Gametap is a digital download service that tries to mimic the cable TV model. Gametap does offer digital download titles for free and for purchases but I’ll cover them another time. Traditional Gametap is now Gametap Gold and its access via its client. It changed a lot since its launch in 2005. Initially it was just a bunch of old arcade and Atari 2600 games along with 10 year old pc games.

Its positives are:

Huge selection of games of quality games, almost 1000.
Easy to navigate interface
Gamer friendly community

Negatives:

Have to be online to play anything
A few select games are really difficult to get working
You don’t own any games.

After the client is installed, you just use your mouse, game pad, or keyboard to navigate to the game you wish to play. They are in different catalogs, by system, genre, alphabetical, and so on. After you click on it, you either sit through a short download or if it’s a longer wait, you can watch a video or select download in background. You can have up to 3 games downloading in the background.

I selected Serious Sam II. The download was around 2.5 gigs and it took 45 minutes to receive it. A play little button lights up and after selected, I was in the game. On XP, I played through the entire game and it was flawless. On Vista, I played through the first level and it ran fine on that OS as well.

The Gametap web site on the other hand. I installed Vista on my machine this week and I’ve spent the past few days re-downloading everything. I had an old version of the Gametap client install but it wasn’t Vista compatible. I went to the Gametap website and it wasn’t clear. Unlike 2 years ago, there was no “download the client to get started here!”  I kept running into the free player that offers select few games for non-subscribers. From the front page I had to click on “Browse all games”, the select “gold games”, then select a game, then select “download free Gametap player”, cancel that download, and then I could download the full client. Gametap really needs to work on that. Below is Gametap’s coming soon list.

New this week.
Penumbra Overture
Clockwork Knight
Emergency 3

10/11:

The Typing of the Dead
Wing Commander II
F-22 Lightning 3

10/18:

Maelstrom
Brian Lara Cricket 2007

10/23:

Clive Barker’s Jericho
Clans
Abomination (Best name for a bad xcom clone ever! Baron)

11/8:

Sam & Max Season Two Episode 1: Ice Station Santa

First Half 2008: