In 2005, Aussie videogame developer Scott Reismanis had a vision of an online gaming service that catered to everything that seemed to be missing from other vendors in the industry. The result was Desura, a digital distribution platform that seeks to keep the wishes of the gamers in control of its operations. Desura features a host of features to keep gamers connected with quality titles, each other, and even developers.

Although some titles are available from mainstream developers, Desura’s primary focus is on the indie scene. Independent videogame developers that cannot find another venue to sell their games can easily use this site to distribute their content. Many tools are offered to provide game creators with everything they need to develop, test, and release their games. After the game is released on the site, they can further maintain it by controlling aspects of the sales, updates, and patches.

But the benefits provided to indie developers don’t stop there. Desura also streamlines the process of adding modifications, add-ons, and downloadable content to games that are already available on the site. This helps elevate the interest of each indie title long after gamers beat the main storyline. Not only are users able to download this extra content for free, they can sometimes even contribute their own add-ons!

A strong gamer community is also supported. What basically amounts to a full social networking site is made available to members of Desura. Users are able to create profiles, track achievements, communicate with other gamers, and collaborate their efforts during online game play. But it doesn’t stop there. Each user has access to a personalized blog and can even upload their own screenshots and videos after taking them during a gaming session. To strengthen their community of gamers, Desura is in the process of developing clients for Apple and Linux platforms.

Despite the benefits offered by Desura, many user issues have been declared too much to make the service worth the time. Some users report that installing a mod is a terrible process, with the installation freezing unexpectedly without every correcting itself, with no help in sight. Others have reported problems with the client’s scanner being unable to find the digital downloads on their system, rendering any purchased and installed titles useless.