GameTap joins Metaboli, but does it leave indie devs in the cold?

Subscription gaming service GameTap has merged with French digital download giant Metaboli.

Original owner Turner Broadcasting will relinquish management duties of the site early next year but retain a minority stake. Once the transition is completed, Turner will become an equity investor in the merged Metaboli-GameTap business.

GameTap offers a selection of more than 1,000 retro console, arcade, and PC games. The service also hosts original episodic-gaming series, including Telltales Games’ Sam & Max franchise.

However, games like the latter – that is, original content signed up for digital distribution – could well be a thing of the past under the new management.

As well as offering back catalogue PC games, GameTap had built a reputation for occassionally commissioning original content, including the newer Sam & Max games and American McGee’s Grimm. It also rescued Myst for a short-lived revamp.

Speaking to Variety, Metaboli CEO Pierre Gaudet ‘wasn’t too excited about publishing original games, as GameTap has occasionally done’.

We are not doing that in Metaboli and for the time being it’s not in our plans," he said.