As technology leads some video game players onto the newest wave of video game consoles, other gamers wonder what happens to games that get phased out in the transition from old consoles to newer ones. Where do classic video games go when they die?
In October, Turner launches its gaming Web site GameTap.com, officially giving older video games a home so that they don't die out when the consoles they were played on get replaced with newer consoles. Now, GameTap is looking to add even more content and console games to its list of over 300 games which can currently be played on the Web site, said vice president of content for GameTap Rick Sanchez.
Turner got the inspiration for the site from the business model movies follow.
"There is no post retail syndication opportunity for video games like there is for movies that go from the theatre to DVDs, or TV shows that go from a broadcast network to TBS," Sanchez said, "So we wanted to create a post retail channel similar to that of the movie industry so people can continue to enjoy these games."
Sanchez said the mission of the Web site is to provide a life-after-console death for classic video games.
"Our mission is to bring together as many of the best games of all time as possible from Beyond Good & Evil to Pong, and help our audience discover, or re-discover, timeless classics, cult sleepers, or current A list titles someone always wanted to play and never got around to," Sanchez said.
Gamers can have unlimited access to these games for a monthly fee of $14.95, said Sanchez.
GameTap currently has games from a variety of consoles and will be adding more soon, Sanchez said.
"We cover a wide range of platforms including 32 X, Arcade, Atari 2600, Commodore 64, DOS, Dreamcast, Game Gear, Genesis, Intellivision, Master System and Windows," Sanchez said, "And we're just getting started. We have more great things for GameTap lined up for this year like the launch of the Saturn platform on our system."
GameTap is unique from other Web sites because it is not an emulator. Emulators, such as Web sites like ConsoleClassix.com, take console games and copy or transfer them into a PC-playable form to be played online. GameTap has a relationship with all the publishers for its games so the games on the Web site are not copies, but the original versions of the console games which are played through a downloadable client.
Sanchez said, "You know how movies that have been shown on TV for years seem so much better when the DVD comes out in remastered glory? That's what we're trying to do with many of the games in our system. The original creators of the games get to tell us things like "the blue is the wrong shade" or "that box should be transparent" and we keep tweaking the way our games run until the publisher says we've got it just right."
GameTap is also looking to provide its subscribers with original video content. The site's MediaPlex offers varied video content.
"Besides GameTap's library of hundreds of the greatest games, the original programming features an exclusive mix of magazine, reality, and lifestyle shows, interviews with the who's who of gaming, celebrity features and all-new 'game trailers' for the GameTap service," Sanchez said.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
