GameTap
Encyclopedia
GameTap is an American
online video game service established by Turner Broadcasting System
(TBS). Dubbed by TBS as a "first of its kind broadband gaming network", the service provides users with classic
arcade
video games and game-related video content. It is actually also an internet channel.
. GameTap offers two subscription levels: a Premium subscription with access to the entire content library, and a Classic subscription with access to older console and arcade games running in emulation
. GameTap now also sells games via the online distribution method. GameTap initially offered a limited selection of games for free play without a subscription, but this option has been discontinued.
Originally, GameTap was designed to offer not only video games, but a complete media hub (GameTap TV), taking advantage of the TBS
catalog as well as offering original video content, including the animated series Re\Visioned: Tomb Raider and new episodes of Space Ghost Coast to Coast
. GameTap TV has since been discontinued.
Most multiplayer games can be played by two users on the same computer while many others not originally intended to be played outside of a LAN
may be played over the internet by using a VPN
client such as Hamachi. A limited number of games have been enhanced with an online leaderboard and challenge lobby, adding internet multiplayer to games that previously could only be played face to face. Every Monday GameTap holds a leaderboard tournament with a different game each week.
.
On February 7, 2007, GameTap announced their third original game, Galactic Command: Echo Squad, from independent developer 3000AD. The four-part episodic game is a space combat title formerly planned for launch in the Summer of 2007. However, it suffered from constant delays, and in early 2008, GameTap announced that it had canceled its deal with 3000AD. "It was a good game, it was very solid, but as we were going through, it ended up not being the right title for our audience," says Ricardo Sanchez
. "It was a tough call. I think it’s one of the strongest games [Derek] ever made. We put a lot of effort into it...I honestly think it's one of Derek’s strongest games."
On May 15, 2007, PC Gamer magazine premiered the first look at GameTap's newest original game, American McGee's Grimm Tales, a 24 part episodic series by game designer American McGee
.
, Atari
, Intellivision Lives!
, Midway
, Namco
, Sega
, and Taito
. Since its inception, more companies have licensed their software, including: Eidos Interactive
, G-Mode
, Ubisoft
, Codemasters
, Vivendi Games
, Konami
, Electronic Arts
, Capcom
, Take-Two Interactive
, Interplay
and SNK Playmore
.
On May 1, 2007, GameTap revised its business model to utilize three different service levels: Visitor, Green, and Gold. The Visitor and Green levels were free, had access to a limited selection of games, and were supported by advertising. Green members registered with the site and received access to a few more games. Gold members were essentially identical to paid subscribers as before.
On November 29, 2007, GameTap announced that on December 11 of the same year, over 70 games would be removed from their catalog, many of them Electronic Arts
or Interplay
titles, likely due to expiration of the two-year licensing agreement with those companies.
On January 10, 2008 a GameTap staff member announced the return of the Humongous Games license which restored popular games such as the likes of Putt Putt and Pajama Sam back to the library.
On August 6, 2008, Turner Broadcasting announced that they were looking to sell GameTap. On September 24, 2008, Time Warner sold the service to Paris
-based Metaboli
. Turner continued to handle GameTap's operations during the transition period, which lasted until 2009. After the transition, the service became available to non-US/Canadian residents.
On March 31, 2009, GameTap Player is replaced by the plug-in after saying goodbyes to their players, GameTap's business model was again changed. The GameTap Player was changed into a GameTap Plug-In; the service is now handled through the website. The subscription levels were changed to Free Pack (selected handful of games for free), a new Classic Pack (reduced-price version of the full service which does not include Windows games), and Premium Pack (the Gold membership). However, due to technical issues, many features offered previously were disabled during the migration. Users with 64-bit versions of Windows can only play games that are marked as 64-bit compatible. GameTap is currently working on encrypting the rest of their Windows catalog with Yummy encryption to make them 64-bit compatible.
of Metro Atlanta
.
GameTap was criticized for its cancellation process, which required customers to contact live support personnel. The customers were then subjected to pressure tactics to dissuade them from canceling.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
online video game service established by Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
(TBS). Dubbed by TBS as a "first of its kind broadband gaming network", the service provides users with classic
Golden Age of Arcade Games
The golden age of video arcade games was a peak era of video arcade game popularity, innovation, and earnings. Although there is no consensus as to its exact time period, most sources place it around the early 1980s.-Overview:...
arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
video games and game-related video content. It is actually also an internet channel.
Features
GameTap was conceived primarily as an online subscription rental service, competing against mail-based services like GameFlyGameFly
GameFly is an American online video game rental subscription service that specializes in providing games for game consoles and handheld game consoles....
. GameTap offers two subscription levels: a Premium subscription with access to the entire content library, and a Classic subscription with access to older console and arcade games running in emulation
Emulator
In computing, an emulator is hardware or software or both that duplicates the functions of a first computer system in a different second computer system, so that the behavior of the second system closely resembles the behavior of the first system...
. GameTap now also sells games via the online distribution method. GameTap initially offered a limited selection of games for free play without a subscription, but this option has been discontinued.
Originally, GameTap was designed to offer not only video games, but a complete media hub (GameTap TV), taking advantage of the TBS
TBS (TV channel)
TBS , stylized in the logo as tbs, is an American cable television channel owned by Time Warner that shows a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy. TBS was originally known as WTCG, a UHF terrestrial television station that broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1970s...
catalog as well as offering original video content, including the animated series Re\Visioned: Tomb Raider and new episodes of Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Space Ghost Coast to Coast is an American animated parody talk show hosted by the 60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. The show premiered on April 15, 1994 on Cartoon Network...
. GameTap TV has since been discontinued.
Most multiplayer games can be played by two users on the same computer while many others not originally intended to be played outside of a LAN
Local area network
A local area network is a computer network that interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building...
may be played over the internet by using a VPN
Virtual private network
A virtual private network is a network that uses primarily public telecommunication infrastructure, such as the Internet, to provide remote offices or traveling users access to a central organizational network....
client such as Hamachi. A limited number of games have been enhanced with an online leaderboard and challenge lobby, adding internet multiplayer to games that previously could only be played face to face. Every Monday GameTap holds a leaderboard tournament with a different game each week.
GameTap Originals
GameTap has funded the development of a number of titles, with the games subsequently premiering as GameTap exclusives. Such games include Sam & Max Season One and Myst Online: Uru LiveMyst Online: Uru Live
Myst Online: Uru Live is an open source massively multiplayer online adventure game developed by Cyan Worlds. The game is the multiplayer component to the 2003 video game Uru: Ages Beyond Myst. Like Uru, Myst Online takes place in 2000's New Mexico, where an ancient civilization known as the D'ni...
.
On February 7, 2007, GameTap announced their third original game, Galactic Command: Echo Squad, from independent developer 3000AD. The four-part episodic game is a space combat title formerly planned for launch in the Summer of 2007. However, it suffered from constant delays, and in early 2008, GameTap announced that it had canceled its deal with 3000AD. "It was a good game, it was very solid, but as we were going through, it ended up not being the right title for our audience," says Ricardo Sanchez
Ricardo Sanchez (video games)
Ricardo Sanchez is a writer, producer and game industry executive.Sanchez is currently writing the Resident Evil comic book series for Wildstorm and wrote a promotional comic book for NCSoft's Aion MMO.-Career:...
. "It was a tough call. I think it’s one of the strongest games [Derek] ever made. We put a lot of effort into it...I honestly think it's one of Derek’s strongest games."
On May 15, 2007, PC Gamer magazine premiered the first look at GameTap's newest original game, American McGee's Grimm Tales, a 24 part episodic series by game designer American McGee
American McGee
-Career:McGee began his career at id Software, working on level design, music production, sound effects development, and programming in such games as Doom, Doom II, Quake, and Quake II. In 1998, he moved to Electronic Arts, where he worked as creative director on several projects, including...
.
History
GameTap launched on 17 October 2005 with over 300 games and has grown to over 1,000. The service was the idea of Turner employee Blake Lewin. The initial list of game licensees included ActivisionActivision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
, Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
, Intellivision Lives!
Intellivision Lives!
Intellivision Lives! is a compilation of various games from the Intellivision and released for the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. In addition, there are three exclusive games that were never released for the original console. A Nintendo DS version was released on October 27, 2010.It...
, Midway
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
, Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
, Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
, and Taito
Taito Corporation
The is a Japanese publisher of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, sharing the facility with its parent company....
. Since its inception, more companies have licensed their software, including: Eidos Interactive
Eidos Interactive
Eidos Interactive Ltd. is a British video game publisher and is a label of Square Enix Europe. As an independent company Eidos plc was headquartered in the Wimbledon Bridge House in Wimbledon, London Borough of Merton....
, G-Mode
G-Mode
is a Japanese company that provides mobile network game contents that specialize in Java game software in Japan. It develops and distributes games for Java-compatible mobile phones. The company also licenses contents for mobile telecommunications operators, as well as involves in the original...
, Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
, Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
, Vivendi Games
Vivendi Games
Vivendi Games, formerly known as Vivendi Universal Games, was the holdings company for Sierra Entertainment and Blizzard Entertainment. Vivendi Games was founded as Vivendi Universal Games after Vivendi bought Universal Studios in the early 2000s...
, Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
, Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
, Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
, Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a major American publisher, developer, and distributor of video games and video game peripherals. Take-Two wholly owns 2K Games and Rockstar Games. The company's headquarters are in New York City, with international headquarters in Windsor, United Kingdom...
, Interplay
Interplay Entertainment
Interplay Entertainment Corporation is an American video game developer and publisher, founded in 1983 as Interplay Productions by Brian Fargo. The company had been a quality developer until they started publishing their own games in 1988, like Neuromancer and Battle Chess. The company was renamed...
and SNK Playmore
SNK Playmore
SNK Playmore Corporation is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. SNK is an acronym of , which was SNK's original name. The company's legal and trading name became SNK in 1986....
.
On May 1, 2007, GameTap revised its business model to utilize three different service levels: Visitor, Green, and Gold. The Visitor and Green levels were free, had access to a limited selection of games, and were supported by advertising. Green members registered with the site and received access to a few more games. Gold members were essentially identical to paid subscribers as before.
On November 29, 2007, GameTap announced that on December 11 of the same year, over 70 games would be removed from their catalog, many of them Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
or Interplay
Interplay Entertainment
Interplay Entertainment Corporation is an American video game developer and publisher, founded in 1983 as Interplay Productions by Brian Fargo. The company had been a quality developer until they started publishing their own games in 1988, like Neuromancer and Battle Chess. The company was renamed...
titles, likely due to expiration of the two-year licensing agreement with those companies.
On January 10, 2008 a GameTap staff member announced the return of the Humongous Games license which restored popular games such as the likes of Putt Putt and Pajama Sam back to the library.
On August 6, 2008, Turner Broadcasting announced that they were looking to sell GameTap. On September 24, 2008, Time Warner sold the service to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
-based Metaboli
Metaboli
Metaboli is an online video game service with headquarters in France. Users pay a monthly fee so that they can access the company's library of games. Depending on their subscription, subscribers can access from over 150 to over 600 games.- History :...
. Turner continued to handle GameTap's operations during the transition period, which lasted until 2009. After the transition, the service became available to non-US/Canadian residents.
On March 31, 2009, GameTap Player is replaced by the plug-in after saying goodbyes to their players, GameTap's business model was again changed. The GameTap Player was changed into a GameTap Plug-In; the service is now handled through the website. The subscription levels were changed to Free Pack (selected handful of games for free), a new Classic Pack (reduced-price version of the full service which does not include Windows games), and Premium Pack (the Gold membership). However, due to technical issues, many features offered previously were disabled during the migration. Users with 64-bit versions of Windows can only play games that are marked as 64-bit compatible. GameTap is currently working on encrypting the rest of their Windows catalog with Yummy encryption to make them 64-bit compatible.
Reception
Gametap currently holds an 'F' rating—the most negative rating available—from the Better Business BureauBetter Business Bureau
The Better Business Bureau , founded in 1912, is a corporation consisting of several private business franchises of local BBB organizations based in the United States and Canada, which work through their parent corporation, the Council of Better Business Bureaus .The Better Business Bureau, through...
of Metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta
The Atlanta metropolitan area or metro Atlanta, officially designated by the US Census Bureau as the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metro area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ninth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States...
.
GameTap was criticized for its cancellation process, which required customers to contact live support personnel. The customers were then subjected to pressure tactics to dissuade them from canceling.