Turner Broadcasting System, the company behind CNN, has set the subscription rate for the fall debut of its GameTap broadband entertainment network at USD 14.95 per month. The company also announced that all subscribers will get a two-week trial period for unlimited access to the network.
The first network of its kind, GameTap allows subscribers to access the largest vault of games, ranging from the early arcades to console and PC titles, using a broadband-connected PC. The network will also feature original Turner programming.
The service could be described as the Phantom without the hardware although currently, any comparison with that particular gaming effort seems unfavorable.
Turner executives said that the rate 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.
GameTap's monthly subscription rate reflects the untapped value of stellar game titles whose launch lights have faded, said GameTap executives in an attempt to explain that the service will offer games some months after they launch. The service seems to hope that it will attract enough attention to convince users that it's worth the fee. The two free weeks will go a long way toward that end. In this competitive market however, it will be a big win for the company if they just manage to avoid the GameTrap nickname.
You can find additional details about the service by following the download tab above.