What we hear from GameTap, one of few subscriptions-based PC game distribution services in the Internet, is that the revitalized Interplay has agreed to a distribution scheme that would not only provide service to every corner of the world, but also blow it away. How so? GameTap's service offers a free-play option for most of their games. And guess what? Interplay and GameTap's agreement qualifies these games for free-play alongside the digital sale option. Full story. Now.

A recent report is hinting that Microsoft wants some of the industry's best people to work on its Gears of War sequel. One of their prime catches is among the cream of the crop in the gaming scene's free agent list. Find out who this former EA Chicago boss is when you read the full article.

If you still haven't had enough of everyone's favorite anthropomorphic dog and his "hyper-kinetic rabbity thing" sidekick, then Telltale Games is giving everyone a sneak peek into the upcoming second episode of Sam & Max Season Two, Sam & Max: Moai Better Blues. Expect more classic tongue-in-cheek humor, as well as the return of some wacky old characters.

Watch the slap happy gameplay video in the full article!

Some of you may remember the sadistic, but comedic, antics of the gumshoe duo of Sam and Max in the first season of the episodic series of games by Telltale Games. Six months later, the developers are back with an all new season of downloadable content with Sam & Max Season Two.

In an interview with the CEO and Co-Founder of Telltale Games, Dan Connors, Connors talks about the advantages of the episodic style of delivery that the new Sam & Max series has been known for.

Connors explains how he wanted gamers to view the new series similar to how people who catch a regular weekly program on the boob tube. With the relatively successful reception from the first season of downloadable episodic content from co-publisher GameTap.

The next season is scheduled to begin this November 8 and will run through all the way until May 8, 2008 with five episodes spread across that period. The first episode is entitled "Ice Station Santa" and was revealed to be a tribute to the upcoming holiday season. Rest assured, the new season will be as crazy and as satirical as the previous season was and more.

If you want to watch the entire video interview below, you know what to do. Enjoy!

In a recent interview with GameTap, Peter Moore stated his intentions to take Electronic Arts from an "American" brand to a global one. Although EA continues to be popular within the US and without, Moore feels that it doesn't "feel local" to the European and Asian market.

Moore, President of EA, also mentioned last week how EA Sports is looking at cricket as a sport, perhaps as a hint of more things to come to make the brand more global, or depending on your point of view, local to your country. As Moore explains:

I talked a lot [...] about cricket, tennis, mixed martial arts, open-wheel racing [...] all of which can make a difference in the way people perceive us. [...] We don't have that depth and penetration into the psyche of the European sports consumer. We need to change that, and we need to change that quickly.

The goal is to let consumers outside of the US to relate more to the games they play and not just feel like a "brand that has been exported." (Well, when in Rome, people say poh-tah-toh. Or is it the other way around?) At any rate, EA's recent acquisition of Bioware and Pandemic Studios should help broaden their horizons.

Check out the Read link for the full interview.

Everyone knows that a pilot season for a TV series is crucial for its survival. Success usually means that there will be a green light for a second season. That's exactly what's happening to episodic game Sam & Max by Telltale Games and GameTap as they announce the upcoming second season.

In its first run on the PC platform, Sam & Max won the hearts of critics with its cleverness and genre-busting presentation. With creative missions, weird humor and fun mechanics spread across several episodes, the game prospered and the demand for a second season became evident.

GameTap Vice President and Creative Director Ricardo Sanchez says "GameTap and Telltale successfully proved the idea that games can work in a TV show format."  He adds "The Sam & Max episodes continue to be among the top titles played at GameTap and we expect that Season Two will be an even bigger draw."

Season Two will have Sam and his partner Max visit areas previously unavailable in the game's first season. This includes the mysterious diner Stinky's which was unavailable throughout the initial season. It's hard to wait while imagining what's cooking in there.

Though the second season has been confirmed, there's no specific launch date revealed by the developers. We'll update you for more on this quirky prospect.

Turner Broadcasting System has finally debuted the New Lara Croft series "ReVisioned!" Every week starting today till August 23, GameTap.com will be hosting the new series for free.

 

Starring Minnie Driver as the voice of Lara Croft, "ReVisioned" is part of the 10th year anniversary celebration of the first Tomb Raider game. Various artists will be giving their own visions of our heroine, who include Jim Lee (Batman: Hush), Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan), Peter Chung (Aeon Flux), Gail Simone (Wonder Woman), Brian Pulido (Lady Death).

Michael Stackpole, Ivan Reis, Cully Hamner, Christos N. Gage, Louie Del Carmen, David Alvarez, and Six Point Harness are those lined up to provide their "ReVisioned" versions of Lady Croft. "Keys to the Kingdom" by Peter Chung is already up on the site.

Some of the artists will be attending the 2007 Comic-Con International in San Diego on July 28 to provide a forum and a behind-the-scenes look for fans. GameTap also pulled in special guests to sign autographs like Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada, Darwyn Cooke (The Spirit), and Kevin Eastman (co-creator, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.)

The first season will be ReVisioning Tomb Raider with each new season featuring different gaming series from GameTap. It would be cool to see Ryu and the gang from Street Fighter being rendered by different artists. Check out the Read link below for Lara's first adventure in ReVisioned!

Behold the new voice of Tomb Raider: Minnie Driver! The new "ReVisioned" series based on Tomb Raider's Lara Croft was launched by GameTap Retrospective in honor of the 10th anniversary of the release of the first game.  For more Lara Croft fun, the 10th Anniversary celebration will also release the Tomb Raider: Anniversary game on the PS2, Xbox 360 and the PlayStation Portable.

Seems like this delectable diva has been busy in the animation industry recently.  She also stars in the new Simpsons movie.  Probably the most spectacular demonstration of her voice was when she played Carlotta in The Phantom of the Opera, an even bigger diva than she is in real life.  She has experience in voicing an animated character from before: she played Brooke Shields in South Park and Lady Eboshi in Princess Mononoke so our favorite heroine will be safe in her hands (and microphone.)

"ReVisioned" will premier on July 10 on GameTap.com.  A new episode will appear every week through August 23.  And hey, it's free!

Fans of the Sam & Max webisodes are in for quite a treat. The dynamic detective duo are just about to blow off some steam Steam. Take a gander: all six episodes of the series are now available on Steam for US$ 8.95 each. If you get them before June 22, they'll even shave off 10% of the price.

Previously, the episodes were only available on GameTap, and now, they're expanding their viewership to other audiences online. Season 1 may have already ended, but things just might be heating up - Steaming up, if you will - for TellTale Games' Dog-and-Rabbit team.

What say you take that magnifying glass and head on over the Read link below.

For all the Lara Croft fans who haven't bought Tomb Raider: Anniversary, here's something you might like. GameTap, an online video game service, is offering the game as soon as its hard copy counterparts hit the stores.

The service also brings other perks to visitors like a "10 Years of Tomb Raider Retrospective" documentary (features profiles of the creators and everyone else involved in the series), an exclusive preview of ReVisioned: Tomb Raider by Peter Chung (an animated series), and free play of Tomb Raider: Anniversary. GameTap's partnership with Eidos Interactive also allowed for the company's subscribers to play the game when the clock struck midnight on release day (which is today). They also have an exclusive trailer of the game itself.

Tomb Raider: Anniversary is now available at GameTap for US$ 29.99.