Pardon the aside, but I just got a huge laugh because I don't follow Steam anything, know a little about Impulse Reactor, and assumed it and Steamworks are competing platforms. So I hit the wikipedia to search for Steamworks. Apparently the Steam marketing folks never check the Wikipedia and have no gay friends or family in Edinburgh. I'm guessing they'll build a disambiguation page once they know they need to.

Impulse doesn't need to be open to be able to play the games you bought off them.

And for me, the new Steam is horrible; can't open a new window in my browser, the game lists can't be long (limitted to 10 each click..and if you open a game on page 40, well you're back at page 1 and got to scroll aaaallll the way to page 41)

Granted haven't palyed alot wiht it, but from what I saw, it's only new coat of paint and worse options

Maybe I'm mis-understanding, but I didn't get from that post that Civilization V will be available only on Steam, but Steam will have an exclusive DLC.

Impulse does not require you to be online at all times unless you setup offline mode, which I've heard is very buggy. It would also be very annoying for someone who has a consistent online connection, thus no need to setup offline mode, who might lose internet during a storm or some other event. I would personally be pissed if I couldn't play my games during a time I'd really want to.

Steamworks will be on all versions.

Some folks are claiming that Impulse could still sell the game, but it would be really stupid to do so, since you'd be giving money to your competition.

Also, if it wasn't on all versions, Impulse would have had the game, and Brad wouldn't be boycotting it.

I'm not sure what that means. My library has almost 20 games listed without issue.

I'm on the fence about buying the game now. I want it but at same time I am annoyed that the only way I can get the extra civ is by getting the digital download version, which takes much much longer to install then a dvd would...I am tempted to just wait for the pirates to crack it since I only play single player and if I gotta download the fing thing I might as well download it for FREE.

I have been afraid of this for a long time. I have dropped Empire Total War, Napoleon Total War and SupCom2 due to Steam. Now, I will have to test my guts for real. I consider CIV IV to be the greatest game ever. Then to drop CIV V, it will be like moving away from a loved one

To the people that says "Steam works great for me, what is the problem?" The problem is this: Games sold by only one vendor is generally a bad idea. The marked doesnt evolve like it should, there is no price competition, one company gets too much power (higher prices, too much power over the game creators +++) and the end users have very little say in the matter.

Funny how the business is complaining about lost sales and blaming only piracy, when some of the largest entities are scaring away customers as best they can (DRM, Steam and more).

Buy from 1CPublishing, Gamersgate and Impulse instead!!!!

no, my post was in reference to the guy complaining he had to log onto the internet once to play single player.  He wants everything to be without the internet, but yet here he is posting online (sup hypocrisy).  I consider a world with internet to be progress.

 sup I can do it too.

I almost have tears in my eyes now ... this is so SAD

I love the fact that publishers help me decide what I should play.

I also hope that Frogboy will not force me to install GOO if I purchase Elemental via Impulse.