As they say: actions speak louder than words. We've had too many words from them of late. Too much third party DRM. Too many ludicrous regional restrictions. Too many weak sales and too much promise from their Reactor platform when it presently has no noticeable future.
They seem to be getting walked on by publishers who have no interest in dealing with them any more than they have to. If they actually took charge of their own business for once what they have to say might actually be interesting.

Frogboy loves me really.

I think everyone is starting to see that now. Stardock are saying one thing but quite frankly they are totally at the mercy of the publishers. I understand that DD platforms need publishers on board to grow their catalogue but it doesn't explain how Stardock have an abysmal deal with some publishers while others like GamersGate and D2D have no such issues.

Agreed.

I've only bought Stardock releases on Impulse, and honestly I would probably get them elsewhere if they were available. Like Mentalepsy, I was definitely unimpressed with the way Impulse handles installation.
I mean, if it's just going to download a regular installer package anyway, why the hell do I even need the Impulse client? The only reason I put up with Steam's client is because there IS no install, just download and play.

That's because sites like Gamersgate and GOG stick by their guns. They might grow slower than sites that have completely compromised themselves for a fast buck, but in the long run they'll be the ones gaining an increasing market share through their ability to offer a better deal (or any deal at all in the case of Impulse and their regional restriction madness).
I doubt Steam will lose out too much as it has its fanboys. But Impulse really doesn't have anything to offer anymore. They've got to do something to turn it around and fast. That doesn't include whining to the press about Steam.

Are you?

Sadly my funds are required elsewhere.

And the fact that they are so constantly locked down and regionally restricted by publishers is why I have serious doubts about Impulse::Reactor. How is it going to be big if most of the big publishers they deal with only let them sell to the North American market? I suspect that it's just going to turn in to the DRM version companies use on the Impulse version of a release.

Thanks for the explanation. I've only bought Stardock exclusive games (GalCiv and Sins of a Solar Empire), one or two indie games, and Demigod. The behind-the-scenes installation is indeed a little odd, and it must be frustrating to have to download large files again and again!
I have to admit it's been a while since I last used Impulse. When I had to reinstall Windows again on my main computer, I realised I actually hadn't played any of the games I had on there for a quite some time and, more damningly, didn't feel like picking them up again either. I know it's blasphemy, but there's something utterly soulles about GalCiv (the original, the sequel, the expansions--I have them all, sadly) and something mind-numbingly dull about Sins of a Solar Empire (and I really like the concept!), that I just didn't see the need to reinstall them. Demigod was fun, but I'm not missing it.
However, I did reinstall Steam. The client isn't fantastic, but the games are good, both Valve exclusives and otherwise. I don't think Impulse stands a chance in the long run.

^ I'm playing Demigod right now. Great ideas. Terrible realization.

It may not be fantastic, but it definitely gets the job done. Even if Impulse's catalogue were to rival that of Steam, they'd have a hard time reaching the same level of usability. Reinstalling Steam on a new system is a no-brainer because it means that your games will be there without you having to worry about anything but logging in. Double-click to play. Sure, you might have to wait a little while if the files have not been downloaded, but still. I was particularly impressed with Valve's own games that use incremental downloading - I remember waiting about 5 minutes after starting the download of the original Half-Life before I could start playing the earlier levels, while the rest of the game was downloaded in the background. That's some seriously sensible development on Valve's part.

I've had some issues with Impulse in the past... To summarize I tried to place an order and it didn't go through, then three days later I was charged for it and refused a refund.
Apparently the woman who was responsible for this debacle was let go, and I was given store credit for Impulse as well as getting back the licenses for the programs I had purchased on it previously... So in the end, they did make it right, but I had to file formal complaints against them for them to do so.
I like the concept of Impulse, I like Stardock's philosophies regarding giving power to the gamers, but I can't help but feel they've sold their souls to try to increase market share, and it just isn't working. I think competition in any business is healthy and should be encouraged, but I agree with many of you about their summer sales.
It's a tough road to travel. I have really only bought one item since my account was reinstated. I want to support their business plan, but their offerings are substantially limited compared to other digital distribution platforms...

I wonder if that was my friend?

I wonder if she was really let go or whether that was just the usual comment given by companies to help placate complaints.

Probably complete bunk as you suspect.