This is a very intersting topic, I actually enjoyed reading that article. This is something that I, unfortunitly, had experience with in my younger and stupider years, and since I have found that Stardock tends to respond to player comments and questions while some other companies don't seem to care *caugh* E.A. *caugh caugh* Man...excuse me...but anyways since Stardock seems to respond better...

Years ago I did download games, but that was years AGO. I'm mature now (20 years old) and a better Christian now that believes stealing is wrong. I had my reasons for downloading games for free, but the main one was I wanted to try the game before I bought it. An example would be NFS Most wanted. They did not make a demo for that game. I downloaded it to try it, I did not like so I deleted it shortly after. I also got lords of the realm 2...I liked and and then bought it. The same is also true of Space Empires 5. Downloaded it first...loved it and then I ordered it.

Another reason I would download games is I wanted to be able to have different language versions of the game. At first I tried asking a game maker (Sierra) if they could make the German versions of their games available and I got a very rude reply saying basically, 'no.' So I downloaded the German Version of swat 3.

Of course now, my thinking is basically this, if they don't have a good demo then I won't download it, but I will also not buy it. I refuse to download games anymore, for any reason and only play games I have paid for and deleted anything I have not paid for. As for getting the games in German, well my German is good enough to privatly contact a German merchant and buy games from her legally. Of course it would be nice if all game makers realized that people do tend to use games in another language as a way of learning it. Yes I speak English, it is my native language, but I am not playing Sins in English.(Which means to date I havn't played Diplomacy yet ) Part of the reason I am successful in language learning is that I am immersed in it and forced to learn it because many virtual lives are at stake. Case and point, we all play SINS so we know of the constant warnings recieved. This constantly immerses you in it and because it is a game it is fun...learning + fun at the same time, it doesn't get much better than that.

But to go back to the trying issue, I chose to buy Sins because it had what I call a 'good demo' and here is what I mean by that. The demo really only restricted playing time, but not much else. If I remember correctly in the demo, while you could only play as one side, the evil TEC, you had access to all their upgrades and ships. That is what I want to see in a demo. It is what 1701 AD did, and it is what Port Royal 2 did(Basically), X3 reunion's demo was similiar in idea, and Freelancer(Greatest simulation game ever!) had a demo that did not limit time, but the star systems you could travel to, but anything for sale in the demo system you could buy and nothing that I remember was restricted in that system. Sacred 2 as well. You had unrestricted access to every mission, item, spell, and so in a pretty good size area of the main map. You couldn't go beyond the bridge at the end and you could only play as one character, but still with only two limits(character and areas you could travel) it was great. It took a couple hours to explore all the places in the area it allowed...plenty of time to try it out. Why do i say that, well because I legally bought every one of those games because they did the demos right. I hate demos where almost everything you click says, 'not available in the demo version.'I would really perfer to be able to play it with as few reminders as possible that it is a demo...except in the case of 1602 ad's demo. The announcer saying, "Your people are demanding that you buy the full version" was just classic.

Also, stardock...great idea with impulse...I love that program, I think I have spent over $100 on games I am not sure though (Gal civ 2 + all expansions and Sins + all expansions) It is quick and convient I love it.

Lastly since I have long since given up piracy I will tell you how I was able to do it so easly, but not in open forum (I don't want lurkers to get any ideas because it seriously was too easy). PM me if interested.

Anyways, cheers from a satisfied, paying fan of your work!

Drew Gray

Stardocks relaxed DRM policies are one of the things that kept me invested in the company and its games. I feel like even though they've surely lost money to pirates, they've also got more repeat customers by rewarding users who actually bought the game. Impulse was a great idea, allowing for patch downloads and game distribution by simply registering your copy of the game. Pirates can still play, but they can't update, encouraging them to get a legit copy. Brilliant, I wish other companies would adopt a similar model.

I'd have to agree with this. All the web articles I read about DRM used Sins as the example of a great game that is selling well and doesn't need DRM. I had never heard of Sins or Stardock until then. But the demo sold me on Sins and Stardock. I will rarely buy a game without a good demo.

The article mentions a pirate that wants ownership of the files.  Impulse DOES give you ownership of the files.  You don't have to run any other program to run the game.  Steam doesn't allow that, you have to be logged into steam in order to play any purchased game.  Steam isn't bad, but I find this a major edge that Impulse has over other digital download services.

there view on the pirates cracking games is right the other day i was going around the web reading info on the latest on the trinty of sins of a solar empire and if you use google one of the links with the famous pirate bay the pirates have cracked the game and a few updates for it and its cousin games its sad that people are to cheap to buy a game rather than download it would just be easyer to buy it from this site and get it from here much faster i bet.

I lode SD possition and I am trying my damned best to purchase games only by the impulse portal.

I refuse to buy any EA games that have SecuRom or anything as well.

OK... I bought one game knowing it had suckurom a month ago, but other than that the only game published by EA I bought was Dragon Age Origins which had no SecuRom, but unfortunately they are using DLC as a form of DRM to prevent legitimate consumers from buying their expansions.

I'm glad about SoaSE - Trinity is going to be released in stores, but I'd like an expansion only version so I don't have to pay the $20 for the original which I own already. I really need to give the Impulse store a look and see what other retail games I could buy. My biggest concern when buying a game is "Will I be able to play this game 10 years from now at full functionality?".

DLC and online only stuff is a great loss for people like me (and for the companies who don't get my money) who can't afford and therefore wisely don't get credit cards and I also fear identity theft.

I love Sins and recommend it to others.

Impulse is OK (so far I only use it for downloads when I wish).  I hate Steam. I really do.

Steam is intrusive, dishonest and destructive - specifically, they claim turning off updates for a game will prevent it being updated, but if the game crashes Steam reverts to the auto-download setting, thereby wasting an enormous amount of time invested in games by making saves invalid.  They said it doesn't happen, that it's just user error, but I tested it and it does. Offline mode is more reliable if loaded carefully (don't let the kids load the game), so it takes firewalling Steam off the Internet to be sure it won't spoil my day (except for routine crashes, of course).  

When I update via Impulse it's my decision, when I'm ready to move on and start new games.

I would not play or allow my kid to play a pirated game under any circumstances - it's illegal and it's wrong.  No one has a right to play a game, unless they buy the license and then they are entitled to the benefits.  When it comes to pirates, in the case of Steam I confess the natural sympathy of those unable to remedy a wrong for those who may do injury to Steam.  I'd like to see a class action suit against them someday - happy thought.

Sins and Stardock, however - thumbs up.

Impulse is now offering Assassins' Creed II for download, I think.  I wonder how the DRM is going to work for that if it's downloaded over Impulse.  Last I checked, you could only play it if you had an Internet connection and then only if the game studio's server was up and running.