<s>
Stardock	B-Application
Central	I-Application
was	O
a	O
software	O
content	O
delivery	O
and	O
digital	O
rights	O
management	O
system	O
used	O
by	O
Stardock	O
customers	O
to	O
access	O
components	O
of	O
the	O
Object	B-Application
Desktop	I-Application
,	O
TotalGaming.net	O
and	O
ThinkDesk	B-Application
product	O
lines	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
products	O
under	O
the	O
WinCustomize	B-Application
brand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Introduced	O
in	O
2001	O
to	O
access	O
games	O
on	O
TotalGaming.net	O
(	O
then	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Drengin	O
Network	O
)	O
,	O
Stardock	B-Application
Central	I-Application
was	O
later	O
expanded	O
to	O
cover	O
all	O
Stardock	O
products	O
,	O
replacing	O
Component	O
Manager	O
(	O
1999	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
2010	O
,	O
Stardock	B-Application
Central	I-Application
had	O
been	O
phased	O
out	O
in	O
favour	O
of	O
its	O
successor	O
,	O
Impulse	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
in	O
March	O
2011	O
Impulse	B-Application
was	O
sold	O
to	O
GameStop	O
and	O
Stardock	O
soon	O
reopened	O
their	O
own	O
online	O
store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
April	O
2012	O
,	O
the	O
Stardock	B-Application
Central	I-Application
software	O
has	O
been	O
revived	O
and	O
released	O
as	O
a	O
Beta	O
to	O
once	O
again	O
provide	O
a	O
proprietary	B-Application
platform	O
for	O
Stardock	O
's	O
digital	O
product	O
downloads	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Software	O
on	O
Stardock	B-Application
Central	I-Application
was	O
divided	O
into	O
components	O
,	O
and	O
further	O
divided	O
into	O
packages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
users	O
purchased	O
a	O
product	O
or	O
a	O
subscription	O
,	O
they	O
gained	O
access	O
to	O
it	O
via	O
Stardock	B-Application
Central	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
cater	O
for	O
the	O
various	O
frequent	O
updates	O
provided	O
for	O
many	O
products	O
,	O
once	O
a	O
package	O
has	O
been	O
downloaded	O
and	O
installed	O
Stardock	B-Application
Central	I-Application
only	O
downloaded	O
updated	O
files	O
for	O
new	O
versions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
product	O
archiving	B-Application
and	O
restore	O
function	O
was	O
available	O
to	O
back	O
up	O
components	O
and	O
to	O
allow	O
their	O
transfer	O
to	O
other	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
WinCustomize	B-Application
subscribers	O
could	O
use	O
the	O
Skins	O
and	O
Themes	O
section	O
to	O
browse	O
and	O
download	O
the	O
WinCustomize	B-Application
library	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Stardock	B-Application
Central	I-Application
was	O
similar	O
in	O
concept	O
to	O
the	O
later-developed	O
Steam	B-Application
content	I-Application
delivery	I-Application
system	I-Application
;	O
unlike	O
Steam	O
,	O
it	O
did	O
not	O
require	O
a	O
permanent	O
connection	O
to	O
the	O
Internet	O
,	O
only	O
being	O
required	O
when	O
a	O
user	O
wanted	O
to	O
install	O
or	O
update	O
a	O
product	O
(	O
or	O
when	O
needed	O
for	O
its	O
chatting	O
,	O
content	O
libraries	O
,	O
or	O
forum	O
support	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Stardock	B-Application
Central	I-Application
started	O
development	O
in	O
2001	O
,	O
it	O
got	O
its	O
biggest	O
test	O
in	O
March	O
2003	O
when	O
Galactic	B-Application
Civilizations	I-Application
was	O
launched	O
simultaneously	O
at	O
retail	O
and	O
online	O
the	O
first	O
commercial	O
PC	O
game	O
to	O
debut	O
in	O
both	O
venues	O
at	O
once	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Those	O
who	O
had	O
purchased	O
Galactic	B-Application
Civilizations	I-Application
at	O
retail	O
could	O
also	O
enter	O
their	O
serial	O
number	O
and	O
download	O
updates	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2004	O
,	O
Stardock	B-Application
Central	I-Application
began	O
to	O
deliver	O
third	O
party	O
content	O
as	O
well	O
such	O
as	O
games	O
from	O
Take	O
2	O
,	O
Strategy	O
First	O
,	O
and	O
Ubisoft	O
.	O
</s>
