It has been a while since I first checked out the Gametap website. I just took another look and the list of games they have now is huge! Moreover importantly, the list of game memories is huge.
Ultima, Crystal Caverns, Scramble! Zaxxon, Zork. All the oldies from the Atari 2600, the arcade machines of the 1980's, the Apple II and more.
It is fun to browse through the game screen shots and zip down memory lane but is there a real business here? The service works on a monthly fee not a purchase-to-play model, but frankly, most of those old games suck compared to games today. Even free games you can play over the web are better in terms of graphics than full-size arcade games of 20 years ago.
So one can imagine that a lot of people sign up and play those old games for a while but then probably tire. The churn must be high and the interest to new gamers is probably pretty low. All the same, the idea of recycling old game IP is a stroke of brilliance which I think we will see more of from the console makers themselves next year.
It also sounds like Gametap themselves is aware of the limitations of a business based on tech-nostalgia so they are trying to get beyond their initial "retro" gaming brand by pushing out recent and new games. (Age of Wonders 2 is a game that I bought and played just two years ago.)
Expect sets Gametap to compete in the coming digital distribution game with Valve and Direct2Drive. And since they have the financial backing of Turner Broadcasting, expect them to be around for a while.
