The only real problem with single exe files, and unfortunately it can be a big problem, is that a lot of virus scanners can behave really stupidly with large exe's, trying to scan the whole thing, which obviously can cause a big delay and lag up your computer.

I really like the simplicity of the current system. It's not like old games are very big, anyway. Just keep it so we can use download managers to resume it, please. Dedicated download applications like Steam or Impulse use are never as smooth or practical as your browser of choice.

The download managers are not supported told mine yesterday AshFirelord :)
What about allowing them, but it could create security holes :/
Anyway I don't usually use pause/resume button unless I've got an Internet problem, but at 99.9%, the download froze because my manager is a bit... violent, connecting 16 times to the servers and getting 16 parts apart. Once a part is finished it splits an existing part in two and sometimes on some sites it blocks in the end, so I recommend you not to use it to accelerate your downloads. Unless you tweak them efficiently of course
About the downloader now. If it is totally optional and accepts stop/resume, why not? I mean you can use it if you want I don't see any big problems about that.
About the Compressed/EXE: some users running on linux could have issues indeed like said vear. I also like getting my hands on Compressed files because they're not intrusive, creating shortcuts and stuff in the registry. I know some games needs the registry to work, but that's another issue, I'm talking about the installer/uninstaller thing. (Oh, also, question for the team : do you give Adobe Acrobat Reader because he's well known or because they support you ? I personnally use Foxit Reader for it is far less intrusive and crappy than Adobe's).
My point about Compressed/EXE: why not letting both available o/

Absolutely no problem downloading .EXE's, but I would love a small download app that lets me pause and resume (that's all really, nothing else) as I'm only on 1500kbps and there's always a chance something could drop out.

I was absolutely delighted to see a simple, solitary .exe file show up when I went to download Fallout.

Personally I prefer having two options available. First should be the plain .exe file that is easy to get, download, and be done with. I never liked having to download a game then unzip, which I often have to do if I go to GamersHell for some downloads. It more or less gets annoying in the long run.
The second option would be the downloader so long as it supports pausing and resuming downloads as well as a speed limit option. I share my bandwidth with two other people, and I often get chewed out by them if I hog it all through downloads. Being able to pause or limit the speed to only so much would be great. The program should be extremely light though, nothing bloated or packed with extras that aren't really necessary.

1. This should be a asked as a poll.
2. I vote YES for the single executable option. (No need to zip the file.)
3. I vote NO for any custom download manager.

I think it'd be cool to have an option to download the game as either .exe or .zip, as well as downloading everything related to the game (manuals, wallpapers, etc) in one big .zip file.

apart form what is arleady beeing offered, I'm in favour of offering [especially in case of hudge-sized games] make it possible for downloading it in zip'ped parts e.g. 4 x 400mb or so
bittorrent is a nice idea too, not sure about the security reasons though

I don't really have a preference of EXE or ZIP. EXE's are nice because they save me a little time, but unless the ZIP file is really large, it's really a non-issue.
I think a downloader app would be a good idea, and I agree with others that it should remain optional. It might be handy if my ISP is having issues or if I'm downloading a really large file.

I'll join the chorus for 7zip.
As for the idea of a client, I'd prefer to stick to a web-based system if at all possible.

i vote for keeping the exe format. the files aren't all that big, though vista's uac does take a minute to scan it. but the installer works like a charm so i'm happy. there are so many download managers out there that i don't see any need for a dedicated download client. i'm using the "download them all" plugin for firefox and getting outstanding download speed.

For those looking for a download manager, I must also recommend the above mentioned. I recently picked it up for Firefox, and have not regretted it since. I plan on using it tonight when I leave a few games downloading while I sleep. So for those having connection issues, give that a shot. ^^

I vote for the EXE's, zip's are more work. EXE I just click it opens, press install and then play. Other than hand delivering me a harddrive with the game preinstalled not sure how much easier you can make it :p.

I like the idea of having the options to pick whether you download the game in an execute or zipped file; It would cater to both sides of people. On the other hand though, the executes that you guys have made are already very much excellent programs; installing freespace 2 was a very simple task.
On the topic of the download manager, I think it would be nice to offer one as an optional thing. I know people have their preferences with what programs they want to use, so giving them the choice not to use it while providing it to others with less knowledge of programs and such would be a great idea.