote on our main websites.

The first test promotion was Galactic Civilizations for $0.99.  We will be doing some “warm up specials” over the coming week as we prepare for the Impulse “12 days of Christmas” where AAA titles will start to get steep discounts.

To participate, simply download and install Impulse (www.impulsedriven.com).  The tray program, Impulse Now, will automatically be installed (you can also load it immediately by typing impulsenow via the Start menu).

201,631 views 131 replies
Reply #77 from Stardock Forums Top

Thats strange... for the last few days I haven't seen any 24 hour impulses. The only thing I've got in my promotions tray is Testing Always See.

I'm guessing the deals are targeted? If they are I'm suprised that for the 12 days of Christmas thing I would think something would show everyday for everyone.

Offworld Trading Company
Reply #78 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Just use the following on google - there will probably still be some delay but at least you won't miss it. BTW, it shows at the top as to where the game is available - most deals seem to be for NA only.

site:https://www.stardock.com/media/mailers/

Reply #79 from Stardock Forums Top

Yeah, I dont know what the deal is with Impulse Now.  No promotions or anything have shown up in days. I prefer not to purchase through the website, so hopefully they fix this soon or I'll miss out on all the deals...

Reply #80 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I just had the Demigod deal shown to me - so it is probably working for me again! :)

Reply #81 from Stardock Forums Top

Ya it is definetly a shame, i didnt start getting the promotional offers till this morning after 3 days of waiting and i already own this title through impulse

Missed out on 2 games i would have gotten that i know about.

SpaceRangers2

Demigod

 

Christmas was almost a little brighter this year.

Reply #82 from Stardock Forums Top

Cool, just had GalCivII show up.  It's unfortunate that I already have the complete game and dont know anyone who is really into a single player game of that style.  Hopefully it continues to work now though.  I'm not sure what they did, but it must have been on their side because I didnt change anything in the last 48 hours that would suddenly make it work.

Reply #84 from Sins Forums Top

Spore today for 25% off.  Spore?!  Come on Stardock, nobody wants that crap.  Bust out a sale for the Sins full pack so I can finally get my one cheapskate friend into it!

Reply #85 from Stardock Forums Top

Here it's 50% off Mount & Blade, which I'd get were it not for the fact that Christmas is approaching fast and my bank account is nearly empty.

Reply #86 from Stardock Forums Top

not working again... it seems when the computer is put to hibernate impulse doesnt reconnect properly. Luckily it doesnt seem I've missed out on too many good deals aside from demigod. this is sort of turning into a joke at this point. a very sad joke.

Reply #87 from Elemental Forums Top

Since it's advertising things I like I got no problems with it. I say people are way too sensitive.

Reply #88 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Too sensitive?  Maybe...  But when they advertise Civ IV Complete for 50% off, and then try to give me Civ IV instead, I call that bad business.  The Complete edition I can (and did) get excited about.  Pulling the rug out from under me with an underwhelming offer (vanilla Civ IV) just makes me annoyed.

 

By the way, if they had actually BEEN selling Civ IV Complete for 50% off, I estimate I, my gaming clan, and our affiliates would have bought at least 20 copies.  We have an entire group that plays that game regularly and are pushing for more players.

 

 

-Khalaq

 

Reply #90 from Sins Forums Top

I hope Stardock learns a valuable lesson about making their sales difficult for people to find.  I realize this was probably a ploy to try and get people to download and constantly run the Impulse Dock, so they can attract more publishers with higher usage numbers.  Unfortuntely pissing people off because they didn't get notified of a sale they would have glady taken advantage of is bad for business.  I would have glady done the GalCiv2 one had I known about it in time.

Next time, please just list the sales on the front page of the Impulse site.

 

Edit: Stardock admitted the Civ4 Complete one was a screw up on their end and will be offering it again (the complete version) on the 24th.

Reply #91 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Quoting lbgsloan, reply 90
Next time, please just list the sales on the front page of the Impulse site.
End of lbgsloan's quote

I think I have to agree that this method was not exactly customer-friendly. It will be much better to show all deals available and allow you to filter them by availability in your region.

Edit: Stardock admitted the Civ4 Complete one was a screw up on their end and will be offering it again (the complete version) on the 24th.
End of quote

That's great news for those want it :)

Reply #92 from Elemental Forums Top

I wish Civ IV Complete could be bought from Europe. :(

Reply #93 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Well, Civ 4 vanilla deal was available worldwide, wasn't it?

Reply #94 from Sins Forums Top

Sigh, look at Steam's Christmas sales.  Pretty much their entire inventory is 25-50% off, all on the front page and easy to find.  Impulse's Christmas sale?  95% indie titles.  You're killing me here Stardock.

Reply #95 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I got CursorFX Plus for $1.99, StarDock is epic! ;P :P :thumbsup:

Reply #96 from Stardock Forums Top

Steam's Christmas sale is pretty awesome and exciting, something more of Stardock's sale lacks. A lot of Steam's sales are on older games though with only modest, not really tempting sales on newer titles. I'd settle for a smaller sale with great discounts. Really though, Stardock could have tried something with a little more umph for this holiday season. This is pretty weak to pretty much every other digital and even physical game sales.

Reply #97 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting lbgsloan, reply 94
95% indie titles.
End of lbgsloan's quote

Indies also deserve their stop in the light. And for some, it's a good chance to finally try some of them. About Steam, I don't check/use it so... *shrug* Best game these days was a retail copy of Disciples II Anthology, released for just 9,95 € (yeah, old and Disciples 3 released somewhere, but I hadn't seen it in my country before and the price is still very nice and common for FX Interactive's releases, being 20 € the max price for more bigger/newer games) Now, if only I had the time to install and play it...

Reply #98 from Elemental Forums Top

Steam's Christmas sale is pretty awesome and exciting, something more of Stardock's sale lacks.
End of quote

You guys should go on Archive.org and look at the Steam home page this time BEFORE Impulse existed.

Here's Christmas Eve 2007:

Steam

http://web.archive.org/web/20071224202630/www.steampowered.com/v/index.php

and

Direct2Drive:

http://web.archive.org/web/20071224220928/http://www.direct2drive.com/

Pretty much the same for 2006..and 2005...and 2004...and 2003...and 2002.

Until Impulse arrived and started these weekend/holiday mega sales, these "awesome and exciting" sales didn't happen.

Sure, with a 7 year head start, Steam has a massive catalog to take advantage of. As a gamer, that's great. Good for them.  It'll take Impulse some time to get that kind of catalog.

But it's worth noting that it took until Impulse becoming a viable competitor for suddenly everyone to discover the value of these "awesome and exciting" sales.

I would argue that ALL of these sales, are basically the result of Impulse existing to start putting pressure on.

Unless someone wants to argue that it's a coincidence that these aggressive holiday specials didn't exist for the first 6 years Steam existed and then only after Impulse arrives and starts doing this stuff that everyone decides to give gamers a huge break.

 

 

Reply #99 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 98



Unless someone wants to argue that it's a coincidence that these aggressive holiday specials didn't exist for the first 6 years Steam existed and then only after Impulse arrives and starts doing this stuff that everyone decides to give gamers a huge break.

 
End of Frogboy's quote

I know I have said this before, but I will say it again. Before Impulse, it seemed that the only thing digi distributors ever did was sell games at retail price which was one of the reasons I never bought from any of them. Why would I when I could grab it off of Amazon at a lower price or new releases from places like Circuit City for 10 or more off the 1st or 2nd week of release? I mean for awhile Walmart had one of Steam's own titles at 10 dollars less for weeks too. 

While Impulse's existence and weekly sales stirred life with the other digi stores, it doesn't change the fact that their holidays sales are exciting, and big enough where you spend time looking through the catalog and wondering what might strike your interest and Stardock's don't. Heck, by the time the evening hits and I've settled down to look at sales, Impulse's sale has already ended. And, a lot of the sales are Indie and Old games which, I admit, I like some of those, but it's not the same thrill as getting today's AAA  game at 40% off.

Reply #100 from Stardock Forums Top

Indeed, Impulse has really raised the bar.  I really want to support more of Impulse games and I do when I can (like ME2 I'll probably preorder).  But at the same time, I just cannot pass up a $5 deal for a $50 AAA title.  I do wish some of the deals Impulse offered this year were phenomenal though :)  I'll likely still get Trine through Impulse inspite of the $2.

Hmm, come to think of it, Impulse Now still isnt displaying the daily deal.  Anyone have today's deal?