Direct2Drive

Direct2Drive
Type of site
Online retailer
OwnerAtGames
URLdirect2drive.com
CommercialYes
RegistrationYes
LaunchedMay 28, 2004; 20 years ago (2004-05-28)[1]
Current statusActive

Direct2Drive (commonly D2D) is an online game store offering PC games via direct download.

History

Launched in 2004, IGN reported "exponential growth in sales" since that time. It offered over 3,000 titles through relationships with more than 300 game publishers.[2][3] Direct2Drive sponsored a $10,000 award at the Independent Games Festival called the D2D Vision Award, which "celebrates independent developers exemplifying innovation in design coupled with excellence in game-play".[4] In 2009, the site made headlines by refusing to sell Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 due to that game's integration with Valve's Steamworks service. Users buying Modern Warfare 2 from a reseller such as Direct2Drive would be forced to also download and install the Steam client.[5]

In May 2011, GameFly acquired Direct2Drive from IGN Entertainment, Inc. and renamed the service to GameFly Digital.[6] In October 2014, GameFly released a statement in their website indicating that it had sold the digital download service to AtGames Holding Ltd., and that the transition would be completed by the end of the year. AtGames relaunched the service under the original name of Direct2Drive.

References

  1. ^ "Direct2Drive.com WHOIS, DNS, & Domain Info – DomainTools". WHOIS. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  2. ^ GAMEFLY, INC. ACQUIRES DIRECT2DRIVE FROM IGN ENTERTAINMENT Archived June 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Interview: Direct2Drive's Berger On The Evolving Digital Distro Space – Gamasutra". Archived from the original on May 10, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  4. ^ "GDC: IGF, Direct2Drive Announce $10,000 D2D Vision Award Finalists – Gamasutra". Archived from the original on May 10, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  5. ^ Direct2Drive Tussles With Valve By Declining To Sell Steamworks-Powered MW2 – Gamasutra Archived November 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine Was acquired by GameFly in.2011
  6. ^ GAMEFLY, INC. ACQUIRES DIRECT2DRIVE FROM IGN ENTERTAINMENT Archived June 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine