Direct2Drive Announces Agreement With THQ

Direct2Drive has announced an agreement with videogame publisher THQ to digitally distribute a wide selection of the company's games.

"We're proud to be the first to offer THQ's roster of hit games to our consumers via digital distribution," said Jamie Berger, senior vice-president of consumer products for IGN Entertainment, Direct2Drive's parent company. THQ titles available over the Direct2Drive service include STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl, Supreme Commander, Company of Heroes, and the Dawn of War series. Currently, most of the games are only available for purchase in North America.

Digital distribution continues to grow in both size and popularity as broadband internet access becomes more widely available. Valve's Steam system, first introduced in conjunction with Half-Life 2, is the most well-known of these services, but Direct2Drive offers a considerable range of titles as well, including games from Atari, Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, 2K Games and others.

Launched in 2004, Direct2Drive also offers movies, television shows and other forms of digital media along with its videogame selection.