GamersGate launching ad-supported free games

Digital distributors already regularly offer mega-savings on PC games but GamersGate intends to take things one step further. Yesterday it announced plans for 'FreeGames,' a "free-to-play ad supported platform for PC and Mac games."

FreeGames will let users download and play games for free, in return for simply watching a "short" advert when the game launches. You'll be limited to having only five free games on your account at any one time, but GamersGate does cryptically mention there'll be "the capability to add additional game." No details on how that'll work, not yet.

GamersGate expects that "a large portion" of its 3,000+ titles will be available on FreeGames when it launches in September--hopefully the good portion. Beta will begin testing in mid-June, which you can sign up should you enjoy playing video games.

"The new service offers the best of both worlds for both gamers and publishers," GamersGate CEO Theodore Bergquist said in the announcement. "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."

Publisher Ubisoft attempted something similar in 2007, offering ad-supported versions of Far Cry, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon. Evidently Ubi's program didn't prove successful enough to stick with, but we here in The Future are far more enlightened when it comes to legally downloading games. Fingers crossed, anyway, as FreeGames would be a fine option for the world of PC gaming to have.