From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

GameTap is a subscription-based video game service by Turner Broadcasting System (TBS). Dubbed by TBS as a "broadband gaming network", the service provides subscribers with the ability to play hundreds of classic arcade, computer and video games, watch Cartoon Network and view game-related video content for a flat monthly fee.

Contents 1 Service details 2 Corporate support 3 Supported consoles 4 Original games 5 GameTap TV 6 Requirements 7 Audio Branding 8 Notes 9 External links

GameTap launched with over 300 games and this number has since grown to over 800. New games are added every Thursday.^[1]

GameTap also features video programming related to video games, including first-run episodes of Space Ghost Coast to Coast with historic figures from video gaming as guests.^[2]

Recently, GameTap has started to offer Streaming TV channels with its service, including Cartoon Network.

Like many subscription music services, subscribers have access to the entire library; there is no per-game fee. Games cannot be purchased, and are automatically deactivated when the user unsubscribes from the service. A single registered account provides the option for up to eight screen names, and access to games based on ESRB ratings can be limited on a per-screen name basis. However, although the GameTap software and games can be installed on any number of computers, only two screen names under a single registration can be logged in at a time. Therefore, a family of three wanting to use the system on three separate computers would require two accounts.^[3] Users must have a broadband connection, and cannot play GameTap games while disconnected from the Internet.^[4]

Most multiplayer games can be played by two users on the same computer. A limited number of games support Internet multiplayer play.^[5]

To cancel one's account, a customer must call a GameTap representative or request cancellation through their live chat support service. Some customers (as of April 2006) have reported being pressured to stay subscribed.^[6]

The initial list of game licensees included Activision, 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.

AOL Instant Messenger is integrated into the GameTap software with limited features, only allowing the user to edit their buddy list and view the status ("Away" or "Online") of his/her buddies.

Besides Windows and DOS titles, and emulations of original arcade machines, GameTap also emulates classic home computers and consoles^[7] including:

• 8-bit (Nintendo Entertainment System)
• Atari 2600
• Commodore 64
• Intellivision
• Neo-Geo
• Sega 32X
• Sega Dreamcast
• Sega Game Gear
• Sega Genesis
• Sega Master System
• SG-1000

While GameTap in its original conception contained only older licensed games and ports from legacy consoles, plans for games released primarily on the service have been mentioned. One of the most well-known of these is the Sam & Max series of episodic adventure games, which was released on GameTap beginning in October, 2006. Another of GameTap's original offerings includes the previously-canceled Myst Online: Uru Live service, released February 15, 2007.

As part of its service, GameTap features TV shows, game trailers, interviews with bands and game designers, and more. Here is a list of what they have to offer right now, in no particular order:

• Space Ghost Coast to Coast
• Sealab 2021
• Computer Lab A GameTap exclusive animated TV show.
• GameTap News
• Cartoon Network This is a direct feed to Cartoon Network. You can't choose what shows you want to watch. (Note: Not currently available, and Gametap customer service will not say if it ever was)
• Survival Guide Gives you tips and tricks on how to excel in a game.
• GameTap Tracks Exclusive performances by a band for GameTap.
• Music videos
• Sam and Max The animated TV show.
• A Day in the Life
• E3 2006 Footage
• Top Five
• Class of...? A montage and description of what made this year special, including games, with the year being revealed at the end.
• Challenged A GameTap game show where someone challenges another person to a GameTap game, with bets being made.

The following requirements are suggested for basic use of the GameTap client software. Individual games, Windows games released within the past few years in particular, may have higher requirements. These requirements are listed within the game client. In addition, the hard drive space requirement is a recommended minimum. Each game that the user wishes to play must be downloaded to the user's hard drive, and the space requirement grows with the number of games stored locally.

• US or Canadian residence
• A broadband Internet connection (slower connections may degrade performance of some games, such as Beyond Good & Evil and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time)
• Windows 2000, XP, or Windows Vista (crackly sound bug in Vista^{[citation needed]}) (Macintosh version is not supported, has supposedly been in the works since launch)
• Pentium 4 or Athlon 800MHz or better processor
• 3D video card with 32MB VRAM and DirectX 8.x or OpenGL 1.1
• 5 GB Hard drive space

With the network's launch in 1994, GameTap enlisted the services of audio brand leaders, Musikvergnuegen, to create the distinctive sound that accompanies the GameTap faucet logo. The GameTap Mnemonic represents a faucet that, when turned on, unleashes a wealth of classic arcade, computer and video games to the subscriber. The signature 'squeak' that accompanies the logo visuals was created by Walter Werzowa, founder of L.A.-based Musikvergnuegen.

Review by Gamers with Jobs http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/28088

1. ^ How frequently are new games added?. Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
2. ^ How GameTap Works. Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
3. ^ Can I access GameTap on more than one computer?. Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
4. ^ Can I play GameTap on my laptop while traveling?. Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
5. ^ What multiplayer games can I play in GameTap?. Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
6. ^ "VC&G Review: GameTap", Vintage Computing and Gaming, http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/97 , visited June 23, 2006
7. ^ Game Titles. Retrieved on 2006-08-05.

• Official GameTap website
• List of Games in GameTap Service
• GameTap design blog
• Unofficial GameTap forum