This is some pretty cool news. You know about the site Gametap? The site has tons of videogames from older consoles, PC games, etc. Basically it's a huge library of classic videogames that can be played online. Up until now, it cost $9.99/month for unlimited access to over 800 games. But starting at the end of this month, they are launching a free ad-supported model to their store. Basically you'll get to play games out of a smaller selection for free, with the cost of having some ads on the page. Sounds like many of the flash game websites out there already, except that these will be games you played as a kid (or always wanted to!).

While GameTap will still offer subscriptions, GameTap.com will expand from its current role as a portal to the GameTap client and will offer big-name classic games to play for free, all supported by the ads displayed on the page. The new site will launch on May 31 and will feature 30 games to begin, including titles like Metal Slug, Joust, and Rampage. These are titles that are being sold for premium prices on other consoles, so they may be able to draw the high number of people required to make this strategy profitable.

GameTap has also become the home of custom content like the new episodic Sam and Max game as well as Uru Live, and will continue along this path by offering newer titles like Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary to subscribers or for purchase directly from the GameTap site the same day it becomes available in normal retail channels. Imagine a Steam-like service where you can pay one monthly fee for access to all the games and add-ons available and you can see the promise of such a strategy.

The article also mentions that console competition is increasing as Nintendo and XBox have provided ways of purchasing and downloading older games and you get to play them on your TV with the controller. While I think that may have provided competition to Gametap's subscription model, nothing will beat the free, ad-supported model as long as it is profitable (i.e. someone's clicking on the ads). Here's hoping it works...I'd love to play some old school games again.