GameTap Launches Three Highly-Anticipated Game Exclusives at A Special Holiday Price

Episode 2 of the New Sam & Max Series Debuts, Myst Online: Uru Live Launches an all-new Living Story in its Final Beta Phase, and 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures Makes its World Premiere 


ATLANTA, Dec. 20  /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for the holidays, GameTap, the first-of-its-kind broadband entertainment network from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.), today released three brand new games available only to subscribers of the network.  The highly-anticipated offerings include the premiere of  "Sam & Max Episode 2 - Situation Comedy," the worldwide exclusive launch of Sierra Online's "3D Ultra(TM) Minigolf Adventures," and a first look at the final phase of the "Myst Online: Uru Live" beta, which allows subscribers to experience the game's all-new living storyline.  Sign up today - or give the gift of GameTap to your favorite gamer - and you'll get the first month of service for only 99 cents.

"While gamers struggle to find expensive new consoles, GameTap offers top- flight new titles for the platform they already own: the broadband-connected PC," said David Reid, GameTap's VP of Marketing. "And with three hot new exclusive games to play over the holidays, GameTap's 99 cents offer becomes an exciting invitation to the network that gamers can't afford to refuse."

  The Games:

  * With today's premiere of "Sam & Max Episode 2 - Situation: Comedy,"
    GameTap subscribers are once again the first to experience the new
    adventures of Sam & Max.  Just weeks after the first episode, "Culture
    Shock," was listed as one of the 10 best games of 2006 by the New York
    Times, the hilarious pair picks things up right where they left off in
    this new installment.  GameTap currently features the first two episodes
    of Season 1. Additionally, new episodes of the 1997 Sam & Max hit
    cartoon series and all-new Sam & Max machinima shorts are released on a
    weekly basis on GameTap TV.

  * "3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures" is joining GameTap's first-run lineup for
    an exclusive premiere.  Players will tee off and putt their way through
    36 fun-filled holes of minigolf on 3-D designed courses with elevated
    greens, bunkers, bridges and water hazards, and other crazy obstacles.
    They can also choose from four stylish animated characters and an array
    of different environments that include the Classic Carnival, Old Western
    Ghost Town, and Outer Space.

  * For years, fans have been waiting to play Uru Live as it was originally
    envisioned, and now that wait is finally over. Subscribers can log into
    GameTap for exclusive access to the final phase of the "Myst Online: Uru
    Live" beta test. This massively multiplayer online game redefines the
    genre with its constantly evolving, player-driven plotlines and its
    exploration and puzzle-based gameplay.



"The GameTap Original label is moving fast and becoming an established place to showcase independent and episodic games," said Ricardo Sanchez, GameTap's VP of Content. "We're bringing new content to the table that gamers can't get anywhere else, and we're doing so at prices unparalleled in the industry right now."

In addition to this first-class array of exclusive and original content, GameTap gives subscribers unlimited access to more than 750 games at any time, along with over 600 original TV shows and videos that cater to fans of the video game lifestyle.  To take advantage of the special holiday offer, visit http://www.gametap.com/, where you'll pay just 99 cents for your first month of access to the greatest library of games on-demand.  It's the perfect time to sign up or buy a gift card for a friend.

About Vivendi Games and Sierra Online

Vivendi Games (http://www.vivendigames.com/) is a global developer, publisher and distributor of multi-platform interactive entertainment. The company is the leader in the subscription-based massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPG) category, holds leading positions in the PC, console, handheld and mobile games markets, and is an emerging player in casual online games. Vivendi Games' two principal studios and publishing labels include Blizzard Entertainment, headquartered in Irvine, CA, the creator of World of Warcraft(R), Diablo(R), StarCraft(R), and Warcraft(R); and Sierra Entertainment, headquartered in Los Angeles, which includes Radical Entertainment, Swordfish Studios, High Moon Studios, and Massive Entertainment. Sierra's IPs include Crash Bandicoot(R), Spyro The Dragon(R), Empire Earth(R), SWAT(R), Darkwatch(TM), TimeShift(TM), Ground Control(R) and Leisure Suit Larry(R). Vivendi Games is also home to Vivendi Games Mobile, publishing games for the mobile market, and Sierra Online, dedicated to publishing casual games for online play and distribution on all platforms. Vivendi Games maintains strategic relationships with industry leading content partners, including Universal Music Group, NBC Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, and Ludlum Entertainment. The company has 16 offices around the world conducting business in 75 countries.

About Cyan Worlds, Inc.

Cyan Worlds, Inc., located in Spokane, WA, is best known for Myst and Riven, which received numerous awards, critical acclaim and broad popularity. Cyan has been designing and building immersive interactive worlds since 1987. They currently employ over 40 designers, programmers and artists. For more information about Cyan Worlds, visit http://www.cyanworlds.com/.

About Sam & Max

Steve Purcell published "Monkeys Violating the Heavenly Temple" as his first Sam & Max comic in 1987. Sam & Max solved assorted crimes and mysteries as "Freelance Police" in their sturdy 1960 Black and White De Soto Adventurer from their home base in New York City. After a series of follow-up comic books, Purcell worked with a team at LucasArts to create the critically acclaimed "Sam & Max Hit the Road" adventure game in 1993. The dog and bunny duo moved to television, in an award-winning animated series in 1997 and are now appearing in an all-new webcomic series at http://www.samandmaxcomics.com/.

About Telltale

Telltale delivers Tales for Your Imagination - high caliber interactive entertainment which features engaging stories, strong characters, and rich environments. A new era of interactive entertainment is emerging, with customers expecting more from their investment in play time. Telltale is developing and deploying cinematic quality animation and storytelling technologies, to create entertaining and exciting interactive adventures which meet these new expectations. Staffed with long time industry veterans, Telltale creates tales based on Jeff Smith's Bone series, Steve Purcell's Sam & Max characters and television's popular CSI program in partnership with Ubisoft. Telltale offers content development and custom publishing services for license-holders interested in adapting their properties for interactive delivery. Telltale has created innovative tools, designed specifically for rapid development of high quality, space-efficient titles for digital distribution. Telltale titles can be downloaded from its website, as well as online partners such as Yahoo! Games, Direct-to-Drive, Trymedia Systems, Boonty, and CNET. To learn more about Telltale, please visit http://www.telltalegames.com/.

About GameTap

GameTap is the leader in digital game distribution and broadband entertainment. Launched by Turner Broadcasting in 2005, it now delivers more than 750 authentic versions of the greatest console, computer and arcade games on demand, including original and exclusive episodic properties. In addition to games for every age and interest, GameTap offers more than 600 original entertainment programs, popular video streams and thriving virtual communities to broadband-connected PCs. Continually updated with new games, programs and features, GameTap is a downloadable application that supports navigation and game play using keyboard and mouse, as well as most USB peripherals.  Go to http://www.gametap.com/ and expand your playground.

About Turner

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.), a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment products around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry. 

DATASOURCE: GameTap



CONTACT:  Clint Bagley of Access Communications for GameTap,

[phone], or ; or Misty Skedgell of TBS, Inc.,

[phone], or  



Web site:  http://www.gametap.com/

http://www.turner.com/

http://www.vivendigames.com/

http://www.cyanworlds.com/

http://www.samandmaxcomics.com/

http://www.telltalegames.com/ 

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