Gametap's 'Gold Level' - 850 Titles for just $6.95 a Month

Don't worry, Turner Broadcasting's GameTap digital distribution is still offering premium paid membership; it's only been recently dubbed "Gold Level." However, "starting May 31 it's also introducing two tiers of free, ad-supported access in an effort to attract a broader audience," as Gamedaily.biz posts.

Pricing for the gold level will remain unchanged (that's still $9.95 per month, 99 cents the first month or $6.95 per month for committing to them for one whole year). But the premium gives gamers a larger amount of content: 850 games. That's eight hundred and fifty games. That's right boys and girls, all the games you'll ever play in a lifetime. Of course, they can't be just any games, but good ones too.

As the site says, "some of the first games under the new business model will include Metal Slug from SNK Playmore, Taito's Bust-A-Move and Space Invaders, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend from Eidos, as well as Midway titles Joust, Robotron: 2084, and Rampage," so you can make an idea of what GameTap's making available. The first game to be released through the program will be Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary, a superb remake of the original Tomb Raider game for the PlayStation and PC, developed by Eidos.

"This is the first new deal with a major game publisher that will enable GameTap to feature the hottest games of today and tomorrow for subscription play in the same windows as traditional retail outlets,"said Stuart Snyder, senior vice president and general manager of GameTap.

We'll keep our ears to the ground for more information on the games made available.