For those who are not familiar with emulation, or would prefer to avoid the legalities of it all, Turner Broadcasting is working on what could be the perfect alternative to the trips to the seedy, Top 50 pop-up-laded emulation sites. I had an opportunity to spend two weeks with GameTap, the new on-demand gaming service that is currently in beta.
The line-up they have set up so far is surprisingly strong, with the Intellivision, Atari 2600, Sega MasterSystem, Sega Genesis, Sega Dreamcast, and Sega 32X all represented - Nintendo is sitting this one out, awaiting the launch of the Revolution and its own online catalog system. GameTap at this point is a very user-friendly experience. From a tube-like starting screen, you can choose to change your account information, enter the gaming section or launch the media center.
The media center is a gateway to the GameTap TV channel. There are, and are plans for more, interviews with developers, as well as shows created for the program, including one program in which friends square off over GameTap to settle rivalries. I even saw an old GameGear commercial, and it would certainly be something if they could show some more such slices of gaming nostalgia. The shows are decent, but currently too few to merit further comment.
The gaming section lets you browse for games by seeing a list picked by the GameTap staff, your own favorites, or by system. Once you find a game you want, you click on an icon and are given access to relevant information. There are instructions on how to play the game, a little info about the title itself, and also a ‘bonus material’ portion that contains background information on the developers, past releases (if it’s a sequel), and what was going on during the time of its release. Some of the stuff is thorough and some isn’t, but it's interesting enough to read while you're downloading the game. Another option is viewing more gaming videos (tips and tricks, trailers for other games, and animated shorts entitled ‘The Day in the Extra Life’ - cute shorts of gaming extras having conversations, such as two aliens in a UFO within Defender having a hard time understanding each other on account of blaster noise and two Pac-Man lives discussing the latest episode of The Sopranoes), or minimizing the thing entirely.
The games themselves run fairly well, including the Dreamcast titles (such as Ecco and Mr. Driller – Crazy Taxi had some flickering and framerate issues and was removed). PC games available include Zeus, Heroes of Might and Magic IV, SWAT 2, Rayman 2, and Beyond Good & Evil. The older games run pretty much perfectly, including Shinobi on the GameGear, as well as Shinobi 2, Comix Zone, and Sonic 2 on the Genesis. Other titles included releases from the Phantasy Star series, Eternal Champions, Kid Chameleon, Sonic & Knuckles, and Sonic Spinball. There were a considerable amount of titles in total, but there are no guarantees as to what will be included in the final line-up just yet.
The system allows for multiple players on the computer, and the option to chose the method of control is very simple. I ended up using a Thrustmaster Dual Power gamepad that was recognized immediately and ready to go. That really speaks to the strongest part of this service, the ease of use. If Turner Broadcasting continues to update the program, this could be a virtual library of games at the ready. Currently they still have some problems to work out, though. Dreamcast emulation needs to be refined, and there is as yet no way to control the resolution.
Maybe I just wasn’t expecting much from Turner Broadcasting, because when I heard of this I thought for sure they weren’t going to be able to make anything of it. As of now, I was wrong. For a service still in beta it is fairly robust with many of the features in place, and beyond that, many great ideas that are already being implemented. I’m not sure if people want to pay a monthly fee for old games, but the service can definitely find a niche with those who would rather conserve shelf space and not have to deal with random vendors to get their classic gaming fix. If Turner Broadcasting is able to provide newer PC titles, update older games to work in newer operating systems, and distribute rarer games (there is a Sam and Max title that runs perfect under Windows XP that was given as a pre-order bonus for Armed and Dangerous, for example), it could be worth the money.
Hopefully Turner Broadcasting will follow through, because they are off to a solid start. But, one thing: if we’re going all out on Sega, why not the Sega CD and the Sega Saturn? I’m down for a little Silpheed CD and Sega Rally.
More information: http://www.gametap.com
