• gametap

    Gametap Partners Up with Microsoft

    Age of Empires 2, Fable: The Lost Chapters and Mech Warrior 4 are on the way to the game portal GameTap, following an agreement reached with Microsoft Game Studios, announced last week. More »
  • gametap

    GameTap Launches Redesigned Service

    GameTap has an all-new service! Completely redesigned, from the ground up. And while it stuttered, fell over and died for a little bit at launch, it's now all good. More »
  • clips

    Re/Visioned Activision 2600 Classics Finally Arrive

    In November of 2007, Gametap promised to continue their Re/Visioned animation series, with comic book talent taking on classic Atari 2600 games. Now those shorts have finally seen the light of day, and they're brilliant. More »
  • Now Less Free

    GameTap Rolls Free Games Back Into The Vault

    After a year spent rolling out premium games for non-playing customers to play for free, online gaming service GameTap has announced that they're now beginning to roll them right back in. More »
  • fallout

    Fallout Now Free Via GameTap

    If you are looking forward to Fallout 3 but are either too young to remember the original or just fancy reliving a genuine no-messing-about classic, GameTap is offering up Fallout for free. More »
  • gametap

    Turner And Metaboli Partner For Global GameTap

    Turner Broadcasting and European digital distribution company Metaboli are teaming up to take GameTap global. A partnership between the two companies will eventually result in Metaboli managing the service in both the U.S. and Europe, managing the GameTap name in the U.S. while being managed under the Metaboli name across the pond. Turner Broadcasting had previously indicated plans to offload the service altogether last month, but now will remain on as an equity investor in the combined company once an initial transition period has passed. More »
  • gametap

    Turner To Unload GameTap

    Time Warner revealed in its quarterly earnings statement today that GameTap owner Turner has decided to sell off the subscription model gaming service. That release noted an "$18 million noncash impairment" — read: write-off — as a result of the decision to lose GameTap. It did not name a buyer. More »
  • american mcgee's grimm

    GameTap Launches American McGee's Grimm

    GameTap has just launched the first chapter of the first volume of American McGee's Grimm, the twisted fairy tale adventure series from America's most similarly-named developer. The first episode is called "A Boy Learns What Fear Is", which in the context of twisted fairy tales gives me chills just thinking about it. More »
  • gametap

    GameTap Taps Gamecock

    GameTap is on a roll! Just yesterday they announced a partnership with THQ to bring their full line of PC titles to the service and now they've gotten themselves mixed up with the bad crowd over at Gamecock Media Group. The two companies have entered into a partnership to digitally distribute GC's wares via the magic of the internet, both in fully purchased form and via the standard GameTap subscription service. More »
  • gametap

    THQ Signs Up With GameTap

    While Turner Broadcasting's GameTap service gave us a scare awhile back by cutting off it's editorial arm, the game download side of things is still as strong as ever, and growing even strong still as they announce a long-term partnership with THQ to include the publisher's games on the service. This will add existing games like Company of Heroes, Warhammer 40K, Titan Quest and Red Faction to the service, while securing future titles such as Saint's Row 2. More »
  • cyan

    Cyan Outlines "Hurdles" In Reclaiming Myst Online

    Cyan Worlds said it's formulated a plan to bring Myst Online back to its fans, after GameTap shunted control of the property back to its creators. More »
  • american mcgee's grimm

    American McGee Gives Gamers Free Grimm

    Once Upon A Time, American McGee decided to create an episodic game based on fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk and Beauty and the Beast with a dark twist. More »
  • uru live

    GameTap: Myst Pass-Back Benefits Fans

    As we reported earlier, the latest twist in the long and difficult life of Myst Online: Uru Live now sees the game handed back to its creators, Cyan Worlds, who said they'll relaunch the game later this year. The reason for GameTap surrendering the project? The company says it's just better for the fans. More »
  • myst online

    GameTap Passes Myst Online Back To Cyan

    Myst Online: Uru Live has had somewhat of a difficult life. The online multiplayer component of Uru: Ages Beyond Myst never made it out of the beta testing phase before being canceled in 2004. Then in 2006, Turner Broadcasting's GameTap service revived Uru Live, officially launching the game in February 2007 only to discontinue operation a year later. Now GameTap has given the publishing rights for the game back to Myst creators Cyan Worlds, who plan to relaunch Myst Online later this year. More »
  • grimm

    Hands On with Grimm

    American McGee’s Grimm has been somewhat of a mystery to me since it was announced. The concept sounded good, I mean anything based on Grimm’s fairy tales always catches my interest. I had been anxious to see exactly what it was going to be like and today I got my chance. It was certainly different than what I expected it might be and way more as well. More »
  • interplay

    Go Play Fallout & Descent On GameTap

    More free stuff on GameTap? Sign me up. Interplay have announced a deal with the service whereby some of their older titles - like Fallout, MDK and Descent - will be made available. And not just on the subscription service or download store, either. In the totally free, ad-supported bit as well. While I imagine most of you will head on over to give Fallout one last try before the third game hits later this year, I'd recommend a quick spin on Descent first. Only two games have ever made me literally dizzy. Even a little bit sick. But in a good way! Descent is one of them. More »
  • deus ex

    Deus Ex Free Next Week

    Been a while since a game really worth playing (beyond Super Baseball 2020) turned up on Gametap's free-to-play service, so it's nice to be able to report on one. Deus Ex. Starting next week, anyone who downloads Gametap's launcher program can enjoy the game without paying a cent. There's worse ways to get hold of one of the best PC games of all time. Like, you know. Paying for it. More »
  • Wavin' Goodbye

    Turner's GameTap Shutters Editorial, Boots Staff

    GameTap, the on-demand game portal owned by Turner Broadcasting, is closing the books on its editorial division to focus solely on games, according to a community post by content vice president Ricardo Sanchez. More »
  • clips

    Sam And Max - Sometimes The Paranoid Are Right

    Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you. This is a lesson the manic proprietor of Bosco's Inconvenience store learns in the latest episode of Telltale Games' episodic adventure series Sam and Max, Chariots of the Dogs. Due out March 13th on the GameTap service and a day later via Telltale's website, the puppy and rabbit-thing duo will be tasked with finding their friend, though with the prices he charges they'd probably be better off ransacking his store and calling it a day.
  • media

    American McGee's Grimm Looks Grimm

    Back in May of last year we learned that American McGee's one last chance, Grimm, would be coming out via GameTap sometimes this year. Well now we also have a date, screens, and a nifty little trailer to grant us a look into the world of American McGee's Grimm. Launching this July and spanning 24 weekly installments, Grimm is all about taking those sweet, lovable fairy tales from our childhood and turning them into something as dark and twisted as McGee's soul. Guaranteed fun for the whole family! Probably not, but I at least hope McGee has found the sweet spot that will prove to us once and for all why games keep coming out with his name in front of them.
  • cancellations

    Myst Online Dries Up

    Just days prior to the one-year anniversary of the launch of Myst Online: Uru Live, the publisher responsible for bringing Cyan Worlds' MMO to the masses (well... ) has announced its termination. GameTap's Vice President of Content and Creative Director Ricardo Sanchez broke the bad news to fans on the game's official forums, writing that the MMO has 60 days to live, at which point the game servers will be shut down and tears will begin to shed. More »
  • clips

    Sam And Max Versus The Nipple Ring Vampire

    If you aren't sold on Telltale Games episodic adventures of Steve Purcell's Sam and Max now that they're nearly three episodes into Season Two, I don't know what to say to you other than shirtless raver vampire with pierced nipples. This is the trailer for episode 3 of Season 2, Night of the Raving Dead, and as always the team at Telltale have managed to deliver a trailer almost as entertaining as playing the game itself. The old-timey black and white with German-language title boards grabs you, and Max shaking his little rabbit-thing ass towards the end reels you in. Look for Night of the Raving Dead for free on GameTap come February 12th, or for not-free at Telltale's website a day later. I leave you with this thought - would a vampire's healing factor reject piercings?
  • upgrades

    GameTap Expands Mac Support

    While GameTap extended an olive branch out to intel-based Mac users a few months ago, today they are expanding their offerings to the Mac community in a big way. With the new GameTap player, Mac users will now have access to both SEGA Saturn and Dreamcast games. And to be honest, Crazy Taxi on my Macbook Pro doesn't sound like the worst way to waste an afternoon. More »
  • romero's baby

    GameTap Sets Daikatana Free

    GameTap really hates us. Don't believe it? Just look what they've given us for Christmas. From now until December 31st, John Romero's masterpiece Daikatana is free for everyone to play.They've even posted a retrospective covering the game's history for you to giggle at. If you missed out on what some game reviewers at the time called "BWAHAHAHAHAHA", and "Is this a joke?", then now is your chance to experience all the pulse-pounding terror of robot frogs! *insert horrific violin squealing incidental music here*. Seriously though, you can't make fun of it unless you've played it, so there it is. This article is the gaming equivalent of eating something bad and going, "Ew, this is horrible! Taste this!" More »
  • digital delivery

    GameTap Hits 1,000 With Civ IV

    We knew it was coming, and now it is finally here. GameTap has reached the 1,000 game milestone, with none other than Sid Meier's Civilization IV taking the honors as the landmark title. For those keeping track, that's an average of 500 games a year over the course of the service's two-year life. When GameTap first launched, there were 300 older game titles available. Since then they've grown to include new game releases from companies like Codemasters and Eidos as well original news and animation programming. Joining Civ IV is HItman: Contracts, the third game in the Hitman series, just in time for the release of the Philadelphia-scaring movie. You can head over to GameTap.com for more information, or to see the nifty mosiac pictured above in all of its mouseover box art glory.
  • animation

    Lee Takes On Lara, Re\Visioned Takes On Activision

    The final episode of the first season of GameTap's Re\Visioned animation series is upon us, featuring comic book legend Jim Lee's take on Lara Croft in "A Complicated Woman." Over the past season some of the top names in comics and animation have taken turns with Lara, as voiced by Minnie Driver, producing some truly amazing animation. With the success of this first season, GameTap is also announcing season two of Re\Visioned, which will be taking on games from the golden age of Activision. Comic book greats Mark Waid, John Ostrander, and Paul Jenkins will be taking on games like Pitfall, Kaboom, and Pressure Cooker. You can catch Jim Lee's "A Complicated Woman" over at GameTap's Tomb Raider site. For a special look at a still from next season's Pitfall episode, which features Pitfall Harry on a therapy talk show, hit the jump. More »
  • gametap

    Bushnell Defines "Pure, Unadulterated Trash" Gaming

    When Atari and Chuck E. Cheese founder Nolan Bushnell was recently interviewed, he lamented that the current crop of video games were competing in a "race to the bottom" and that they were "pure, unadulterated trash." The GameTap guys got in touch with Mr. Bushnell to find out what exactly was the root of his crankiness. Surely, not all games are pure, unadulterated trash. Nolan? "I have consistently been concerned about is sort of the repetition and the lack of innovation," he responded, later adding "as much as I applaud the beautiful, fantastic production guys of Halo 3, it's really Doom 1 in different clothing." More »
  • cheap gaming

    Clive Barker's Jericho On GameTap

    Clive Barker's Jericho is now available in stores everywhere, with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions running $59.99, with the PC version at $39.99...but don't buy it. Seriously, if you were going to purchase the PC version of Jericho, go to GameTap instead. If you aren't a member of the service you can sign up for the $.99 trial and download the game right away. If you are a member of the service...well there you go. You're just a download away. Honestly I don't know why Codemasters even bothered releasing the PC version on retail shelves. Oh wait, I know why. It's to sucker those of you reluctant to try GameTap into paying $40 for a game you can get for $1. Just trying to save PC gamers a bit of cash here. Seems downright unfair to console players, doesn't it?
  • digital delivery

    GameTap Nears 1000th Game

    Way back when GameTap was first announced via a series of viral websites, I was highly skeptical of the service, which at the time only had a handful of older titles that were easily available via other sources or not worth playing altogether. Since then the service has grown into a respectable game delivery platform worth of my $9.99 a month, and with games like Clive Barker's Jericho coming to the service for no charge to subscribers, it's an excellent time to be paying member. As of right now there are 989 titles available, and the company has now announced that November 15th will mark the 1000th game available on the service. They aren't telling what game that is, but they do hint that it will be from one of their publishing partners like Eidos, or Codemasters. Head over to GameTap's website and sign up today for only $.99 your first month. They've got Typing of the Dead, so it pretty much pays for itself. More »
  • gametap

    New Myst Online Episode Hits Tomorrow

    On Saturday GameTap is launching Deception, the newest episode in Myst Online: Uru Live. In this latest addition the D'ni Restoration Council continues its efforts to introduce a Guild system into the cavern, which includes new Guild pubs. Deception also forwards the plot of Phil Henderson who continues to spread information regarding the Bahro and their conflicts. More »
  • psychonauts

    Majesco Titles On GameTap

    Every week I am feeling a bit better about that $.99 GameTap free trial that I keep forgetting to cancel. Not only will they have Clive Barker's Jericho for the only price worth paying for it (free), but now they've signed a deal to provide Majesco games to lazy folk like me that never got around to stopping the service. If I had actually gone through with ending it only to have Psychonauts suddenly become available I would have kicked myself so hard. BloodRayne 1 & 2 and Jaws: Unleashed I could give or take, but mmmm Psychonauts.
    "Given the limited shelf space and relatively quick turn of titles at retail nowadays, we consider GameTap to be a valuable vehicle that can help extend the video game lifecycle," said Ken Gold, vice president of Marketing, Majesco.
    That's the truth. I've been using the service lately to fill in a few gaps in my gaming portfolio. If you haven't experienced the joy of Psychonauts, now would be an excellent time. More »
  • comic con 07

    The Gametap Yacht Party

    Friday night I had the good fortune to be invited to Gametap's Comic Con party which took place on a very nice yacht docked behind the San Diego Convention center. Gametap, of course, is the online game download service that works along the lines of XBLA or the Virtual Console except you pay a monthly fee and you can download any of their library of games at any time. Their booth at Comic Con featured some stations with the service plus a big push for their new project, ReVisioned which features popular game franchises re-imagined by various famous illustrators and animators. More »
  • perhaps wing commander too?

    Thief, Hitman Coming to GameTap

    The Game Sack has officially overflowed and sprung a leak on the GameTap forums. GameTap employee The RedEye let spill that four Hitman games will be coming to GameTap soon along with three Thief Games and two BloodRayne games. More »
  • mac gaming lol

    GameTap Coming Mac OS X

    Turner Broadcasting's subscription gaming service GameTap is coming to Intel-based Mac users on June 28th. The GameTap Lite service, an ad supported offshoot, will launch for Mac users near the end of the month, with the full-fledged, pay-to-play service arriving later in the summer. More »
  • gametappable

    GameTap's Latex Lara Clip (And Other Stuff)

    The folks at GameTap wanted to remind us that they've been working on a look back at the ten-year old Tomb Raider franchise, regularly releasing segments of the documentary online. Most importantly, they have video fo the multi-Lara Croft photoshoot that I posted yesterday. The full featurette featuring the five latex-clad Laras is scheduled to go live on June 5th, but you can get a sneak preview at the official GameTap site. It's an impressive show of models preening and posing in PVC and four inch heels and, at two minutes, plenty of time to get the job done. More »
  • gametap

    Big Changes for GameTap

    GameTap - Turner's broadband gaming network that scours the bargain bins so you don't have to - is undergoing some pretty massive changes, from offering newer, cheap-as-free subscription levels, ad-supported gaming, and a large digital distribution storefront for current release PC titles. More »
  • sega

    GameTap Lands Sega Saturn License

    Sega Saturn will be hitting Turner's GameTap PC service this Easter as a little Easter Egg, get it? More »
  • sam & max

    Sam & Max Coming To Wii, 360? Maybe Even PS3!

    Shacknews' Chris Remo caught up with Telltale Games CEO Dan Connors recently to talk about the episodic series Sam & Max. Now on its fourth chapter, the game may be hopping from the PC and the Gametap subscription service over to consoles. More »
  • sam and max

    Clip: Sam and Max Episode 4 Trailer

    The President has gone crazy, and only one man can take care of the problem, and that man is Sam and Max. Technically a dog and a rabbit...thing, but if you stack them, perhaps. Here is the trailer four episode 4 of Telltale Games' series, which launches February 22nd on GameTap. More »