GameTap offers a free taste of Game On Demand

Turner Broadcasting System, a Time Warner company, is offering gamers a sneak preview of its GameTap Games on Demand service with a free trial and reduced subscription fees.

The service is designed for PC gamers with a broadband connection, and will offer hundreds of titles from classic arcade hits to PC and popular console games - all in their original format.

Exclusive original programming is also planned for the official release of GameTap in autumn, featuring a mix of "magazine, reality, and lifestyle shows, interviews with the who's who of gaming, celebrity features, and all-new game trailers for the service."

Advanced Access registration is currently taking place for visitors to the GameTap website (www.gametap.com) and customers who sign up to now will receive a month's free trial and a discounted subscription rate of USD 9.95 per month until the end of the year. Standard subscription rates will be set at USD 14.95, which GameTap states is "comparable to that of other video entertainment subscription offerings, such as massively multiplayer online role-playing games that predominantly charge about USD 15 per month."

The titles available on GameTap's service are accessed by downloading client software, and selecting titles on an "all you can play" basis with support for keyboard and mouse control as well as most USB peripherals.

Industry observers have forecast substantial growth in digital distribution and broadband Games on Demand services, as online gaming becomes standard on both PC and next generation consoles.

The GameTap service will be officially launched in autumn. In addition to online registration, Advanced Access coupons will be available at select music concerts leading up to the Download Festival; a digital entertainment experience in San Francisco on 8th October. GameTap has stated that only a select number of applicants will be chosen each day for the Advanced Access membership offer.