Angled Whiteboards

It’s been a milestone-rich week. With today’s launch of Sid Meier’s Civilization IV, we hit game number 1,000 on GameTap. One thoouuusand games (for the price of one!). If you’re having problems visualizing what that really looks like, try this amazing thing. Not bad for a service that launched with a little over 300 games two years ago, huh?

New games:

• Side Pocket
• Armored Warriors
• Sid Meier’s Civilization IV

New on GameTap TV:

• GameTap News: Rock Band
• Game Trailers: Sid Meier’s Civilization IV
• A Quick Hit: Street Drum Corps

Even this list of games is ever-growing:

• Free

Congrats to Xbox Live Arcade. They hit 100 games today!

[Related Playlist: 12000 points on XBLA]

We started this blog a year ago today. Back when GameTap.com was a place you went to subscribe (and nothing else), there were no forums (official OR unofficial — RIP GameTappers), there was no such thing as a day and date title, and we apparently had plenty of time to play leaderboard games.

It’s totally great to see that many of the folks who came around in the beginning are still around — in some cases running things here and there in GameTap-land. We have certainly enjoyed mixing it up with everyone. Know that your suggestions, questions, and ideas have helped us tremendously over the last year.

Here’s to an even bigger second year!

GameTap’s free games don’t get nearly enough love, but the guys over at Defunct Games are now doing a weekly article featuring what’s free to play on GameTap. And man, are they good. Each game gets a brief write-up, a link to a (sometimes) full review and recommendation on whether you should play it. While I can’t agree with all of them (Joust gets a “Probably Not”?), this is a weekly write-up you should not miss!

Sam & Max is back! Whoohoo! And remember how I was all minorly excited by the forced monitor adjustment walkthrough trend back when we released Penumbra Overture? Not to ruin anything — since I know how exciting everything post-Play button is going to be for Sam & Max fans — but this first episode ups the ante in the pre-game setup fun stakes. It’s an adventure all to itself!

[Oh, and everyone wish dinah a happy birthday. Today’s a big one for her: she’s legal!]

New games:

• Sam & Max: Season Two: Episode 1: Ice Station Santa
• Shadow Watch
• Virtua Fighter

New on GameTap TV:

• GameTap News: EA’s New Deal
• Retrospective: Hitman
• Artist to Watch: Kate Nash
• A Quick Hit: Bleed The Dream
• A Quick Hit: Funeral For a Friend

Some people prefer to play games that are:

• Free

What’s another name for pirate treasure? I think it’s booty.

I kept wanting to be professor hinty last week and say that our only desire regarding this week’s secret release Sid Meier’s Pirates! was that you do the right thing and not download it illegally. Dinah thought it was too obscure; I was worried it was too obvious. Either way, it’s out now!

New games:

• 688(I) Hunter/Killer
• Sid Meier’s Pirates!
  
• Shellshock: Nam ‘67

New on GameTap TV:

• GameTap News: Beowulf
• Game Trailers: Shellshock: Nam ‘67
• A Quick Hit: Fountains of Wayne

I’m done trying to get fancy. Tell your friends that we have games that are:

• Free