Game retailer GameStop has apparently decided to buy its way into two PC game-selling technologies at once. In a single press release , the retail giant announced that it will acquire both Stardock's Impulse download service (a competitor to Steam) and Spawn Labs ' streaming service (a competitor to OnLive). The release indicates that Impulse will continue to function as normal, but will be fully integrated with GameStop.com within the next few months.

With GameStop's backing, Impulse could suddenly become a real threat to Steam, which currently dominates digital PC gaming sales. Founded in 2008 by Stardock, it's currently a respectable but distant competitor that's gotten some attention through Stardock's own games like Sins of a Solar Empire, Demigod, and Elemental.

(Note that GameStop isn't buying all of game publisher/developer Stardock, only the Impulse, Inc. subsidiary.)