So Impulse apparently expects users to install a NEW program that will deliver real-time ads/promotions to them in their windows tray, adn those offers (asside from word of mouth), cannot be viewed any other way.
Yuck. Impulse is going back to the "gimmicky" past, and giving up on the "competitive" present.
That actually offends me, that I need to install what is essentially adware on my machine to be privy to certain deals. Wasn't it Impulse that complained about Steam being bundled with MWF2? This sounds a lot like the same basic idea to me.

Impulse now is not the new program? It is installing with Impulse since April 2009. Also you can close it whenever you want and you can disable it to launch on startup from settings menu.

Yep, the Impulse program is not new, you've been required to install it to install games ever since Demigod released anyway..

Impulse Now was always installed with Impulse you probably disabled it when you first installed it. It's nothing more than a tray icon that pops up a little bubble once or twice a day. There is nothing sinister about it and you don't have to use it, unlike Steam which you do HAVE to use.

Shh. He is just looking for an excuse to scream about something :p
Seriously though, Impulse Now is great. All the fun of Steam (download games at a whim) without needing to actually run it.
And this really isn't the same thing, at all. People complain that MW2 needed Steam to function. NOTHING needs Impulse Now to function (other than getting a few targeted advertisements).
And, that is the last thing. You install it to receive targeted advertisements from Stardock. If you don't want them, you don't install it.

I get this too, so does that mean that games on sale will only be advertised this way? That makes total fucking sense, get more customers through unadvertised sale prices!

They still have advertised sales, just the ridiculous "$1.99" deals are for people who use the client only - they want to promote the use of the client because most people don't use it.

From here.
http://www.impulsedriven.com/impulsenow
"These aren’t ordinary sales, however. They're special deals we've put together with developers that only exist for 24 hours and are priced at a level we aren't able to promote on our main websites."

Don't people who buy from Impulse need Impulse to download the games they bought on Impulse?
Whats wrong with promoting it on the main site? Afraid that they'll get too much impulse buys?

Whats to misinterptret? You said it was a NEW service, it isn't. You compared it to Steam and MW2 which is has nothing to do with. And you were told the deals were signed by Stardock to exclusively promote the Impusle Now service. GameTap offered Psychonauts for ages for free if you signed up for their service I suppose thats a copout too?

Apologies. I was not aware that you were the emotionless speaker of truth who is here to inform us all of something we have been discussing in the Gaming Deals Thread. And I completely misinterpreted your post. Here I thought that you talking about them being "gimmicky" and trying to appeal to pathos by referencing MW2 (so as to get people riled up with your misinformation).
Sidenote: If you want to be the emotionless speaker of week-old truths, please actually get your facts straight :p. And generally, you shouldn't then scream that everyone is a liar and that your interpretation is the only one with a grain of truth.
But again, I probably misinterpreted what you said :P

Agreed Anjohl is trollin'.
Yes, but after the game has been downloaded/installed they don't use any other features.

So anjohl states 2 lies about Impulse Now (it being a new service and being basically the same thing as Steam works) and somehow when people correct him they are misinterpreting him?
It must be nice to live in your own little world where everybody is wrong but you except for being delusional and all that...
The idea of targeted ads it is not new and while annoying to some people it gets its job done, to promote the use of the application. Since Stardock doesn't force people to use their client unless when downloading and installing games most people forget it even exists. What's wrong with a company trying to promote the use of their software?

I don't run Impulse Now, but I still know about the deals they have.
It's called the Gaming Deals thread. It's useful; you should try it.