One of the biggest PC game download services will soon launch a way for players to download part of their large library of PC and Mac titles and play them for free. The service is called, naturally, FreeGames and will be an ad-based service where gamers will download and play a game after watching some kind of advertisement beforehand. The FreeGames service is currently taking sign ups for beta testing. The service is expected to fully launch in September.
When FreeGames does launch, gamers who use the service will be able to five games available to play on their FreeGames account. There will also be a way to add even more free games but details about how that will be handled have not yet been released. While GamersGate currently has over 3,000 PC and Mac game titles to choose from it"s currently unknown what games from that library will be a part of the FreeGames service. The company"s CEO Theodore Bergquist said in a press release, "Gamers can play games for free, catch up on franchises or try a game out before they buy. Publishers will receive ad revenue while expanding their audience. We’ve always been at the forefront of the digital delivery business and I’m confident that our new service will help reshape the industry."
GamersGate launched in 2006 as part of Paradox Interactive and was later spun off into its own separate business. The business has reportedly done well on its own as more and more PC gamers purchase their titles via download as opposed to buying them in retail stores.