Stardock |
: This article is about the software company. Stardock is also the title of a book by Fritz Leiber, and a hub for players of TradeWars 2002.
Stardock Corporation is a Software development company founded in 1991 and incorporation (business) in 1993 as Stardock Systems, later known as Stardock.net. Stardock initially developed for the OS/2 platform, but was forced to switch to Microsoft Windows due to the collapse of the OS/2 software market in 1997/8. Most of their computer programs allow a user to modify or extend an graphical user interface, although they also have a growing interest in computer games, particularly turn-based strategy games.
Stardock created and maintain WinCustomize, a graphical user interface customization community. Many of the skin (computing) and theme (computer) featured on its site are for software that is part of Object Desktop, their main subscription service. Stardock also runs TotalGaming.net, an online content delivery system for downloadable personal computer games, and ThinkDesk, a productivity application service. They are based in Plymouth, Michigan.
= Products =
Most of the products below are tied together with Stardock Central , a program allowing download of the components of Stardock s subscription services, whether bought as part of a subscription or separately. Some are only available for Windows 2000 and/or Windows XP.
== Object Desktop ==
Stardock s flagship product is Object Desktop , a subscription-based software suite that includes several computer program for customizing elements of the Windows graphical user interface. Originally released in 1995 for the OS/2 market, it was converted to Windows in 1997/8, and currently (July 2005) consists of the following main components:
==TotalGaming.net==
Stardock s personal computer games subscription product is called TotalGaming.net (previously The Drengin Network ). Users buy games rather than renting them. In May 2005 it switched to a token (numismatics)-based system in which subscribers expend tokens on games of their choice, and may opt to purchase buy more games with extra tokens.
Examples of games available with TotalGaming.net are:
== WinCustomize ==
Aside from its subscription packages, Stardock also sells a variety of icon packs, premium themes consisting of content for more than one program, and programs that do not fit into its subscriptions, including:
*The WinCustomize Browser a specialised user-interface to the [http://www.wincustomize.com/ WinCustomize.com] website, available by 2-year subscription to the site
WinCustomize is the name of the site that provides downloads for all of Stardock s skinning and desktop enhancement products, on which these products are sold.
== ThinkDesk ==
ThinkDesk is a productivity (economics) application subscription service, [http://www.stardock.com/newsitem.aspid=773 launched] on 14 April 2005. It consists of the following products:
== Business Solutions ==
Stardock has expanded into the business-to-business market with products based on their existing consumer offerings:
Notable customers have included: *Alienware, which distribute PCs with Theme Manager OEM (branded [http://www.alienware.com/intro_pages/darkstar.aspx AlienGUIse]) *ATI Technologies, which [http://www.microsoft.com/resources/casestudies/CaseStudy.aspCaseStudyID=16491 use DirectSkin] for their CATALYST Control Center .
= History =
Initially a builder of PCs (named StarDock Systems), Stardock quickly branched out into software development, where it has remained despite a change of platform.
== OS/2 Era (1993 - 2001) ==
Stardock s initial software product was a computer game for OS/2 called Galactic Civilizations. Stardock never actually received any royalties from the initial sales of Galactic Civilizations due to publisher fraud, but the market had been created for subsequent addon packs including the Shipyards expansion, and Stardock later sold a significant number of licenses to IBM for part of its Family FunPak (under the name Star Emperor ). Stardock went on to create OS/2 Essentials , and its successor, Object Desktop , which provided the company with a large base of users.
At about this time, IBM decided to abandon OS/2. However, they did not make this decision public, and Stardock continued to develop applications software and games for the platform, including Avarice and Entrepreneur . With the advent of Windows NT, Stardock found that their core user base was slipping away, and was forced to reinvent itself as a Windows developer - not before losing most of its money and staff.
== Windows Era (1997/8 - present) ==
The newer, smaller Stardock was heavily reliant on the goodwill of its previous customers, who essentially purchased Windows subscriptions for Object Desktop in anticipation of the products it would consist of. Having put together a basic package (including some old favourites from the OS/2 era) Stardock began to bring in external developers to create original products.
Stardock s first major Windows success was with WindowBlinds . There turned out to be a large market for skinnable products, and Stardock prospered, growing significantly in the next five years. Although it is not true that Stardock was responsible for the msstyle skinning engine in Windows XP, the release of this operating system did stimulate sales in Stardock products, and despite growing competition proportional to the market the company remains in a strong position.
In 2001 they added a widget creation and desktop modification tool, DesktopX . This has not had such a wide uptake as other products; some believe this is because it is harder to use and to create for, others because users do not understand the functionality that it offers. DesktopX competes with Konfabulator and Kapsules in the widget arena. In 2003, Stardock became a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner with their Designed for Windows certification of WindowBlinds .
Stardock s games have had more mixed success. The Corporate Machine sold reasonably well, but LightWeight Ninja was not as popular. In an echo of Stardock s previous experiences with games publishers, Strategy First appears not have fulfilled all its contractural obligations for the distribution of Galactic Civilizations . However, several games from the Strategy First lineup have appeared on Stardock s TotalGaming.net service, so it may be that some payment was made in kind. More recently, The Political Machine (timed to coincide with the U.S. presidential election, 2004) has sold well.
== Litigation ==
Like many software companies, Stardock has been involved in litigation in relation to their business:
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