Angled Whiteboards

Sooooo, stuff starts happening today, and it’s cool. Why ’starts’? It’s May 31st and today we start rolling it all out. Begin by launching GameTap and upgrading it to the Deluxe Player. You’ll obviously need it to access today’s superfun batch of games. But the update also introduces a number of anticipated new game discovery features, enhanced search, publishable playlists, AND the handy new Lite Player. Plus, we migrate your saved games to be compatible with the new players.

We CAN’T WAIT to detail more of what’s new in the coming week(s), but right now we’re kinda crazy busy hooking up the hoses and tubes and whatnot. (In other words, don’t be shocked and bewildered if you hit a few broken links in the new gametap.com.)

Ultimately, the really important stuff? The lists below. And all of THAT is working just fine…

New games:

• Art of Fighting
• Metal Slug X
• Panzer Dragoon
• Metal Slug 2
• The King of Fighters ‘95
• Tomb Raider Legend

New on GameTap TV:

• Computer Lab: Boon & Tarbo (season three is here!)
• Confessions: Grand Theft Auto (first in a new series)
• Sealab 2021: Dearly Beloved Seed
• A Quick Hit: My Chemical Romance
• A Quick Hit: Tokyo Police Club
• GameTap News: Treasure Island Z
• Tapped In: SG-1000

The final countdown:

And speaking of the future, last night I did something in beta that was so cool, so currently impossible, and so not announced yet. Got me REALLY fired up about this whole thing.

Now go beat Pyramid Magic so you can quick beat Pyramid Magic 2 so you’re all set to spelunk some NEW tombs as Lara Croft next week.

New games:

• Besieger
• Championship Kendou
• Chip Shot: Super Pro Golf
• LEGO Chess
• Pyramid Magic 2
• Qix II: Tournament
• Space Harrier II

New on GameTap TV:

• GameTap News: Half-Life
• A Quick Hit: DragonForce
• Play This Game: Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
• Sealab 2021: Chalkboard Jungle

Until he morphed into a strategy guide.

[thanks, Josh!]

• Hyrulian Tri-force Shards
• Trifectas
• Triple Kills
• Hat Tricks

In sports and gaming, good things always happen in threes. So, what kind of gaming company would GameTap be without leveling up its IA staff to a Power Trio for Three Dot Oh?

All the wonderful things you’ve heard (and not yet heard) about 3.0 took an outstanding amount of thought and effort. So a little over a month ago, I joined the team to help make this dream happen. Needless to say, I’m unimaginably excited and honored to be a part of this endeavor!

I know 3.0 isn’t even here yet, but I’ll let slip there’s more exciting stuff coming from GameTap sooner than later this year. In fact, I’m heading up a wee bit of awesomeness that I really wish I could give you more to read about. There’ll be more to come on that and many other things in the following weeks and months.

So, until we meet again … howdy, I’m mixednut, and I bid you good day!

This weekend, the GameTap developers take on the beta testers in a challenge play smackdown! Why? May 31 is approaching like a fast train, and we’re giving that new release a real workout.

Question is, who will win? My vote? Tell ya on Monday.

This week, prepare your children to be positively BLASTED with math and reading. Especially if they fall within the ages of 5-7, 6-8, 7-9, or 9-12. Those 7 year-olds are SET.

Also today, the 10 Years of Lara Croft Tomb Raider GameTap Retrospective should be ready for the viewing. It’s good stuff. And it should get you pumped up for the end of this month and the beginning of June.

New games:

• Dr. Brain Action Reaction
• Interstate ‘82
• Frog Bog
• Jumpstart Languages
• Math Blaster Ages 5-7
• Math Blaster Ages 6-8
• Math Blaster Ages 7-9
• Reading Blaster Ages 5-7
• Reading Blaster Ages 6-8
• Reading Blaster Ages 9-12

New on GameTap TV:

• GameTap News: Touch the Dead
• GameTap Tracks: Megadeth
• A Quick Hit: Lily Allen
• Play this Game: Ghouls ‘N Ghosts