I like this.
I skipped Left 4 Dead that I wanted because Steam was a requirement. Although DoW II was the game I was currently looking forward to more than anything else I will skip it aswell.
I'm really sick of apps trying to put annoying little advanced toolbars into my browsers and the same goes for game companies trying to force me to use their crappy social networking.Frankly I'll never be sold on the need for it.
Games should come with their own multiplayer lobbys and ANY extras should be optional. My interest will always be in the game not in whatever grand scheme the publishers have.
Being forced to run stuff that I don't need on my computer will continue to piss me off until the end of time :P
As for buying stuff at gamestop I buy there all the time. Wii games. Lots of good GOTY bargains and older games to pick up. I bought a DoW pack there with the game + 3 expacks at a great bargain.

um one small point does anyone actully know if this game will use steam as for multiplayer it uses windows live?

I wouldn't think that its Steaminess leading to customers buying stuff on Steam is the real reason - I'd go with "If you activate it on Steam, you can't trade it in to Gamestop for less than half of what you paid, and they can't sell it back to the next customer for $5 off full price."
I guess with Valve games they don't have much choice, but doing this to non-Valve games might make future publishers think twice about cutting off Gamestop's main revenue stream.

AFAIK, GameStop doesn't re-sell PC games anyway, they only do that with console games. If that is the case, what does it matter to them if the activation on Steam eliminates the "re-saleability" of the game?

Ah, probably my mistake - the last few used games places I've been in have bought and sold PC games.
In that case, it must be that Gamestop management has been taken over by Cylons/the Illuminati/Tzeentch/Mi-Go, and Dawn of War II is our only weapon against them.

Gamestop is really dumb.
As for Steam, although some of their efforts to make community and game playing/matching easier, I usually just install my games and then always stay in off-line mode when playing, only reconnecting if I need to download something else.

Considering Gamestop ALREADY stocks other titles that require Steam (Left 4 Dead for instance), I really doubt that's the reason for no longer taking preorders. It sounds like there's been some kind of a snarl where they're no longer sure how many preorder copies they are actually going to get on launch day, so they aren't taking any FUTHER preorders...they are still honoring the existing ones.