In an op-ed piece discussing GameStop’s acquisition of Impulse, GamersGate CEO Theo Bergquist was quite harsh in his criticism of the formerly Stardock-owned digital delivery platform. He called it “outdated” and criticized its catalog of games which hasn’t grown in the same way as Steam’s over the past several years. As someone who started using Impulse (for certain things) as soon as it first launched in 2008, I do find myself agreeing that the service has not reached its potential by any stretch of the imagination. But unlike Blind Mind Studios, which is yanking its game from Impulse because of its disdain for Gamestop, I find myself somewhat optimistic that the retailer could end up making Impulse a more significant competitor to Steam. And while I find it hard to imagine myself abandoning Steam for any alternative in the near future, it’s only a good thing for consumers if there’s more competition as that can lead to lower prices and more innovation.
Make sure to tune in tomorrow beginning at 10am Pacific to watch 1UP’s Gameathon. Staff members will be playing games for 24 hours straight in order to benefit the Red Cross. And if you can, be sure to donate and spread the word.
Today’s highlights:
- Sony now says the NGP’s release hasn’t been affected by last month’s earthquake.
- What Kameo 2 might have looked like.
- The Mortal Kombat web series debuts next week.
- Close-ups of some new Valve concept art.
- No Famitsu reviews again this week.
- New Pandora’s Tower details.
- A sequel to Capcom’s Monster Hunter/Animal Crossing mash-up is in the works.
- Capcom is announcing a new game of some sort next week.
And here’s what else happened today:
