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GameTap Claims Uru, Sam and Max

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the feathers-in-their-cap dept.

ThPhox writes "Uru has returned. Uru was originally released three years ago, but was canceled while still in beta testing due to a lack of funding. Shortly after it was canceled, Cyanworlds released a patch for the single player game called Until Uru, which allowed players to play for a small fee, without any new content, on player run servers. Originally supported by Ubisoft, the new Uru Live is supported by Turner Broadcasting's Gametap service." Next Generation has the related news that GameTap will be offering the episodic Sam and Max titles from TellTale Games, when those are released.

36 comments

  1. "Released"? by hackwrench · · Score: 1

    If it died in beta would it be accurate to say that it had been released?

    1. Re:"Released"? by Harker · · Score: 2, Informative

      Assuming you're talking about Uru, then it was released. They cancelled the Online content, and released it as a single player, like all the other Myst games.

      The online part was pretty cool, since you could get help from other people to solve the puzzles in the areas you could group in. It's a boon for people like me who love the puzzles, but suck at them.

      H.

      --
      When VCR's are outlawed, only outlaws will have VCR's.
  2. Gametap eh? by GundamFan · · Score: 1

    So does anyone here use Gametap and if so what do you think of it?

    Is it any better than a video store or a Netflix style model?

    I have to admit I am curious but I am aprehensive of online content delivery subscription services.

    Thanks for your insight.

    --
    I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.
    Mark Twain
    1. Re:Gametap eh? by SScorpio · · Score: 1
      I haven't tried them yet, but they seem to have older games from a few years back. If your not looking into playing the newest games, it should work fairly well. They do offer a free two week trial if you want to give it a go.

      If you want to play the newest games, your best bet would be Gamefly which is like a video games Netflicks. Except they are console only.

    2. Re:Gametap eh? by dennisr · · Score: 3, Informative

      I just signed up and am very happy. The emulation is flawless, sound is perfect, my logitech rumblepad if fully supported. For ~$10 a month its a great deal. Even my wife uses it to play Dig Dug and Pac man. Most of the arcade and system games download in about a minute. I waited 45 minutes for Heros of Might and Magic III. Once it is downloaded it is cached on your system so you don't have to keep downloading it.

      Being able to play Kings Quest I and Zaxxon is too cool.

    3. Re:Gametap eh? by Postmaster+General · · Score: 2, Informative

      I tried to sign up for it, but it's available to only those within the US (for now, anyway.)

      So, if you don't live in the US, you're S.O.L. with trying it out.

    4. Re:Gametap eh? by bigbigbison · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I"m using it. THe service itself is fine and I've had no technical problems with the service or any of the games I've played on it. The problem, however, is that the selection of games is very console centric with tons of older games I've never heard of. For some, that may be interesting, but I'm not much of a console fan and if I've never heard of random side scroller #481, I'm not likely to want to play it. While there are some recent computer games on it(I played Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, and there is Splinter Cell), there are odd lapses such as not one FPS game. If they can get more companies to sign on, it will be a fine service.
      As for this original (non-game) content they talk about in the commercials, don't bother. It is mostly pretty lame and mainly just something they use to play while you wait for the game to download.

      --
      http://www.popularculturegaming.com -- my blog about the culture of videogame players
    5. Re:Gametap eh? by Joe+The+Dragon · · Score: 0

      does Heroes of Might and Magic III have both addons with it?

    6. Re:Gametap eh? by dennisr · · Score: 2, Informative

      Yes it does, it didn't indicate that before I started the download but was pleased to see it was the "Complete" version.

  3. Can I be the first to say? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That was wholesome.

  4. I think Sam said it best... by Landshark17 · · Score: 1

    Holy jumping weasel fritters on a hot cross bun!

    --
    This sig is false.
    1. Re:I think Sam said it best... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Holy jumping mother of god in a sidecar with chocolate jimmies and a lobster bib!

    2. Re:I think Sam said it best... by KDR_11k · · Score: 2, Funny

      Max, the smartass kid doesn't think we're scary. What do you think about that?

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
  5. I had it for awhile by porkThreeWays · · Score: 2, Informative

    I had it for awhile. It was pretty cool. Worth it if you've got a decent pipe to download the bigger games. It's really cheap for how many games you get. If you play games more than a few times a month it's worth it. Sadly, I don't have time and was using it twice a month at most. Otherwise I'd have kept it.

    --
    If an officer ever threatens to taze you, say you have a pacemaker.
  6. No Space Quest IV? by ereshiere · · Score: 1

    Why isn't SQ4 available? 1-3 and 5 are; 4 was by far the funniest and most fun.

  7. Sam and Max said it best.. by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 1

    [Sam hangs up the phone]
    Max: Another confused census taker?
    Sam: Actually, it was the Commissioner with another idiotic and baffling assignment.
    Max: Does it involve wanton destruction?
    Sam: We can only hope.

    --
    Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
  8. Anyone else have a problem with this? by Monkelectric · · Score: 1

    I am a HUGE Sam n Max fan (as well as most other lucas arts titles that aren't star wars). I don't want to *SUBSCRIBE* to a gaming service and pay to play Sam N Max? I want to pay $60, get a box and a CD and play it wherever and whenever I want. 15 Years later I still play the Monkey Island titles.

    --

    Religion is a gateway psychosis. -- Dave Foley

    1. Re:Anyone else have a problem with this? by StocDred · · Score: 2, Informative
      Follow the last story link and you'll find this:

      "The new Sam & Max titles, however, will not be exclusive to the service - consumers will also be able to purchase the episodes directly from developer TellTale game's website following their GameTap debut."

      Lucky for you, we're all with you on this. Except for the $60 part.

    2. Re:Anyone else have a problem with this? by WedgeTalon · · Score: 1

      You will also be able to get S&M straight from TellTale. Says so in the FAQ on their site.

  9. To anyone who doesn't get this joke... by Cryptnotic · · Score: 1

    There was no Space Quest 4. It was a joke related to the game that the creator felt like he was getting left behind by the King's Quest series (or something similar), so they skipped 4 and just released 5.

    --
    My other first post is car post.
    1. Re:To anyone who doesn't get this joke... by el+borak · · Score: 1

      Oh? So I've played (and have on my shelf) a nonexistant game?

      Freaky... Cue the Twilight Zone theme.

      --
      An imperfect plan executed violently is far superior to a perfect plan. -- George Patton
    2. Re:To anyone who doesn't get this joke... by WedgeTalon · · Score: 1

      Incorrect. There was indeed an SQ4 (which was the best). You're probably thinking of the Leisure Suit Larry series.

    3. Re:To anyone who doesn't get this joke... by nanoakron · · Score: 2, Informative

      Umm...you're talking about SQ4:Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers right? The game I played in my mid teens for many a night? It definitely does exist. However, the dreamed up sequels you could get to in the game don't.

      such as SQ10:The Latex Babes of Estros
      SQ12:Vohaul's Revenge

      and some others I can't quite recall.

      That was one cool game. I was actually heartbroken when I found the SQ line was cancelled.

  10. Not a joke--I'm serious by ereshiere · · Score: 1

    ? Sierra certainly did put out SQ4. It's called Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers. I got a hard drive in my Tandy 1000 RLX to play it.

    1. Re:Not a joke--I'm serious by IthnkImParanoid · · Score: 1

      From what I remember, SQ4 was a real bitch to get running, even more so than the usual from Sierra. I've actually tried to get it running on a modern PC (Win2K a couple years ago), and while I think I got it running eventually it wasn't very stable.

      Just the first thing I thought of.

      --
      It's nothing but crumpled porno and Ayn Rand.
    2. Re:Not a joke--I'm serious by ereshiere · · Score: 1

      Weird, Sierra games always ran well on my two Tandy 1000s, even from floppies. Great graphics and excellent sound across the board, particularly since this was pre-AdLib. Maybe this is why Sierra was always very well-represented at Radio Shack.

    3. Re:Not a joke--I'm serious by Cryptnotic · · Score: 1

      Try getting it to run on a modern PC running Windows XP. Good luck.

      --
      My other first post is car post.
  11. D'oh... by Cryptnotic · · Score: 1

    I guess you're right.

    --
    My other first post is car post.
    1. Re:D'oh... by WedgeTalon · · Score: 1

      So many great series... easy to meld them together now and then in one's head. ;)

  12. Any consideration for current owners? by RedMagus77 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I really am wondering if there will be any perks/free content for those of us who bought Uru when it first came out, were on the origional servers, and have bought all the contact/Until Uru activation. Or do we get a "thanks for the support" and a pet on the head?

  13. Uru, Sam and Max by 91degrees · · Score: 1

    Why are they adding a third character? Sam and Max work well together without breaking the dynamic. And what sort of a name is Uru?

    1. Re:Uru, Sam and Max by Stevecrox · · Score: 1

      Its pun of sorts Uru stands for You Are You, amoungst other things. I think it was done because Ubisoft shoved a offline version down Cyans through and then demanded it have Myst in the title. Cyans attempt at differentiating thier product.

    2. Re:Uru, Sam and Max by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, strictly speaking, the "you are you" bit is a sort of convenient side-effect of the game's name and how it applies to the "character" you play. The word is actually ancient Sumerian, and means "city" or "gathering". Cyan also uses it as a D'ni word for - IIRC - "deep".

      The ultimate and cruel irony of Live's original cancelation is that a game whose name effectively means "community" was relegated to a solo-play experience.

      - Alahmnat

  14. GameTap Might not Bomb After All by PaulMorel · · Score: 0
    With the list of games that GameTap original touted, I thought that the service had no chance of success. Yeah, the first few tomb raiders are worth a play, and the original Splinter Cell is pretty decent too. The sega genesis titles weren't bad either, but overall, the list of titles was quite underwhelming.

    To top it off, the only appeal of the service was nostalgia. In other words, only people who had played the games in their youth would really want to revisit them for a monthly fee. And the final piece to the puzzle is the fact that, for people who had played the games before (like me), playing through every worthwhile title would take at most one month. Hence, I thought that few people would pay $15/mo for one month's worth of content and GameTap would flop within a few months.

    With the addition of these two new titles, I see the service as much more appealing. The Sam and Max games were possibly the best LucasArts games ever, and for people already addicted to multiplayer online games, Uru has a lot of appeal just because it isn't a fantasy MMO or another FPS.

    Now I'm scared that I may have to give in to the call of GameTap.

    Who owns GameTap again? Is it Turner? I just want to make sure it isn't $ony (and the link is blocked for me at work).

    --
    burrocrisy
    and that would be what? Ruling by jackasses? Never has a slashdot misspelling been more apropos