So SDC is coming back?

Forward a mile, back two steps, and forward one step.

from Stardock Forums

Forward a mile, back two steps, and forward one step.

Perhaps I should explain:

  • Stardock Central has been around before. Back then, I firmly believe it was way, way ahead of its time. The ability to buy and download software is IMO the way of the future, and how we will be buying most of our software going forward. Impulse pushed things even further and went along the route I believe was going to be the logical conclusion of this type of product: A full online store for games and apps. This I think is the mile forward.
  • Then, something happened. Games exploded. Impulse's biggest competitor was Steam, and games practically took over Impulse. Furthermore, GameStop took over Impulse, which basically killed any hopes of Impulse ever catering to regular apps. This I think are the two steps back. Especially as Microsoft and Apple loom on the horizon with their own app stores. Impulse can perhaps survive Steam - I don't know if it can survive Windows 8. Steam itself may have to start scrambling for market share if the store in Windows 8 becomes the new de facto way of getting applications and games.
  • And now? SDC is back. One step forward again, as it's a central place to get Stardock apps.

The only question now is - can SDC make it another mile?

I guess I'm not totally up with the whole "Impulse is being maintained by GameStop now" thing. I've always had mixed feelings about it. And now I know why I do - because it kinda ruined my vision of why I thought Impulse existed. I thought it was going to be a big app store that any app developer could go to. But now - now it's not apps, it's just games. Which is kinda disappointing.

I suppose SDC is probably going to be Stardock only - I don't really see Stardock doing another e-commerce platform. Especially with Windows 8 coming. For the better, I suppose, since Stardock can focus on desktop customization and games again.

So - welcome back, SDC.

17,886 views 16 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top


The only question now is - can SDC make it another mile?

SDC v2 has been going quite well, for over 6 months now....

Welcome back, yourself.... ;)

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

I hope all the games go across, it would be nice to be able to save the installer, especially since I install on my laptop and desktop, and re-install Windows every now and again.

So are the Atari Games I purchased, not going to be available to re download?

Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Techno, reply 2
So are the Atari Games I purchased, not going to be available to re download?

Anything you bought from Impulse that isn't a Stardock product stayed with GameStop/Impulse; we no longer have anything to do with those products. We (and thus SDC) only handle our own products now.

We hope to get the back catalog up on the store and SDC, but for the moment only the latest release of each title is available direct (same as are now available on other third party DD outlets). So if you have older releases (games+expansions purchased individually, etc), you'll need to continue using Impulse to maintain those for the time being.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Snowman, reply 1

quoting post
The only question now is - can SDC make it another mile?


SDC v2 has been going quite well, for over 6 months now....

Welcome back, yourself....

Well, I just received an email about it. Haven't really been keeping up with Stardock much these days.

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

If you happen to have any games through Impulse, though, you may still need it for updates and the like.  

The list of games currently available directly from Stardock is:

Demigod
Elemental: War of Magic
Elemental: Fallen Enchantress Beta
GalCiv I: Ultimate*
GalCiv II: Ultimate
Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity

Anything else would have to go through Impulse/Gamestop for now.

 

 

*Not available through SDC

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

OMG I am so happy to see Stardock Central is back!!! To be honest I hated Impulse and Game Stop. Not everyone is a gamer so it is nice that we now have an option to work with. I had so many problems with Impulse and as a long long long time customer the many issues made me stop purchasing things from Stardock for a while. Now I will dust off the credit card and get to buying stuff again hahahahaha! Really now, I hated Impulse/Game Stop, I really really did....

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

Stardock is breaking ties with GameStop, but Stardock is not breaking their ties with Steam.

Rebellion will use SteamWorks for the multiplayer portion of the game instead of the Ironclad service that Trinity currently uses.  The reason is to find more players easily, join matches easier, and basically make the multiplayer experience much easier.  With that in mind, Rebellion will be a Steam download even though it will be owned by Stardock.

 

If I'm wrong and SteamWorks is a separate entity in the software, then Good for StarDock and so other companies that a player does not have to be logged into Steam to play their games (even when not connected to the internet).

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

Will I still have to keep Game Stop? I am not a gamer and only want Stardock software so can I uninstall Game Stop/Impulse and still get all my software through Stardock?

Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Webwoman, reply 8
Will I still have to keep Game Stop? I am not a gamer and only want Stardock software so can I uninstall Game Stop/Impulse and still get all my software through Stardock?
Yep.

Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Zubaz, reply 9
Yep.

As in, you can uninstall Impulse.

Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top

Thank you sooooo much...I appreciate you taking the time to respond... :thumbsup:

Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top

Steam sux also. Purchased SOE:Rebellion tonight and can't even find a way to download it from Steam. I follow the directions given by SD but those options dont exist on the main STeam page. Am super disappointed in the this whole process. If i dont have my game by tomorrow I want a refund. 

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Rosco_P, reply 10
Quoting Zubaz,
reply 9
Yep.

As in, you can uninstall Impulse.

Isn't she suppose to uninstall apps she installed through impulse first? And then reinstall her apps through SDC?

Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting dallas121469, reply 12
Steam sux also. Purchased SOE:Rebellion tonight and can't even find a way to download it from Steam. I follow the directions given by SD but those options dont exist on the main STeam page. Am super disappointed in the this whole process. If i dont have my game by tomorrow I want a refund. 

You can't redeem keys on the Steam website.  You have to do it through the client.

The instructions are here - https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/418947

 

Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top

What was the reason behind the app store split? IIRC Stardock non-game software was showing up in Impulse for some time.

Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Scott, reply 15
What was the reason behind the app store split? IIRC Stardock non-game software was showing up in Impulse for some time.

Impulse was sold to Gamestop, so we no longer have any kind of access to it.  Since we can't tell their servers that you've purchased something, we created the new SDC to fill its shoes.