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GameTap: Day One

August 16, 2006 By Glenn Turner

GameTap Logo

On paper it looks great: $9.95 a month and you can play over 600 classic (and recent) video games from a grand assortment of consoles and computers om your own desktop computer. But how great it sounds, I've been skeptical of GameTap ever since it was announced. I just couldn't get over the fact that it was the spawn of the Turner Broadcasting Company. Maybe it's because I have horrible memories of checking for merchandise at the messy Turner Online Store, or maybe it's just my natural cynicism.

Either way, on Saturday I put that all behind me and signed up for the two week demo, mostly because I really wanted to check out some earlier Tomb Raider games for an (at the time unpublished) article, as my game collection is surprising scant concerning that franchise.

First impressions of the service? I'm rather taken with it. I expected a junky client that I'd have to fight tooth-and-nail with in order to perform the simplest task. I expected to have gaudy, non-game oriented ads shoved down my throat the entire time. Instead I found a surprisingly engrossing and attractive client (although it did take awhile for it to download and set itself up). It was relatively easy to find what I wanted (at least once I adjusted to 'their method'), and the ads that they did have were all for their own services and content (although quite a few were non-game oriented, but mostly still appealing), and they were amusing.

After orienting myself with the interface, I quickly found a handful of Tomb Raider games and started the download process. While perusing the library, an ad popped up for something that looked very, very familiar - in fact it was for the Descent series, which excited me to a sickening degree. I'm spoiling a bit for you, drunksaling wise, but recently I found a copy of Descent: Freespace and was quite enthused about it, mostly because after Descent 2 I lost touch with the series. Seeing that GameTap's getting the entire series, especially Descent 3 which I've been dying to try for years, warmed my heart.

After that, I was still waiting for the Tomb Raider download to finish up so I checked out some of their TV offerings, which included a great clip from a Space Ghost: Coast-to-Coast where Mr. Ghost interviewed Richard Garriott. Shortly after that array of laughs I realized they have a number of Ultimas that I've been wanting to play all week, which caused me to bubble with excitement yet again.

And it basically went on like that for roughly an hour. I did have a few problems, such as one of the games repeatedly hanging, but I realize these things happen. Also, I wasn't able to get online with their AIM client for some reason. But apart from that, the experience was so much better than I expected that I can't help but be excited about my future prospects with 'em.

The real question is 'will I use this service enough to merit the $10 monthly charge?', especially when I have loads of classic games garnered from garage sales I've barely touched. And with the fall release schedule right around the corner, will it just collect dust on my hard drive? Well, there are two weeks (well, technically a week and a half now) left before I have to make that decision, and I'm sure I'll have a bit more to say about the service before my trial is over.

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10 comments for ‘GameTap: Day One’

#1 hobbie Aug 16, 2006 01:13pm

How exactly does it work? Do you keep the game on your pc after you cancel your service, or do the games require some form of authentication from Gametap to be playable?

#2 hobbie Aug 16, 2006 01:14pm

And Descent:Freespace and the add-on are great, possibly the best spaceflightsim ever.

#3 Glenn Turner Aug 17, 2006 10:14am

hobbie wrote:
How exactly does it work? Do you keep the game on your pc after you cancel your service, or do the games require some form of authentication from Gametap to be playable?

The games require GameTap authentication - specifically executing them through the GameTap client itself. As you're paying for a service, you don't get to keep the games after the service has been cancelled.

#4 Grimson Aug 17, 2006 11:57am

How easy is it to play games made for consoles, control-wise? Are you playing with mainly just a keyboard or do you have the option to use a third party controller with their setup?

#5 Glenn Turner Aug 17, 2006 12:18pm

Right now I'm playing with the keyboard, as I don't have a PC gamepad available. Controls vary from title to title, but they detail the control layout in the game's entry (a bit of a pain getting back to if you're playing in full-screen mode, but do-able). Unfortunately I haven't found a way to remap them (although perhaps I'm not looking hard enough), although I wouldn't be surprised if that wasn't an option. Having to custom map controls for each title might suck.

I'm looking at picking up a PC gamepad this weekend (it's about time I bought one anyway) so I'm sure I'll chime in with more info then.

#6 hobbie Aug 17, 2006 06:47pm

Here is a cheap MS Sidewinder, I saw it just the other day and was thinking about getting one myself.

#7 Wrestlevania Aug 18, 2006 01:54pm

G. Turner wrote:
I'm spoiling a bit for you, drunksaling wise, but recently I found a copy of Descent: Freespace and was quite enthused about it

One of my most beloved games; absolute belter. And that opening sequence is just sublime--gives me chills every time I see it, even now.

Not that it sounds like you'll do it, but; don't be tempted to skip the first game in favour of the sequel. The original Freespace has an expertly crafted learning curve - and story - which draws you in and builds you up smoothly and logically. By the time you reach the end of the game you're guaranteed to be a space dog-fighting uber menace. Which is, incidentally, exactly what you need to be right from the very first mission in the sequel. It's hard as nails and I'd hate to think playing that first would make anyone dismiss the original out of hand.

G. Turner wrote:
I'm looking at picking up a PC gamepad this weekend

You could do a lot worse than pick up a USB Xbox 360 pad for Windows. Had mine for a while now and, although there's seemingly no deadzone for either analogue stick, it plays brilliantly for pretty much everything I've thrown at it so far. Including emulators. Probably not optimum for Descent: Freespace though; you really need a 'proper' stick for that, something you can grab hold of and swing around, Top Gun-style. I played the game with a Microsoft SideWinder stick way back when and it was an awesome experience. It's a crying shame MS don't make PC gaming hardware anymore--it was usually fantastic. (Must remember to dig out my MS force feedback wheel and pedals - plus my Driver 2 disc - from the loft this weekend...) Something like a Saitek Cyborg might be worth a look though--heard very positive things about them as substantial replacements for the MS stuff.

#8 jt-3d Aug 18, 2006 11:38pm

It doesn't sound too bad. I don't agree with having to pay for the privilege of seeing commercials. Plus I wonder how long before they start showing sponcered commecials so they get by paid by the company to run them and by you to see them or is it just on the demo? Still, it sounds tempting.

#9 Glenn Turner Aug 20, 2006 02:25am

Wrestlevania wrote:
Not that it sounds like you'll do it, but; don't be tempted to skip the first game in favour of the sequel. The original Freespace has an expertly crafted learning curve - and story - which draws you in and builds you up smoothly and logically.

Are you talking about the sequel being Freespace 2 or Descent 3? I'm guessing the former, but just want to make sure. And does anyone know how Descent 3: Mercenary fits into this world?

Wrestlevania wrote:
G. Turner wrote:
I'm looking at picking up a PC gamepad this weekend

You could do a lot worse than pick up a USB Xbox 360 pad for Windows.

My only reluctance there is that I've heard pretty bad things about the 360 d-pad, although if it's decent enough for occasional emulation use (as in, for use with GameTap and so on) then I guess it'd be fine. I don't do much in the way of hardcore fighting games so dpad exactness is probably not all that big of a deal. Plus, it'll be something I can use with the 360 I'll inevitably buy in a year or so.

Thanks for the feedback y'all!

#10 Rex Warner Aug 28, 2006 02:48am

Little bit of a necrobump, but there's a solution for the 360 pad deadzone issue. With DX Tweak, you can set a deadzone for the analog sticks and triggers. I set a 5% deadzone with mine. No twitching.

Yeah, the d-pad is absolute trash. So I use the stick. It's not so bad, but when I need precision, I use one of those dime-a-dozen Interact USB PSX clone pads.