So Stardock is getting ready to hand out beta code of the upcoming Impulse::Reactor (double colons are in, apparently) to its partners.
Check it out: http://frogboy.impulsedriven.net/article/378128
It looks like an attractive alternative to GFWL and Steamworks. Frankly, I am pleased to see it, as I believe both GFWL and Steamworks are flawed. Will major developers adopt the service? Hm.

ˇ"late to the party?"
Yes.
and this is bad.

Looks nifty, but I don't see it really making any bigger of a splash than GOO. If they had launched BEFORE the Steam UI update, maybe. But now? Now Stardock are once again running as fast as they can to get to where Steam was a few years ago.

Well that seems to be my main concern too. Frankly, this looks like a make-or-break deal for Impulse. If this attracts more publishers and developers, great! If not, I fear Impulse will continue to lag behind Steam indefinitely, in terms of overall sales and consumer usage.
But of course, fingers are crossed behind me, and I do hope Impulse makes this work out.

Of the game services packages (GFWL, Impulse::Reactor, Steamworks), Impulse::Reactor seems to be the most consumer-friendly and the most flexible. For those of us who like those traits, we may consider writing (snail mail) developers and publishers with our concerns and opinions once I::R becomes available.

*off*
but when can we see this on Impulse?
" retail CD Keys are accepted "

Well, retail keys for GOO games are accepted. I imagine that since GOO is a component of I::R (perhaps optional), I::R games can be added to the Impulse client. See: Red Faction Guerrilla

For the end user, the only thing revolutionary about this is the fact that you don't have to download another client.
Personally speaking, I see the Desura API as more revolutionary than this.

I mean games without GOO ,like Civ IV.

Well anything has got to be better than GFWL. Surely I can't be the only one suffering ludicrous log in times?

I'm in America and get horrid log-in times as well. GFWL screwed me over on my first attempt to use it, they claim I owed them money for my 360 Live account. Guess what? I never owned a 360 and was only on one for 15 minutes to play Ass.Creed 1 and Gears of War at my cousins house before it fried on him a day later. Made another account and it works ok for Dawn of War 2 but I don't like it.

It's a nice idea, but I'm not exactly expecting a ton of results. This is the same company that talked up GOO for as long as they did, then did absolutely ZERO marketing for the few games that decided to use it, and left it to rot. And this is going to end up differently...why?
I just don't see a lot of follow through a lot of the time with Impulse. I'd like to see this get a big push, but I'm skeptical that it will end up with a result any different.

I hope its good - its possibly not fair of me to judge but my dealings with GFWL are mediocre at best. They are not going to overtake steam, but who cares - another non-GFWL option for games is good for multiplayer games. My only concern would be are they going to allow games to be sold through steam (or another non-impulse service) but use recactor.

And Stardock doesn't? Have you seen their forum lately? :)
The biggest problem with GOO was that Stardock did absolutely nothing to market successes. They didn't utter a peep when they secured Red Faction : Guerrilla as a title that would use GOO whether purchased at retail, or on Impulse, Gamersgate or Direct2Drive. They also didn't exactly say a lot when Paradox agreed to use it for Majesty 2 and East India Company.
If you want something to take off, you have to market it and talk up its success. Stardock completely and utterly failed to do that.