Published on December 17, 2008 By Island Dog In PC Gaming

While Electronic Arts dominated the top selling list with Spore and the Sims expansions, Stardock found itself with the 6th best selling PC game title of the year despite the fact that the game has no copy protection whatsoever.  Stardock has been a long-time proponent of focusing on increasing sales by rewarding customers with free after release updates instead of using invasive DRM to fight piracy. 

Stardock’s Galactic Civilizations series began this trend with Ironclad’s Sins of a Solar Empire continuing it.  Sins of a Solar Empire recently saw a massive free update in the form of v1.1 this past November – 9 months after release and its first expansion pack, Entrenchment, just went into public beta.

Stardock’s next PC game, Demigod, developed by Gas Powered Games, has a March target  release date and will also include no on disk copy protection.

Source: http://pc.ign.com/articles/936/936933p2.html

12-17-2008 2-48-29 PM


Comments (Page 1)
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on Dec 17, 2008

It's always been unbelievable to me how well the "Sims" games sell.  I just don't get the appeal.

on Dec 17, 2008

Way to go . Probably see Demigod on that list next year .

 

I think EA tapped into the female demographic hugely with the Sims. In fact, the only ones I know that play it are female. I still have the Original Sims(Yea, I bought into the hype at the time ). Biggest waste of money, only ever got about two hours out of it before I realized I was doing the things in it I play games to avoid doing

 

on Dec 17, 2008

DethAdder

 I still have the Original Sims(Yea, I bought into the hype at the time ). Biggest waste of money, only ever got about two hours out of it before I realized I was doing the things in it I play games to avoid doing

Exactly why I don't see the appeal of those games either I mean why go to a job and buy stuff for your house when you can lead a galactiv empire to dominence or steam off a tide of interdimensional alien invaders?

on Dec 17, 2008

CrazyC0330
It's always been unbelievable to me how well the "Sims" games sell.  I just don't get the appeal.

I heard that. 

on Dec 17, 2008

Too much Electronic Arts.

Darkodinplus
CrazyC0330
It's always been unbelievable to me how well the "Sims" games sell.  I just don't get the appeal.
I heard that.

I have no idea who buys them. I can understand the initial appeal of the games, but how they continue to top the charts like this is really baffling. I don't think I know a single individual, except arguably my brother's girlfriend, who actively enjoys the games.

on Dec 17, 2008

Well, their list isn't exactly representative without any indication as to what their source is. If they went by the NPDs (which is common procedure), they not only exclude large parts of the world, they also do not take online distribution into account at all. And that will skew those numbers quite a lot.

Providing a top sales chart without any linking to what their source is - that's bad form IGN.

on Dec 17, 2008

Well i doubt the gaming media like IGN and Gamespot, are the pinnacle of investigative journalism.

on Dec 17, 2008

Best non-MMO non-Will Wright [inspired] game of 2008!

 

Without Will Wright, EA would have probably lost what little credibility they still have left - there's no denying he's a great game designer (concept wise I mean - he didn't make Sims 2 he only did Sims 1) though I wish he would pick a better company to work for.

 

Actually he did, they got taken over by EA...

on Dec 17, 2008

CrazyC0330
It's always been unbelievable to me how well the "Sims" games sell.  I just don't get the appeal.
Me too. Maybe those people are casual MMO wannabes

 

Anyway, the list looks like a David and Goliath match up. I hope to see SD on the list next year for a couple titles.

on Dec 17, 2008

I only dabbled with the Sims 1, but have played a fair bit on the second one, and actually I really enjoyed it. It's a well crafted game, if a bit too easy. But once you've 'won' it a couple of times with stunningly attactive people, you can turn your attention to creating virtual losers and tormenting them with your capricious Exodus-inspired whims. I dunno, it's fun. Also I liked that I could seduce the single mother and then refuse to let her kids move in with us. Enjoy your childhood suckers.

I think I like the Sims 2 better than Spore in the long run: Spore lost it for me after a weekend, but did give me a few moments of grinning like an idiot joy in the process.

Neither are as fun as Sins mind, nor as fun as Demigod is shaping up to be. Congrats Stardock, and thanks again for consistently making games in genres that I love.

on Dec 19, 2008

Where is WOW

on Dec 19, 2008

silolauncher
Where is WOW

It was recently released, maybe the sales numbers are not in yet.

on Dec 19, 2008

silolauncher
Where is WOW
In the circular filing cabinet, hopefully.

on Dec 20, 2008

I just went to EB games, i did not believe my eyes when i saw H&M Sims 2.  I mean..of all the clothing brand they put out with the Sims, same with IKEA brand.


Now there are Creatures Parts for Spore for $19.99.  I wonder what they are going to try to get people to buy next with Spore.

on Dec 20, 2008

elias001

Now there are Creatures Parts for Spore for $19.99.  I wonder what they are going to try to get people to buy next with Spore.

Skin and eye packs of course.

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