Celebrating the official launch of its desktop client, GameFly is allowing users to download a free copy of BioShock. The software was in beta for nearly a year and its release represents a milestone for the company, which previously focused on mail-order game rentals but plunged...

A new Microsoft patent could prove to be an expensive annoyance for folks who enjoy watching videos with large groups. Titled "Content Distribution Regulation by Viewing User," the  April 2011 filing was issued last week and describes the use of a device such as the Xbox 360's Kinect...

Valve has announced a new feature that will let gamers vote on what titles appear on Steam. Currently, the company has an internal group that determines what games launch on the service, but since Valve doesn't employ psychics, it can be tough to please the community...

Blizzard has announced that, as of Tuesday's 1.0.3 update, newly-purchased digital copies of Diablo III will be restricted to the Starter Edition for up to three days. The company says digital purchases require a review period before being fully unlocked to help combat fraud and...

AMD and GameFly have announced a deal that promises discounted games for folks using AMD processors. Gamers with machines powered by "select" Athlon II, Phenom II, FX series and A series chips will receive a free 30-day GameFly membership as well as a 20% discount...

Stardock has released its 2011 Customer Report, addressing questions, concerns and complaints about the company's projects over the last year and beyond. Before delving into other topics, the firm felt it was necessary to clear the air on its sale of Impulse to GameStop last May...

Origin cuts 50% off most games as part of its Spring Sale. That's the best percent-off discount we've seen from Origin in over a year. Shipping starts at $6.99, but orders of $39.99 or more qualify for free shipping; many titles are available for digital download...

In many cases digital distribution services deserve praise - Steam being the prime example in my book - but it's also true that as content publishing moves to pure digital form, we are slowly getting forced into closed ecosystems, whether it makes sense or not, or when convenience comes at the cost of freedom.

DRM has been a major point of contention between publishers and gamers in recent years. The former argues that restrictions are needed to prevent piracy, while the latter says that's a load of baloney because DRM-laced software lands on filesharing sites anyway...