Any plans to release digital purchase elsewhere?

Are there any plans to release the digital download purchase elsewhere? I have been playing Space Empires since SE II and have loved every version - this one (from the demo) looks nifty if different and I probably will get it [quite a change from IV, which I have been playing alot lately]; but I really don't want to go through Steam (yet another download client to put on my computer); I already use Direct2Drive for buying games digitally and was wondering if SE V will be released there like SE IV Deluxe has been? I don't need another download client, and I don't want a download client with built in chat and too much control over my game [I do like the idea of patches being automatically applied, but I like to apply patches when 'I' want to].

I would really like it if it were to be relesed on Direct2Drive after the release date of the 16th - otherwise I will probably just wait a while until it is.