galactic-civilizations-ii posts

You thought we were done with PC game download sales on Thursday, didn't you? As it turns out there are a few more price cuts that we found out about after we posted up the news yesterday.:

• Steam has just launched the indie puzzle game QuantZ and is giving folks a 50 percent discount for its first week, bringing the price down to just $4.99.
• GoG.com is selling the two games in its library from the now defunct Elixir Studios, Republic The Revolution and Evil Genius, in a bundle for just $9.98 until Monday.
• Impulse users can get a 50 percent discount on the Galactic Civilizations II Expansion Bundle (featuring Dark Avatar and Twilight of the Arnor) for 50 percent off with the coupon code CGEXPANSION.
• The indie action-puzzle game Grappling Hook's price was just reduced to $14.95.

Stardock is a game developer with titles like Galactic Civilizations II and the upcoming Elemental, a publisher of third party titles like Sins of a Solar Empire and Demigod and a digital distributor of games via their Impulse service. Now the company is on a hiring spree and our sister site Joystiq has posted word that in so doing the company is giving hints about their upcoming projects.

Speaking to Stardock CEO Brad Wardell, they found out they are hiring experienced game developers to work on a "turn based fantasy strategy game" along with a "real-time space strategy game" and a "turn-based space strategy game". They are also looking for people to work on a "party-based, single player, role playing game" and a "real-time land-based strategy game". Of course you will need to relocate to Stardock's offices in Michigan but if that appeals to you email jobs@stardock.com for more info.

We have some more weekend PC game download sales to tell you about today. Stardock's Impulse service has put their own game Galactic Civilizations II on sale this weekend only. The Ultimate Bundle pack contains the original space strategy game along with its two expansion packs for just $39.95 compared to its normal $49.95 price. Also this weekend, Impulse has Paradox Interactive's Europa Universalis III and its two expansion packs on sale for 10 percent off each.

Meanwhile, Gamersgate has put in Egosoft's space sim game X3: Reunion on sale at its site. This weekend you can purchase and download the game for just $4.99, a 50 percent discount from its normal price.

While so many game developers and publishers are feeling budget crunches and cutting staff members, PC game publisher Stardock is actually expanding, thanks in part to tax breaks given by its home state of Michigan. The Mlive.com web site reports today that the developer of Galactic Civilizations II and publisher of Sins of a Solar Empire plans to expand its Plymouth, Michigan base with 55 new employees.

The expansion was due in part to the granting of tax breaks by the Michigan Economic Growth Authority and was actually mentioned by the state's governor, Jennifer Granholm, in her State of the State address this week. Ironically, Granholm signed a bill a few years ago that would have restricted the sales of certain games from minors in the state (that law, like all other such legislation, was thrown out in the court system as being unconstitutional).

Big Download got a chance to chat with briefly on the phone with Stardock's CEO Brad Wardell about the new deal today which will allow the company to build a second game development team. Currently Stardock has one game development team working on the fantasy strategy game Elemental: War of Magic. Yet another team is working on Stardock's non-gaming software projects. This new expansion will be to make an all new game title which Wardell told us will be a fantasy based "old school party system" RPG. Elemental: War of Magic will be completed in 2010 and then that team will move onto working on Society, a long-in-development MMO title.

Wardell said the tax breaks, which total about $900,000 over five years, will allow Stardock to update things like their Internet connection at their location. While their Impulse game download service uses servers around the world, Stardock's own Internet connection at its office uses Comcast for its ISP to upload files like new games for the service to all those servers. Wardell said the tax breaks will allow them to upgrade their ISP to a faster connection so they can upload more games to Impulse (Wardell told us they have about 100 games waiting to upload to Impulse at the moment).

Thanks to everyone who entered our Galactic Civilizations II game giveaway contest. We have now picked the three winners, each of which will receive a copy of Stardock's space strategy game (along with the games' two expansion packs) via their Impulse client. Congrats to Alex Winston of Miami, FL, Ben Bracamonte of Santa Rosa, CA and Anil Sinha of Calgary, Alberta, Canada for being picked as the winners. Thanks again to Stardock for providing the prizes for this contest.

We have a reminder this morning that we are in the last day of running a contest where three lucky Big Download readers will be getting a way to download the full ultimate bundle version of Stardock' acclaimed space strategy game Galactic Civilizations II. If you want to win your copy it's time to head over to the official contest web page, make a comment on that page (not this one) and then wait until we pick three random readers. Each of those folks will be able to access the Impulse client from publisher Stardock to download the game. Good luck.

If you are a regular reader here at Big Download you know that we love to give out free stuff. This week, because of the holidays, we have five contests currently running where you can have a chance to win things like free downloadable games from Stardock, a free retail box copy of Prince of Persia from Ubisoft (DRM-free) and free game codes to download titles from GoG.com.

If you have lost track of all of our current contests, don't fret. Here is a list of all of the official pages for each contest along with their deadlines for entry. The prizes aren't as good looking as the trophy to the right but they sure take up less space and they won't stay under lock and key in a glass cabinet. Again, good luck

Sins of a Solar Empire downloadable game giveaway - Deadline is 11:59 pm ET on Dec. 20
Galactic Civilizations II downloadable game giveaway - Deadline is 11:59 pm ET on Dec. 21
GoG.com game code giveaway - Deadline is 11:59 pm ET on Dec. 22
Demigod downloadable game giveaway - Deadline is 11:59 pm ET on Dec. 23
Prince of Persia retail box game giveaway - Deadline is 11:59 pm ET on Dec. 23
Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 retail game and swag giveaway - Deadline is 11:59 pm ET on Dec. 26

Big Download wants three of our readers to get free copies of the ultimate bundle version of Galactic Civilizations II. Publisher Stardock will give three winners picked by us access to download a free full version of their space strategy title via Stardock's Impulse service. This bundle includes the game's two expansion packs (Dark Avatar and Twilight of the Arnor) You will have to download and register to use the Impulse client (it's free) and then Stardock will then upgrade our winners' registration so they can get their free copies of the game. (The game is rated "E" for Everyone by the ESRB).

How do you win? As with most of our giveaway contests it's pretty simple:
* To enter, post a comment on this contest page.
* The comment must be left before 11:59 pm Eastern Time on Dec. 21.
* You may enter only once.
* Three winners will be selected in a random drawing.
* Each winner will be able to download a free copy of the Ultimate Bundle of Galactic Civilizations II via Impulse (valued at $60 each)
* Click Here for complete Official Rules. You must be a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec) who is 18 years or older to enter this contest.
Thanks to Stardock for the donation of the prizes. Stay tuned this week as we have even more game giveaway contests planned. Good luck.

It hasn't been that long since Stardock released its massive 2.0 patch for its space strategy game Galactic Civilizations II but this week the developer-publisher released yet another patch for the game that is more than just a bug fix file (although it does have that as well).

According to the game's official web site the new 2.0.1 patch (available only through Stardock's Impulse client) has some AI improvements along with some changes to research costs and tourism. Even some of the game's graphics have gotten improved in this latest patch and more graphical upgrades are promised for future updates. A full fledged new game in the series, however, is stlll years away.

Stardock isn't done yet with its space strategy game Galactic Civilizations II. Today the developer-publisher announced that they have released a massive update to the game which they are labeling "version 2.0." The update is available to all of the game's players via Stardock's Impulse client.

The game's official web site has a tour of all of the updates new features but just a few of them include now being able to design new ships from the main game menu, a new user manual, new game setup options, updated diplomatic options, new planetary governors for automating the building of planets, a revamped espionage system, auto-building for starbases, and graphics and balance updates. In addition all of Galactic Civilization II's missions can now be played within the recent expansion pack Twilight of the Arnor.