RANT: Impulse sucks - I'm done with it

I've downloaded an absolute crapload of games via Steam, and Gamersgate, and have had few problems. Due to the state of broadband where I'm from (i.e. datacaps and high price per GB), it's especially important that digital downloads are hassle free, and largely they are from these two.

But I've often had issues with Impulse (now owned by Gamestop).
It was bad enough that their archiving functionality was buggy and sometimes wouldn't complete properly - without letting you know, of course (I got used to checking for file size differences).
Or that archives made for one version of Windows (e.g. Windows XP) might actually be incompatible with another (e.g. Vista or Windows 7). Want to install on a new computer or post-upgrade your old one? Redownload that mult-gig game.

I put up with these problems, and others (e.g. unlocking issues), because I wanted to support the little guy. Well, no more.

I made the mistake of buying a couple of Steam games via Impulse recently. I didn't look at the forums full of complaints, so had no idea that the best idea was probably to get you key and import it into Steam and download it that way. Impulse suggests downloading it with Impulse, so that's what I did.

After downloading 11GB, Impulse started to install it into my existing Steam location, but then prompted "Insert Disk 2". WTF?
Looking at my Impulse folder, it appeared that Impulse had only extracted one of the several Steam images it should have extracted. That's okay though, because in the Impulse temp folder there is the giant Impulse archive that was downloaded (I checked). I'll just try again, right?
But no, Impulse determines that the install was successful and deletes the 11GB archive - AUTOMATICALLY. Everything is gone.

I'm now using Steam to download it. Goodbye Impulse. You have nothing I want that I can't get from a more reliable digital provider.

I'm amazed that this unreliable thing, after all this time, is still in the state it's in.
What say you?

I've had no substantive issues with Impulse. I pretty much always use Gamersgate over them since the blue coins and loyalty discount usually makes them cheaper, plus I don't like clients much. I have had a download problem once with Impulse, but with a 100kB file that got stuck at 6kB a few times, so not really serious.

Hate their region locking policy though. Nothing quite like getting a 'check out our awesome deals!!!' email and finding they're pretty much all unavailable. I suppose at least they don't then redirect to their overpriced local EB stores.

When Impulse first came out it was pretty rough - the thing was not working well with Vista when the client tried to self-update. It would rip itself to pieces, forcing me to download the client again. I finally figured out that you have to actually log in as an administrator to get it to work. (In fact, even in Win7, I'm afraid to update that thing unless I'm actually logged in as admin.)

Since those startup days, though, I've had no trouble.

Dude i feel for you , Impulse client is one of the most terrible pieces of software , in my case it finds updates/patches from games i don't own and has the download greyed out lol .

region locking

I use both impulse, steam, and gamersgate, with the last one being my favorite.

I hate the region locking from impulse with fervor. Whats the point sending me promos and advertising games to me that I'm not aloud to buy?

I have had some trouble with some games as well with impulse.
Never with gamersgate.

Steam is evil, detest clients and they are worthless in supporting some of their games.

C

In the future if you buy any Steamworks or otherwise Steam registerable game from another site do not download it from them, just get the key and plug it into Steam and download it directly from Steam. You always have this option. The other sites can be a pain in the ass, but I just view it as buying a Steam key so it's not so bad if I don't mess with trying to get it from them.

For games that don't register on Steam though I will generally avoid the other sites unless I really want the game and it most likely won't ever show up on Steam.

Direct2Drive is another pain in the ass site by the way. Recently they instituted this automated telephone verification crap where they insist they must send an automated call to your phone with a code that you plug into the site to verify you are who you say you are.

Now I have made purchases from them in the past so why they need to suddenly verify me I have no idea but the worst part is their verification system does not work with cells and needs a land line. Well I don't have a land line. Got rid of it years ago. So I had to put a support ticket in and wait for them to unlock my account before I could buy a damned game. Ugh. Never again.