Verizon to offer GameTap-esque service in the Northeast starting this summer

by Ben Gilbert { Jun 15th 2009 at 3:45PM }

Announced today and starting "this summer," Verizon will be offering "more than 1,400" PC games through its broadband service, for $9.99 per month. The service boasts a variety of games, ranging from Bejeweled to Splinter Cell, allowing customers to play the games over an internet connection or download the games directly to their computers -- provided the computer is connected to the internet, that is, presumably for license verification.

For now, the service is only going to be offered in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York, with no word on when other areas will be able to sign up. Between OnLive, Steam, GameTap, and now this, that digital download future we're all expecting seems to be more feasible every day. We've contacted Verizon for more information on the service and will update you accordingly as more news comes in.

Tags: broadband, digital-distribution, digital-download, gametap, northeast, onlive, steam, verizon

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Bradwart @ Jun 15th 2009 4:00PM

not gonna lie-Verizon sucks. This doesn't change that.

Caveman @ Jun 16th 2009 12:00AM

I have Verizon FiOS. 20mb downstream, 5mb upstream. Plus a grip load of HD channels, more than what Time Warner offered, with a Mulitroom DVR that totally rocks. The picture quality is better than DirecTV, plus I get HD-VOD too.

But Verizon internet service is the best in the country, I tax the hell out of mine everyday with 3 desktops, a laptop, 2 iphones and my Xbox 360. Speeds are ALWAYS consistent.

Verizon Wireless is a sister company and only a little over half own by Verizon. I can also tell you that Verizon wireless is 1000 times better than AT&T atleast that's my experience in southern California.

Drew @ Jun 17th 2009 4:17PM

Verizon - so great, a caveman can love it.

Christian @ Jun 15th 2009 4:01PM

I wonder if they will have shitty annual plans and hidden fees. Fuck verizon, and my crappy verizon phone.

Bradwart @ Jun 15th 2009 4:02PM

Yes. Ever since Verizon purchased Alltel, Alltel's network has gone down the toilet faster than the Great Mighty Poo.

Storm Eagle @ Jun 15th 2009 4:09PM

Verizon does indeed bite the big one. I had them for 2 months and I think the connection worked 3 out of the 7 days of the week.

Professor Lario @ Jun 15th 2009 4:15PM

Weirdest headline of the day...

Steven M @ Jun 15th 2009 4:16PM

Why all the verizon hating??? Ya its a bit more expensive, but the network is a hell of a lot more reliable and covers a lot more area than at&t

cknblade @ Jun 15th 2009 6:51PM

Yeah, speaking from New York, Verizon is the best major phone service here, far better than my AT&T ridden iPhone buddies.

NaeemTHM @ Jun 15th 2009 4:20PM

Wow I see a lot of Verizon hate going on here. I had them for about 4 years and absolutely LOVED the reception on their phones. Shame their actual phones suck ass.

I jumped to Cingular and was pleasantly surprised at what a great cell phone company it was. That was of course before they got assimilated by the AT&T borg. If it wasn't for the iPhone I would have left years ago.

Also, If the damn G2 had a physical keyboard, I'd be a T-Mobile customer.

Gaymer @ Jun 15th 2009 4:28PM

I love their cell service and reception, but walking out a Verizon store feels like you left your soul with one of their "expensive shirt wearing" employees. But i guess it's dress to impress cellphone business.

I got to hand it to Apple store though. yeah sure, some of their employees seem snobs, but at least they make you feel welcomed... sorta

NaeemTHM @ Jun 15th 2009 4:32PM

Ha it's so true. Apple employees are some of the nicest store clerks you're ever likely to meet....it's friggin creepy.

Clearly their brain washed Clockwork Orange style.

d889 @ Jun 15th 2009 4:40PM

its probably not a coincidence that those first posts were 1 minute apart...

i have no problems with verizon, i love my razr because it does everything from mms to turn by turn gps and it makes and receives phonecalls anywhere anytime ... yay ... oh yeah and the battery lasts like 4 days

Gaymer @ Jun 15th 2009 4:22PM

Oh god! What Verizon needs to do is lower its cell service, and makes it's employees less uptight. Have you ever walked into a Verizon store? Geez! it feels like your walking into a insurance/mortgage place. All uptight, and they think they own Verizon.

I'm sure they are cool people out of work, but the Verizon place is nothing like the guy with the glasses with the "Can you hear me now" slogan on the tv'.

hmmm, As you can see i got of of hand : /

Mr Khan @ Jun 15th 2009 4:51PM

The only problem i ever had with Verizon DSL was that the first router they gave me was a total lemon (piss-poor WiFi range, and it loved to breed IP Conflicts), but the service itself has been totally satisfactory

I've never cared for cell-phones, so i don't care about their service that way. I'm also interested in waiting for FiOS to be available near my parents' house, since we've been looking for a reliable, cost-effective alternative to Cable

From observing Verizon's actions with V-Cast, et. al, they seem to be very ambitious in this space, and i figured some sort of gaming concept was in the pipe.

pibs @ Jun 15th 2009 6:03PM

Yep, you should get fios when its available. I ordered the 10mbps package and I am getting http://www.speedtest.net/result/496517281.png as a result? No complaints here :)

aristokrat @ Jun 17th 2009 1:33PM

Comcast isn't too shabby either: http://www.speedtest.net/result/497902854.png.
No wonder bit-torrent keeps increasing my upload ceiling.

aristokrat @ Jun 17th 2009 1:34PM

Of course, I say this knowing that it is the only game in town right now (DSL is not even an option).

WINterfang @ Jun 15th 2009 5:08PM

My service is from Claro ( Verizon in Puerto Rico) and I haven't gotten much problems, of course my cellphone is a crap that doesn't even have a camera but for 20$ bucks a month I can't complain.

Noodles @ Jun 15th 2009 5:37PM

I live in RI an switched from cox cable to fios about 5 months ago.I'm paying less than I did with cable company for phone internet and tv.The maximum speed I had with cable was 3mbps but hardly ever reached that,now have 10mbps connection that a lot more consistent.

I'm pretty sure they already have had this service here already since I signed up.unless I'm mistaken and this is different service but when I signed up I had month trial of verizon games on demand.when I tried it out they had 600 to 700 or so games you could download and play from there program,most of the games were alright varying from games like tomb raider legends and smaller games like buildalot and peggle.

so far the only problem i have had with them is a random internet blackout that has happen to me twice while I was playing on XBL late at night,but for the most part I think it because of network updates they are doing and hasn't really bothered me.

Autobot @ Jun 15th 2009 6:13PM

I'm not gonna say anything, because if I do, I'll just piss people off.

Bradwart @ Jun 15th 2009 7:14PM

That's it-I'm now pissed because of that comment!

lol I'm kidding.

Shadsy @ Jun 16th 2009 12:54AM

My friend with Verizon's been routinely shafted by them. I've never used them, but I haven't heard anything good.

Shadow08 @ Jun 16th 2009 10:31PM

I'm surprised it's taking cable operators this long to come up with this stuff
again.

Anyone remember the "Sega Channel" on Cablevision back in the
mid-90's? Tons of Sega games to play on-demand. Not garbage ones
either, I'm talking about all the major ones like Sonic, Earthworm
Jim, Ristar, etc.

Tyler @ Jun 18th 2009 12:04PM

I remember that. If I remember, they had a CD with all of the data that sent it to a satellite which the cable company received and sent through the cable line for the device to use. It had tons of games on it per month... it had games that were standard, like Sonic and Altered Beast, but it also had imports and games that hadn't been released yet. In addition, it gave you hints and tips while the game was loading. Imagine having high speed internet exclusively for your Sega Genesis... haha. I played one of those when I was 6. It was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. It was way ahead of it's time, if you ask me...

MilsurpShooter @ Jun 18th 2009 11:11AM

I went from AOHell to Verizon DSL to their FIOS package. 20mb down, 5 megs up. Can't say I've had problems with the internet too much, there was a few times when it dropped to the 512kb range for a day or two but service call and a tech fixed it (work going on in the area)

Only thing I hate is when I have to actually call them with a problem. Have to go through the teleprompt of "common" problems before you actually talk to someone. "Is the power on, is a phone off the hook, hold on while I connect you to an agent" lol

I may look into it, I like to buy games rather then rent though but this might help with a few I'm on the fence with so I don't get burned like in the past.

IE Kane and Lynch and Stranglehold

??? @ Jun 22nd 2009 12:36AM

Yeah, what's with the Verizon hate? I can understand VZW having problems, but THAT'S SEPARATE FROM VERIZON DSL/FIOS.

Verizon DSL is all right, FiOS great. The big thing tho: Verizon has an official hands-off policy on bandwidth. FiOS...I wish stuff like that would reach the cities, for once. Fuck the suburbs.