GameStop becomes exclusive retail partner for Stardock titles

What a weird incestuous world video-gaming is...

The new deal will put games like Sins of a Solar Empire... as digital downloads through Impulse.

From the Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion Impulse Page:

"IMPORTANT: This game requires the Steam client to install & play"

So, how's that going to work with

offering codes that will directly download the game through GameStop's Impulse application.

Presumably it comes into effect after Rebellion is released, but still... Weird.

Edit:

Also, exclusivity. Why? GameStop must be paying a vast amount to secure exclusivity of a title when Steam exists, since the lure of Steam sales is so strong (unless it's being used as leverage in competition against Steam).

Edited 1 times. Last edit by Morville O'Driscoll on 7th April 2012 9:24am

Posted:A year ago

@Morville: Because somebody needs to kick Steam off their high horse eventually.

Posted:A year ago

I'm also confused about the 'exclusivity' part of this deal. You can buy Rebellion at steam here (http://store.steampowered.com/app/204880/), which seems to make it slightly less than exclusive. Maybe they mean from Elemental : Fallen Enchantress onwards?

Posted:A year ago

Dug about some more... It would really have helped if the original press release had been linked to here. Or, maybe, not missing bits out would've been good too.

http://www.impulsedriven.com/news/181/GameStop_Named_as_the_Exclusive_Retail_Partner_for_Upcoming_StarDock_Titles

Games developer Stardock Entertainment’s slate of up-coming PC game titles... will only be available as digital downloads. The titles will be available for purchase through digital resellers, including the GameStop PC application, and consumers will also be able to buy the titles from GameStop’s more than 4000 retail stores in the United States.

Bolded part seems to say that other places will sell the games, and that's borne out by the italicised part.

I'm contacting Stardock for clarification, and when exactly it starts (obviously it doesn't start with Sins).

Edited 2 times. Last edit by Morville O'Driscoll on 10th April 2012 5:44pm

Posted:A year ago

Perhaps it means that Gamestop has exclusivity in the bricks and Morter field selling the code packs, rather than digital retailer exclusivity?

Posted:A year ago

Yeah... That's the only thing that makes sense. But that's a weird thing to brag about. *shrugs*

(Brag possibly not the right word, but... *frown*. If that press release were made for public consumption, it would have been far better written, surely? Meh.)

Edited 1 times. Last edit by Morville O'Driscoll on 10th April 2012 8:46pm

Posted:A year ago