GameTap secures Strategy First licensing deal

Turner Broadcasting's unique broadband gaming service is set for further expansion as the company secures a new licensing deal to provide game previews and trailers from developer and publisher, Strategy First.

The deal marks GameTap's debut into the game previews space, providing an additional service to its customers to compliment the existing portfolio of more than 1,200 fully licensed games from numerous major videogames publishers and its selection of exclusive videogame related programmes.

The terms of the deal ensure that GameTap customers will be able to preview full versions of Strategy First's upcoming titles prior to their retail release and GameTap will then be able to license the games for its service after the initial retail phase. Strategy First will also be providing access to its back catalogue of more than 40 titles.

GameTap general manager Stuart Snyder commented: "The GameTap audience will benefit from our relationship with Strategy First by being able to play these great new games first. By previewing these new games on our service, GameTap subscribers have access to brand new games, and publishers have another innovative promotional vehicle for new titles."

"We are thrilled to be the first publisher to share game previews and trailers with consumers who subscribe to the GameTap network," added Emanuel Wall, Strategy First product manager. "In addition to providing an outlet for building buzz around our upcoming games, GameTap provides the perfect home for our catalogue once it moves beyond the retail window."

Strategy First, a wholly owned subsidiary of Silverstar Holdings, was founded in 1990 and has built its reputation by providing independent developers with an opportunity to market their games to a worldwide audience. The company's award winning Disciples and Jagged Alliance series are both under continuing development, and the publisher has also secured a number of additional awards for several games, including Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns, Steel Beasts and Galactic Civilizations.

GameTap, developed and supported by Turner Broadcasting, is a unique broadband-only games-on-demand service, allowing players to securely download and install Turner-developed client software that acts as a gateway to the GameTap vault of more than 1,200 original gaming titles. New games and original programming are added to the vault each week, and the service supports navigation and gameplay using either keyboard and mouse, or a wide range of USB peripherals.