GameStop Buys Impulse, Further Invests in Digital Distribution

[Fuselage]

Can someone remind me why this is a bad thing? Impulse has been floundering because it doesn't have the financial backing available to be able to snag major releases like Steam does, so it can't compete. GameStop backing it will give it that financial backing so Steam will finally have some competition. This is only a good thing.

Yeah, remember people, competition brings each company fighting for our approval, like that chick you really liked and about 3 other guys liked her too so you are all fighting for her approval.
(I am not that goods with metaphors...)

 

[ObsessiveSketch]

Five bucks says they flood the place with DRM, nobody buys their games because of poor customer service and aforementioned DRM, and it goes down the tubes as Steam's monopoly marches on. Which I am A-OKAY with.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

Comeback: Valve builds brick and mortar stores, GameStop dies a well-overdue death.

Check and mate.

 

[Monsterfurby]

I call April Fool's.

Edit: Just read their website. I retract that. Damn.

 

[DTWolfwood]

I just want Sins of a Solar Empire sold on other DDP

What a strange company to buy tho. Stardock/Impulse deals almost exclusively on Real Time Strategy games, a genre completely alien to Gamestops consumer base. I would gather most don't even know thats even a genre of games. The VGA certainly have no idea what that is.

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

Sigh its almost like the competition want steam to win. Though i love steam i feel it still needs an equally big competitor to ensure that we as customers get the best deals and service possible

 

[James Raynor]

Sigh its almost like the competition want steam to win. Though i love steam i feel it still needs an equally big competitor to ensure that we as customers get the best deals and service possible

Steam's still gives some of the best deals and service.


But on topic here, this is rather depressing to hear about; Hope stardock is doing alright in it's finance.

 

[Shaun239]

I just want Sins of a Solar Empire sold on other DDP

What a strange company to buy tho. Stardock/Impulse deals almost exclusively on Real Time Strategy games, a genre completely alien to Gamestops consumer base. I would gather most don't even know thats even a genre of games. The VGA certainly have no idea what that is.

They haven't bought Stardock, only Impulse. Supposedly Stardock decided that it would rather focus its rescources on tech and gaming rather than step up and become more of a dedicated retailer and release games less often like Valve. Also, with Gamestop's backing Steam will finally have some actual competition since it is unlikely that Steam will be able to maintain exclusivity on 3rd party games as Gamestop could simply threaten to not stock the games in-store (in b4 somebody claims that its irrelevant - its a big deal, a fair portion of pc game sales do happen in store, and thats without even delving into how the investors behind the big publishers view online game stores.) Well, that or Gamestop won't give a danm and Impulse will start stocking Steamworks titles.

 

[DTWolfwood]

I just want Sins of a Solar Empire sold on other DDP

What a strange company to buy tho. Stardock/Impulse deals almost exclusively on Real Time Strategy games, a genre completely alien to Gamestops consumer base. I would gather most don't even know thats even a genre of games. The VGA certainly have no idea what that is.

They haven't bought Stardock, only Impulse. Supposedly Stardock decided that it would rather focus its rescources on tech and gaming rather than step up and become more of a dedicated retailer and release games less often like Valve. Also, with Gamestop's backing Steam will finally have some actual competition since it is unlikely that Steam will be able to maintain exclusivity on 3rd party games as Gamestop could simply threaten to not stock the games in-store (in b4 somebody claims that its irrelevant - its a big deal, a fair portion of pc game sales do happen in store, and thats without even delving into how the investors behind the big publishers view online game stores.) Well, that or Gamestop won't give a danm and Impulse will start stocking Steamworks titles.

As long as they fix the UI on Impulse or just straight up get rid of what is existing and copy Steam, Valve can rest ez on top its perch.

man was impulse clunky to use back when i played Demigod.

 

[Phantom Echo]

I just want Sins of a Solar Empire sold on other DDP

What a strange company to buy tho. Stardock/Impulse deals almost exclusively on Real Time Strategy games, a genre completely alien to Gamestops consumer base. I would gather most don't even know thats even a genre of games. The VGA certainly have no idea what that is.

This seems a bit... narrowminded, don't you think?

I, for one, have been playing Starcraft and Command & Conquer for over a decade now... and while I certainly didn't have the luxury of buying them from Gamestop back when the -good- C&C games were still being made... they certainly were more than happy to hook me up with copies of them once ten years and a few cracked cd's had come and gone.

I suppose that that's just the way of the world, these days. It used to be a guy could have a reasonable conversation with folks about stores, and brands, and what was good... and what wasn't. Now it seems that everyone hates everything, and is more than happy to jump from one bandwagon to the next without any concept of loyalty.

I blame the schools. And the internet. All that porn and un-rated violence has scarred people too badly to realize their morals are- ooh! Half-naked girl with dual pistols and C4...

... what was I saying again?

(RIP Tanya Adams... my lack of awareness of RTS as a genre hath killed ye too soon. Apparently.)

 

[Lord_Jaroh]

Well, as long as this doesn't impact my existing games (or the other ones I wish to get, like the next installment of SINS), I don't really care that much. I don't think it will do much against Steam itself, but at least Impulse will have a bigger chance...

 

[DTWolfwood]

I just want Sins of a Solar Empire sold on other DDP

What a strange company to buy tho. Stardock/Impulse deals almost exclusively on Real Time Strategy games, a genre completely alien to Gamestops consumer base. I would gather most don't even know thats even a genre of games. The VGA certainly have no idea what that is.

This seems a bit... narrowminded, don't you think?

I, for one, have been playing Starcraft and Command & Conquer for over a decade now... and while I certainly didn't have the luxury of buying them from Gamestop back when the -good- C&C games were still being made... they certainly were more than happy to hook me up with copies of them once ten years and a few cracked cd's had come and gone.

I suppose that that's just the way of the world, these days. It used to be a guy could have a reasonable conversation with folks about stores, and brands, and what was good... and what wasn't. Now it seems that everyone hates everything, and is more than happy to jump from one bandwagon to the next without any concept of loyalty.

I blame the schools. And the internet. All that porn and un-rated violence has scarred people too badly to realize their morals are- ooh! Half-naked girl with dual pistols and C4...

... what was I saying again?

(RIP Tanya Adams... my lack of awareness of RTS as a genre hath killed ye too soon. Apparently.)

Get over yourself man. If it doesn't apply to you great, you are the exception not the RULE. Ppl nowadays have no clue when someone is purposely making a snide remark.

Narrow minded only applies to those who can't see the bigger picture. And brand loyalty is exactly what corporations want and y an industry gets stagnant (yearly iterations of the same game with new skins.) It is y you have all them idiots defending these giant companies when these companies are trying to fucked them (online passes, locked content on disc as DLC.)

I would prefer there be more variety as to where a game can be bought. As of now, i can't get SotSE anywhere but impulse (and boxed copy, god forbid a DD user has to buy a physical game,) which completely sucks. If gamestop buying the platform means the games spreads to other DDP i welcome it. Or have more genre variety offered for Impulse users. Otherwise the acquisition is strange or Impulse is just the cheapest DDP on the market.

Ask yourself these:
Is the RTS genre something the majority of Gamestops costumers are looking for when they walk into the store?
Is it not strange of all the DDP out there Gamestop chooses the one DDP that is specialized in a niche market?
Has the VGA ever given out an award for Best Strategy game?