Recently we've been hearing quite a bit about TransGaming's upcoming release of GameTree TV, along with something of a promise that more information would be had with the arrival of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Indeed, said information has now arrived, and it's a major find indeed as TransGaming announced a new partnership with Samsung to bring GameTree TV to Samsung's line of smart TV systems.
GameTree TV, at last report, is set to offer up comparatively simple—yet a fairly substantial number of—games that can be easily played through a simple remote setup. While the launch list may seem a little light to veteran gamers, including titles like “Super Collapse 2,” “Sahara Classic Solitaire,” and both “Moodies” and “Space Moodies,” a variety of new games are set to arrive through 2014, giving GameTree TV plenty of new possibilities, including what is described as “recognizable classics” as well as “unique experiences.”
GameTree TV won't require extra hardware to offer up its games, nor will it require a paid subscription at last report, instead supporting itself via video advertising. TransGaming's president and CEO, Vikas Gupta, describes the move to partner with Samsung as a move that “...solidifies TransGaming as the default gaming solution for Smart TVs”, and elaborated that the company was “...excited to bring GameTree TV to millions of new consumers.”
Indeed, GameTree TV has scored a pretty substantial coup with this move. Getting in on Samsung smart TV systems pretty much assures that GameTree TV will see plenty of potential users, especially since it was released to Philips smart TV systems about four months ago. But the question that remains is, just because GameTree TV has built it, so to speak, will the users come? There are quite a few competitors out there in the same space, currently operating but on different platforms. For instance, both Kongregate—acquired a few years back by GameStop—and Armor Games are two sites offering up huge arrays of free to play games supported by advertising. That might make for a difficult proposition for TransGaming, but there are some significant advantages here for GameTree TV that the others really don't have. Of particular note here is the branded content library, which includes some fairly substantial names like Hasbro, Tetris, and the World Poker Tour, which allows it to rather handily brand itself as a family-friendly alternative. Indeed, Hasbro is already putting such a strategy to good use with its Sunday night airings of “Family Game Night” on its cable network The Hub, featuring an array of Hasbro-owned properties. Families will essentially not only be able to watch Family Game Night games, but then be able to play at least a variety of same on the same platform, and that's a fairly clever tie-in for all concerned.
The gaming market is a tough one to break into, and a tougher one in which to hold captured ground. But one thing is quite clear; there's not likely to be any shortage of firms out to grab a slice of a clearly valuable market. While TransGaming may have a bit of a difficult prospect ahead, it does have what looks to be a sound product with a unique perspective on the market. That's likely to give it plenty of room for possible success, and may well ultimately emerge as a valuable new part of the gaming ecosphere.
Edited by
Cassandra Tucker 
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