Where do games go when they get old? If Time Warner has anything to say about it, they’ll go to GameTap. Designed for broadband-equipped PCs, GameTap allows subscribers to download and play more than 300 games including console, arcade and PC games, on their computers.
GameTap launched in mid-October with 24 publishers onboard, including Ubisoft, Activision, Sierra, Namco and Sega. The service is constantly adding new titles.
Subscription is $14.95 a month, and the service has offered free trials.
Although not every game on GameTap is a hit, any gamer will be able to appreciate the service’s sheer variety. From the arcade version of “Pac-Man” to the classic PC turn-based strategy game “Heroes of Might and Magic IV” to the cult-classic adventure-platformer “Beyond Good & Evil.”
The GameTap is also filled with games from almost all Sega systems, including the Master System, Genesis, Dreamcast and even the ill-fated 32 X. The Sega games make up some of the best in the bunch.
The GameTap concept, however, isn’t new. It smacks of Sega Channel.
In winter of 1994, Sega introduced Sega Channel, a peripheral for the Sega Genesis that was ahead of its time. Sega Channel, a joint venture between Time Warner and Sega, allowed subscribers to download over 50 Sega Genesis games to their system via a special cartridge that hooked up to a regular phone line. The service was a hit among game lovers because it allowed them to play many great and hard-to-find Genesis games.
GameTap players are going to want to get a USB controller. It is possible to play the games with a keyboard, but for many of the games, a controller is necessary. There is a list of controllers that are supported on the site www.gametap.com.
The time it takes to download a game ranges from a few seconds to a few hours, depending on the game. Obviously, the Windows version of “Splinter Cell” is going to take longer than Genesis’ “Comix Zone.” Thankfully, GameTap doesn’t take up a lot of system resources when it downloads, meaning players should be able to surf the Web while GameTap downloads a large game.
GameTap has a lot of potential; it is an interesting and effective take on syndication and distribution.
Nintendo has announced that its upcoming console, currently dubbed Revolution, will offer a similar service that will provide access to on-demand Nintendo classics. If GameTap keeps growing, it will be an invaluable service for the casual or hard-core gamer who wants to take a trip down gaming’s memory lane.

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