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Impulse Review - How Does Stardock’s Digital Distribution Platform Measure Up?

Posted on Apr 17, 2009 By Jim
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Does Stardock's Impulse Represent the Future of Digital Downloads?

The new thing for game downloads these days is to deliver them via 1 software application that serves as a directory, download utility, game manager, driver updater, and social network.

The first in the online game space (as far back as I can remember) to use a downloadable app to deliver software was Real Arcade to deliver casual games.  But the system that has taken digital distribution world by proverbial storm has been Steam, created by Valve Corporation in September 2003 to help fight piracy by authenticating user accounts online.  It also became the company's flagship digital distribution platform to deliver its hit games like the Half-Life and Counter-Strike series direct to its customers via the Internet.

Steam passed 20 million user accounts in early 2008 and has become the gold standard digital distribution platform, now delivering games from a number of the major software developers and publishers.

Due to Steam's success, it is no wonder that other companies are trying to find a way to compete.

Enter Impulse, the digital distribution platform by publisher/developer Stardock, known for its user friendly digital rights management systems (i.e. none on some games).

So how does Impulse stack up?

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