Stardock, the developer best known for the Galactic Civilizations series, has brought aboard one of the rock stars of the strategy genre.

Big Download reports that Jon Shafer, lead designer for Civilization V and former Firaxis employee, is now part of Stardock team. He will begin by helping the company’s efforts with its PC gameElemental: War of Magic. The game got off to a troubled start in August 2010 but Stardock continues to dedicate resources to it. Shafer’s hire will surely help with current and future Elemental endeavors…

According to Joystiq, Stardock (publishers of Sins of a Solar Empire) has announced that a PC version of last summer’s breakout Xbox Live Arcade puzzle game, Braid, is set to be released via digital distribution over Stardock’s Impulse service on March 31, 2009, for $14.95.

Last year, the $15 price sent waves of anger throughout the XBLA community which considered the price to be far too high for the platformer. Both on his blog and in interviews, developer Jonathan Blow defended the seemingly high price stating…

Now that the Democratic and Republican conventions are over and it is a little more than fifty days until the next President is elected, I’m sure we could use a game that involves more personal involvement in the political machine.

That is why Stardock has recently released (and updated) Political Machine 2008, a turn-based strategy game that allows a player to run for president. There is a character creation tool that is similar to the Nintendo’s Mii construction tool or you can even play as Sen. Barack Hussein Obama II or Sen. John Sidney McCain II. The updates add vice presidential candidates Sen. Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., and Gov. Sarah Louise Heath Palin along with…

As PC gaming takes a turn for the worst, indie game developer Stardock has introduced what it calls the “Gamer’s Bill of Rights” which it hopes will help enhance the quality of PC games.

As an act of good faith, Stardock is imploring anyone who is having trouble playing their game The Political Machine to return it to Stardock for a full refund. Stardock is also at the Penny Arcade Expo this year proudly displaying their bill for anyone to see.

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