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Gametap rox! Hands-on up, interview forthcoming.

M

Matlock

Banned
As mentioned before, I've been working on GameTap. And don't worry, most of your questions you posted in the "I've got an interview" thread got answered--that'll come out tomorrow.

But for now, you can click on over to the content side of Gaming-Age and find out all about it.

http://www.gaming-age.com/cgi-bin/specials/special.pl?spec=gametap&pagenum=1

Overall, in my few days of experiencing GameTap’s services, I can’t say I’m anything but pleased with the service. I had reservations about a ROM downloading service, but between the smooth graphic interface, the library of games that are immaculately emulated, and the amount of content and setup options available…all I can say is, this is the real deal.
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yay for internal affairs
 
Awesome article.

I signed up for it, and I got the E-mail inviting me to try it out ahead of schedule, but I couldn't do so because my PC hardware is so woefully behind the times that I couldn't even hope to use it. But, I'll probably get a new computer soon enough, and when that happens, I'll be sure to give it a try.

Hopefully they get games some of the other Atari systems on the service soon enough, as well as classic computer games from the 1980s!
 
Well, they do have six systems forthcoming. The only one to be annouced is the Saturn (no games announced yet)...

But lemme just tell you guys, you'll be very happy with where they're going to take this. Can't tell you anything, but man oh man when I heard it I was joyous.
 
Good article Matlock, nice to see people promote it. Hopefully you'll give us some hints in regards to the new platforms? ;)

I like their service and with the push of Turner I think they'll be rather succesful. I was in the beta trial and plan to sign up for the half off trial they have going. I just wish their online registration wasn't so ass-backwards in regards to invalid registrations.
 
ManaByte said:
So is it $15 a month flat, and that includes all the ROMs you want to download?
Click to expand...

Yes. Even the free trial gives you unlimited usage of the entire library--but again, like Napster this has a sort of DRM in it. Nothing big, it just auths with their server (takes like 10 seconds before loading a game from the gametap menu) to make sure it's legit.

http://www.gametap.com/home/game_titles/lists/by_title.html

Full list of games, by system.

TekunoRobby said:
I just wish their online registration wasn't so ass-backwards in regards to invalid registrations.
Click to expand...

Haven't experienced that, myself. Hrm.
 
I like the look of the service and the cost isn't bad at all, but the selection is too lacking for me to jump on it. If they can get a bigger selection of games then I think it will eventually be worth paying $15 a month for the service.

The cool thing about a service like this is the potential to bring the best games from systems that many people didn't own like 32X, Dreamcast, Jaguar, Saturn, Turbo Grafx 16, Sega CD, and others to the masses.
 
I'm just waiting for them to add a configure gamepad button option. Right now Gametap doesn't recognize the directional buttons on my DualShock 1. I can use Joytokey, and manually map the arrow keys to the buttons, but it's a hassle.

BTW, if any of you are Turner employees or participated in the beta, they're offering a smoking deal of 1 year subscription for $1. I originally wasn't going to sign back up for this after the beta (tons of bugs and crashes) but I couldn't refuse that deal. Plus, it seems most of the issues are gone now, though that could also be because I upgraded my system in the interim.
 
If it still works, use coupon code "powerup" to get first month free instead of two weeks and then first 3 months at $9.99 per month.

Edit: Just checked, it still works.
 
Matlock said:
Haven't experienced that, myself. Hrm.
Click to expand...
It wasn’t a serious issue; it just deals with the name registration. I tried to get my girlfriend's nephew to register so I'm walking him through the process over the phone and it gives him an error after filling out some information and trying to proceed to the next step. He tries to do it again and it tells him his SN is already taken, no problem we use another one. It goes fine and the site screws up on him again, so we give it another go. Unfortunately the same problem occurs, the SN is already registered.

I called up their customer support trying to figure out what is occurring (they were courteous and very helpful btw). What basically happened is that once that name is entered into the database during registration it gets locked until the website flushes out the unused names.

Third time was the charm, we get him registered no problem and he's enjoying the games with his new USB joystick. Its not a major issue just a minor inconvenience.
 
Wow. UbiSoft went overboard with the content they allowed them to put on. Most of the companies that are on that list have mostly old games but UbiSoft has Splinter Cell and Beyond Good & Evil up there. Not bad.
 
Holy shit. Gametap is worth it right now if only just for the awesome PC games they have listed. Seriously:

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell®: Pandora Tomorrow™
Commandos 3: Destination Berlin
Police Quest: SWAT® 2
Warlords Battlecry II™
Lock On™: Modern Air Combat
Heroes of Might and Magic IV®
MOTHERFUCKING Conquest: Frontier Wars™
Beyond Good & Evil™


Seriously. That's worth a month or two of subscription.
 
I am enjoying the commercials on TV for this, they don't really do anything to promote what the service actually is but are interesting.
 
TekunoRobby said:
*words*
Click to expand...

Ah, good to know--I was about to ask them about that if it was a major issue and possibly make note of it in the GA feature.

Thankfully it's something small, and you got it through a-ok.
 
The only thing I dont like about this service is that if you give up your subscription you cant play the games you downloaded due to the flat fee per month. Too bad they didnt let you buy each rom individual at a low price. I think this is too much money to play games I can never keep.
 
Will these games be playable online?
 
So is the PS3 the only platform NOT getting a "download old games" thing? Computers, Xbox, and Revolution all seem to be getting it...
 
DavidDayton said:
So is the PS3 the only platform NOT getting a "download old games" thing? Computers, Xbox, and Revolution all seem to be getting it...
Click to expand...

thats a good question.. will Sony drop the ball? stay tuned..
 
"The only thing I dont like about this service is that if you give up your subscription you cant play the games you downloaded due to the flat fee per month. Too bad they didnt let you buy each rom individual at a low price. I think this is too much money to play games I can never keep."

Er, as long as you're subscribed, you are "keeping" them. 15 bucks a month for everything they're giving you is a bit of a steal, considering I've payed over 30 for several of those titles.

"Will these games be playable online?"

The ones that support it, probably (the PC games).
 
Matlock said:
Well, they do have six systems forthcoming. The only one to be annouced is the Saturn (no games announced yet)...

But lemme just tell you guys, you'll be very happy with where they're going to take this. Can't tell you anything, but man oh man when I heard it I was joyous.
Click to expand...

So they'll have an additional six systems that the service will be compatible with? Or does that figure include bulking up the libraries of systems already on that list like DC for example with it's whopping two whole games?

Not bad for the money but I'd rather own the content that I want and not get hit monthly for $15. Still that's reasonable enough compared to the prices for games on Steam, XBLA, and most likely the Rev's VC. However the service that will come out on top will be the one that has the most desirable content, with the best features like online play, enhancements, and new content for classics. I assume questions like that and the exclusivity of this content will be addressed in your interview? If they beef up the content this service definately has an edge over it's competition and is a good value especially with so much room for improvement and a plan in place to do so.
 
vesuvious said:
The only thing I dont like about this service is that if you give up your subscription you cant play the games you downloaded due to the flat fee per month. Too bad they didnt let you buy each rom individual at a low price. I think this is too much money to play games I can never keep.
Click to expand...
I asked them about this in the interview, and they said they weren't interested in making a store, but rather an unlimited rental service of sorts.


isamu said:
Will these games be playable online?
Click to expand...

Read:
Moreso, there are some surprises in wait, with six more systems to be introduced, new games every week, and online play—to mention a few.
Click to expand...
:)


so what emulators does this use?
I mean how accurate are they
Click to expand...
The only one I remember right now is DCX Dreamcast Emulator. Pretty much, they hired on a lot of emulation coders...now think of the best guys working on emulators as a full-time job instead of a pet project on the side. It's beautiful stuff.


D3VI0US said:
So they'll have an additional six systems that the service will be compatible with? Or does that figure include bulking up the libraries of systems already on that list like DC for example with it's whopping two whole games?

I assume questions like that and the exclusivity of this content will be addressed in your interview? If they beef up the content this service definately has an edge over it's competition and is a good value especially with so much room for improvement and a plan in place to do so.
Click to expand...
They're promising weekly expansions to the library, and have a lot of great things in store--stuff that will not only please the casuals, but the guys here as well. The thing that slows the process is that it's all a game-by-game basis: whether it be propietary code, some music, an image, a copyright notice, anything really--it has to be okayed. And for most everything but new PC games that have great documentation on these kinds of things, that's kinda tough.


genjiZERO said:
yeah this looks like an awesome idea, but $15 recurrent a month is a bit too expensive.
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On one hand, you could buy maybe one GH game a month or play a MMORPG for a month. On the other, you could get a gigantic library of games with unlimited usage. Although I'd rather have something like $10 or so, you have to realize that this is pretty much on par with the cost for MMO's and rental services.
 
Well obviously they have to make deals with each publisher on a game by game basis and then get it working with the service and up to some standard I'm sure. However can 3rd party Nintendo console games ever be emulated on the service or are there legal barriers in place that prevent them from doing so given that it's Nintendo's hardware? I would think there would be some kind of workaround but I don't really know. If you addressed this in your interview as I briefly skimmed and don't remember the content of that thread then feel free to ignore it and I'll just catch the answer there.
 
Depends on whether Nintendo wants to let 'em or not, because like I said--it's all about getting the rights from everyone. On the other half, GameTap's not looking for exclusivity, just to have a huge library.
 
Matlock said:
Depends on whether Nintendo wants to let 'em or not, because like I said--it's all about getting the rights from everyone. On the other half, GameTap's not looking for exclusivity, just to have a huge library.
Click to expand...

I would assume the same goes for PSX games and such. Still wouldn't a plausible workaround be just getting said NES games up and running on the PC or something like that? The classic Ninja Gaiden games were included in the Xbox version for example with no permission from Nintendo and with no association with Nintendo hardware other than that was the original platform. So using that as a precedent I'm sure there's a way for these companies to get NES games on Game Tap if they so desire, I was just hoping for a more definitive answer. Afterall in the end the publishers still own the content regardless of platform. I'm just not sure how it would happen and what's stopping it if anything substantial. That would be a huge plus for the service if that hurdle could be eliminated, if anyone can shed light on the matter I would appreciate it.
 
Eh... Gametap's been alright.

The Genesis emulation could be better on my end; extremely minor sound issues make me prefer Gens.

Also, the Dreamcast games don't work, which is why I signed up for the trial. It's a pity, too, because I can see it running amazingly smooth beneath the display-through-a-paper-shredder.
 
I had problems with the dreamcast games on my old box (2.4ghz intel, 9700 pro), but my new hardware runs them great (3.4ghz intel, X800XT-PE). You just need to throw more mhz at it.

It is a shame they only have 2 DC games currently online.

I'm wondering what these other 6 systems will be. PSX, Atari 5200 & 7800, Wonderswan, Neo-Geo? I'm sure Sega CD will be one.
 
beermonkey@tehbias said:
By the time Revolution comes out, everybody will think that Nintendo stole this download game thing from Gametap. :(
Click to expand...

Why is there always a stupid Nintendo fan posting in every game download service thread with their company centric bullshit comments? They're completely insignificant and irrlevant especially since Gamespy, Yahoo, Comcast, MSN, Steam, the original XBL Arcade and plenty of other fuckers had game download before Nintendo even said anything about Virtual Console. I think they should worry less about the percieved ownership and originality of this idea and worry more about the content they will be getting compared to what everyone else has to offer. From what I can tell so far it'll be a first party Nintendo circle jerk with all other content severly lacking but that's just based on the lack of information we have now. Why don't you chumps worry more about Nintendo's current perception instead of their future one? You know the perception that their console sucks huge amounts of ass!
 
D3VI0US said:
I would assume the same goes for PSX games and such. Still wouldn't a plausible workaround be just getting said NES games up and running on the PC or something like that? The classic Ninja Gaiden games were included in the Xbox version for example with no permission from Nintendo and with no association with Nintendo hardware other than that was the original platform.
Click to expand...

You're a bit mistaken--to emulate the hardware (which Ninja Gaiden did!) Tecmo had to have dealt with Nintendo at some point. If not, trust me, the legal dogs would be barking.

Tain said:
Eh... Gametap's been alright.

The Genesis emulation could be better on my end; extremely minor sound issues make me prefer Gens.

Also, the Dreamcast games don't work, which is why I signed up for the trial. It's a pity, too, because I can see it running amazingly smooth beneath the display-through-a-paper-shredder.
Click to expand...

Strange. Although I have a fairly powerful laptop (3ghz, 512mb ram, mobility 9200 vidcard), it's not too out there in terms of power...especially on the vidcard side.

filthy said:
I'm wondering what these other 6 systems will be.
Click to expand...

Saturn was announced at E3, but shuffled to the back recently. Sega CD almost seems too obvious, but no word on it. So that leaves four or five systems left.
 
Matlock said:
But lemme just tell you guys, you'll be very happy with where they're going to take this. Can't tell you anything, but man oh man when I heard it I was joyous.
Click to expand...
XBox Live?!

Re: NES emulation. If the NES hardware operations are public domain (see: that company making neato modern NESs), it logically follows that emulators are as well.
 
Strange. Although I have a fairly powerful laptop (3ghz, 512mb ram, mobility 9200 vidcard), it's not too out there in terms of power...especially on the vidcard side.
Click to expand...

The game seems to perform well on both my laptop and desktop, I just can't see shit.

The worst part of it all is that I'm nearly positive that if I could run it in a window or something, it'd work fine as a temporary fix. Or perhaps change Gametap's resolution. I can't find any options for that, though.
 
I'd literally never heard of this until the thread you posted asking for questions to ask these Gametap people. It seems like a nice service. Is there anything on there that'd be particularly awesome for RPG lovers? Can anyone throw up 5 or 6 titles that'd make me drool?
 
Matlock said:
You're a bit mistaken--to emulate the hardware (which Ninja Gaiden did!) Tecmo had to have dealt with Nintendo at some point. If not, trust me, the legal dogs would be barking.
Click to expand...

I dunno about all that cheif, it's implementation dependant and it's possible they ported the game to Xbox as opposed to emulating it. I never unlocked the classics in Ninja Gaiden cause I heard they were the SNES versions which were uber crappy compared to the originals. Still I just don't see them getting caught up in any legal battles or ponying up anything to Nintendo to include the classics as extras for a AAA game like Ninja Gaiden on Xbox. I also don't see Nintendo letting them just add that feature to an Xbox game if they're entitled to anything. It may just be a matter as simple as porting the game to Windows but I don't find your answer about Ninja Gaiden to be conclusive and even if it is there still must be some loophole for the hardware barrier but it may take considerable effort. I'm just trying to ascertain the limits of the potential of this service.
 
I think that emulating or cloning the NES/Famicom is legal at this point. I could be wrong. Isn't there a very visible hardware clone getting released this year (with no illegal games included)?
 
Tain said:
The game seems to perform well on both my laptop and desktop, I just can't see shit.

The worst part of it all is that I'm nearly positive that if I could run it in a window or something, it'd work fine as a temporary fix. Or perhaps change Gametap's resolution. I can't find any options for that, though.
Click to expand...
It could be a driver issue. Try updating to the latest of whatever flavor you own.

Gametap had a testing executable that was able to run in a window. I doubt that it will be released to production, though.

keeblerdrow said:
Is there anything on there that'd be particularly awesome for RPG lovers?
Click to expand...
So far, they've got Phantasy Star 1 and 2 up, and I'd expect 3 and 4 to follow. Beyond Oasis, Landstalker, Shining in the Darkness for Action RPG fans. For Strategy RPG's, Shining Force is on there, HOMM 4, and some others.

Basically, they'll have everything from 16bit Sega you'll ever need.
 
keeblerdrow said:
I'd literally never heard of this until the thread you posted asking for questions to ask these Gametap people. It seems like a nice service. Is there anything on there that'd be particularly awesome for RPG lovers? Can anyone throw up 5 or 6 titles that'd make me drool?
Click to expand...

To piggyback on what was already said, with Dreamcast and Saturn support either up or coming, it'll be surprising to see some of the most talked about RPG's of those systems not come out on GameTap.
 
Matlock said:
To piggyback on what was already said, with Dreamcast and Saturn support either up or coming, it'll be surprising to see some of the most talked about RPG's of those systems not come out on GameTap.
Click to expand...
= Panzer Dragoon Saga, I take it.

Alright, they've got my money.
 
Why is there always a stupid Nintendo fan posting in every game download service thread with their company centric bullshit comments? They're completely insignificant and irrlevant especially since Gamespy, Yahoo, Comcast, MSN, Steam, the original XBL Arcade and plenty of other fuckers had game download before Nintendo even said anything about Virtual Console. I think they should worry less about the percieved ownership and originality of this idea and worry more about the content they will be getting compared to what everyone else has to offer. From what I can tell so far it'll be a first party Nintendo circle jerk with all other content severly lacking but that's just based on the lack of information we have now. Why don't you chumps worry more about Nintendo's current perception instead of their future one? You know the perception that their console sucks huge amounts of ass!
Click to expand...

Dude, I was joking and making fun of those people.

But thanks for the angry tirade. I got a good laugh out of it. :lol

angry_all_the_time.jpg


FYI, despite the whole irony thing regarding how people bashed the Phantom, I actually do support what Gametap is doing. It seems like a well-implemented take on the concept.
 
Matlock said:
I asked them about this in the interview, and they said they weren't interested in making a store, but rather an unlimited rental service of sorts.




Read:
***************************************
Moreso, there are some surprises in wait, with six more systems to be introduced, new games every week, and online play—to mention a few.
****************************************

:)


The only one I remember right now is DCX Dreamcast Emulator. Pretty much, they hired on a lot of emulation coders...now think of the best guys working on emulators as a full-time job instead of a pet project on the side. It's beautiful stuff.
Click to expand...


HOLY FUCKING SHIT ON TEN MILLION PISSPOPS!!!!!!!!! MATLOCK I LOVE YOU LONG FUCKING TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ONLINE PLAY *AAAAAND* A CREAMCAST EMU?????

Daytona USA 2001 ON MY PC AND WITH ONLINE PLAY?????????????????

*creams boxers and then hangs them out to dry.......they won't dry so put's them on again and creams them again*
 
Emulation is legal, it's protected under that reverse engineering law. As long as it doesn't use stuff like the BIOS roms or other copyrighted material.
 
isamu said:
Daytona USA 2001 ON MY PC AND WITH ONLINE PLAY?????????????????
Click to expand...

That one might be tough for licensing, as EA's got the NASCAR/Daytona exclusivity--much like how games like X-Men concievably not make it to the service.
 
Even though console emulation has been available for a long time on PC, I'm really interested to see where they're going with this. For one thing it's great to just have real, legal, support, and for such a wide range of platforms; hopefully the programmers getting a paying gig will finally lead to solid Saturn and Dreamcast emus, which would be great. I also like the on-demand subscription model more than the pay-per-d/l model, especially for a classic game/emulation service...
 
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