A new Time Warner venture, GameTap, offers computer users an opportunity to play hundreds of games on demand and gives advertisers another platform from which to reach computer users age 18-49, reports the New York Times (via MediaBuyerPlanner). The budget for the launch is estimated at more than $50 million through the end of next year. GameTap is available to subscribers who download and install software from gametap.com.

A major part of the launch campaign will be online, in the form of banner and text ads on sites such as AOL, iVillage and MTV. Starting on October 27, GameTap will buy enough advertising space on yahoo.com to create so-called roadblocks, where GameTap pitches will seem omnipresent.

The goal is for GameTap to attract 1.5 million to 2 million subscribers in two to three years, said Dan Riess, who leads new product development for Turner Broadcasting and also heads marketing for GameTap.

The campaign points to gaming's growing allure for advertisers, agencies and media companies eager to capitalize on the increasing amount of time that consumers are devoting to what is known as casual gaming - playing short games that fill time or sharpen skills.

A recent Double Fusion and Nielsen Interactive Entertainment study found that in-game campaigns result in a 60 percent increase in awareness for a new product.

In July, in-game ad developer Massive Inc. launched its first full-motion video and audio ads in a major videogame release. More recently, The Jack Myers Media Business Report 2006 Marketing and Advertising Spending Forecast predicted that the fastest growing media segment will be in-game advertising.