The game launcher window comes up, but when I click on 'Play Distant Worlds', a small window with "Distant Worlds Universe" comes up, vanishes, and I get the launcher window again.
Any ideas what might be wrong? And does the GOG version of this game install exactly the same contents as the version that is sold on the Matrix website (for instance, I miss the DirectX distribution folder)?

System: Win 7 SP1 Pro 64-bit.

Thanks,
Peter.

Same here. Windows 10 pro and I can not get the game to launch. Splash screen is all I get. I tried various compat settings no luck.

Same here.

There is a file DW_CrashDump in Documents/My Games/DistantWorldsUniverse. Mine says that DirectSound or a dependency of it is missing. I'll try to check for missing redist files.

EDIT: The DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) helped! Download here: https://download.microsoft.com/download/8/4/A/84A35BF1-DAFE-4AE8-82AF-AD2AE20B6B14/directx_Jun2010_redist.exe

Done.

Just read the message from maeschba. There is a dump in the mentioned directory:
"
Distant Worlds - Crash Dump - 1.9.5.12

14:57:29 Mittwoch, 6. Dezember 2017


System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.DirectX.DirectSound, Version=1.0.2902.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35' or one of its dependencies. Das System kann die angegebene Datei nicht finden.
File name: 'Microsoft.DirectX.DirectSound, Version=1.0.2902.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'
at DistantWorlds.Main.qmbyEdRQMR(Int32 , Int32 , Boolean )
at DistantWorlds.Main..ctor(Int32 width, Int32 height, Boolean windowedMode, Splash splashForm)
at DistantWorlds.Start.svgKzBihdw(Object , EventArgs )
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnLoad(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.SetVisibleCore(Boolean value)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.set_Visible(Boolean value)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoopInner(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoop(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.Run(Form mainForm)
at mmP6HR3GskDjJd0R5l.dDCIkVtUG4JNU0e9Xx.TTMacjII1EX7pTuhitJG(Object )
at mmP6HR3GskDjJd0R5l.dDCIkVtUG4JNU0e9Xx.xPmHyXsrjyA()

WRN: Assembly binding logging is turned OFF.
To enable assembly bind failure logging, set the registry value [HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Fusion!EnableLog] (DWORD) to 1.
Note: There is some performance penalty associated with assembly bind failure logging.
To turn this feature off, remove the registry value [HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Fusion!EnableLog].
--- COMPLETE ---

"
So is installing DirectX 10 the solution, or setting the mentioned registry key; or maybe both?

Game requires Microsoft Internet Explorer (yes, you read that right), Mircrosoft Windows Media Player (Yes, THE media player no one uses.) and Mircrosoft DirectX 9.0c to be installed in your computer to operate. It also apparently requires Microsoft XNA Framework, Mircrosoft .NET Framework and Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable.

That's a lot of Microsoft for one game. Now trick question: why do you suppose this game was never ported to Mac and Linux? ;-p

Also seeing this issue. There is no crash log in the Documents/My Games/Distant Worlds Universe folder. I have Windows media player, Internet Explorer installed and as far as I can tell Directx, XNA Framework and .Net Framework installed as well.

Installed are WMP and IE 11, in the versions that come with Win 7 SP1 Pro 64-bit.

I just installed directx_Jun2010_redist and now it runs. (Win 10 Pro 64bit)

I also installed this and it didn't solve the issue. Windows 10 Home 64bit

My crash dump. For anyone who may understand it.

Distant Worlds - Crash Dump - 1.9.5.12

9:39:25 AM Wednesday, December 6, 2017

System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.DirectX.DirectSound, Version=1.0.2902.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.
File name: 'Microsoft.DirectX.DirectSound, Version=1.0.2902.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'
at DistantWorlds.Main.qmbyEdRQMR(Int32 , Int32 , Boolean )
at DistantWorlds.Main..ctor(Int32 width, Int32 height, Boolean windowedMode, Splash splashForm)
at DistantWorlds.Start.svgKzBihdw(Object , EventArgs )
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnLoad(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.SetVisibleCore(Boolean value)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.set_Visible(Boolean value)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoopInner(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoop(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.Run(Form mainForm)
at mmP6HR3GskDjJd0R5l.dDCIkVtUG4JNU0e9Xx.TTMacjII1EX7pTuhitJG(Object )
at mmP6HR3GskDjJd0R5l.dDCIkVtUG4JNU0e9Xx.xPmHyXsrjyA()

WRN: Assembly binding logging is turned OFF.
To enable assembly bind failure logging, set the registry value [HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Fusion!EnableLog] (DWORD) to 1.
Note: There is some performance penalty associated with assembly bind failure logging.
To turn this feature off, remove the registry value [HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Fusion!EnableLog].

--- COMPLETE ---

Directx 10 file mentioned earlier fixed it. Thanks.

WIn7 Professional N -64 bits. Same issue. And my crash dump (in French ??):

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distant Worlds - Crash Dump - 1.9.5.12

21:30:04 mercredi 6 décembre 2017

System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x80040154): Classe non enregistrée (Exception de HRESULT : 0x80040154 (REGDB_E_CLASSNOTREG))
à System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.CoCreateInstance(Guid& clsid, Object punkOuter, Int32 context, Guid& iid)
à System.Windows.Forms.AxHost.CreateWithLicense(String license, Guid clsid)
à System.Windows.Forms.AxHost.CreateInstanceCore(Guid clsid)
à System.Windows.Forms.AxHost.CreateInstance()
à System.Windows.Forms.AxHost.GetOcxCreate()
à System.Windows.Forms.AxHost.TransitionUpTo(Int32 state)
à System.Windows.Forms.AxHost.CreateHandle()
à System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl(Boolean fIgnoreVisible)
à System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl(Boolean fIgnoreVisible)
à System.Windows.Forms.AxHost.EndInit()
à DistantWorlds.Start.RTr0poSpb0WlLppjVcp(Object )
à DistantWorlds.Start.VihKadpvFU()
à DistantWorlds.Start..ctor()
à mmP6HR3GskDjJd0R5l.dDCIkVtUG4JNU0e9Xx.xPmHyXsrjyA()

--- COMPLETE ---
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I will open a support ticket.

Got a reply from support.

Installer - Run as Administrator
Shortcut - Run as Administrator
Add exception in AV and Firewall
June 2010 DirectX runtime package
DirectX Web Installer
Microsoft XNA 4.0

Ignore all of that. I installed the game as normal and set my firewall to Deny All.

I did run the June 2010 DirectX runtime package and tried to start the game. This alone fixed it for me.