Shhhh ... don’t tell anyone but here’s another example of two Time Warner sibs working together. A sample of Turner Broadcasting’s GameTap—nine classic games and GameTap video—is being offered in a co-branded area on AOL Games. AOL expands its game and video offerings while GameTap gets more exposure for its $9.95-a-month subscription service. It’s a good showcase but it also highlights the difficulty for subscription game services: the increasing number of free or ad-supported casual gaming opportunities online.
—  GameTap is pushing subscription sales hard. At the AOL site, in addition to the two-week trial, users can get 30 percent off three months.  At GameTap, which claims 125,000-150,000 unique visitors a day, offers include 50 percent off a year’s subscription (that would be just under $60) and buy one month, get one free. According to GameTap, 70 percent of trialers opt for the paid service.
Business Week: GameTap’s cable-like model is being extended with the addition of episodic programming and HBO-like originals. At the marketing helm David Reid, formerly director of Xbox Worldwide Platform Marketing.