Once upon a time the Internet was simply a means of sending words around the world at lightning speed. What was called the Internet in the early days resembled today’s e-mail outfits and Usenet boards, until Tim Berners-Lee and his CERN cohorts begat the World Wide Web in the early 1990s. CERN’s genius consisted of developing the browser concept--a way of viewing pictures on other computers. This idea reached fruition with Mosaic in 1993, and then Netscape Navigator in 1994. Having added pictures to words, it was only a matter of time before various sounds and dancing images invaded the Web. Now radio, television, and video-style materials are everywhere on the Internet. What all of this will do to television networks is anybody’s guess.

GameTalk 2000 (www.gt2k.com/index.htm) is an example of this type of activity. Originating from Maine since last September, it is essentially an Internet radio-style broadcast covering the gaming scene. Hosted by Mark Leaman and Michael Blakemore, the weekly show covers all types of adventure gaming. Each broadcast varies from ten to twenty minutes, and begins with a series of press releases, news stories, and convention announcements. The rest of the program consists of a feature story or interview. The content is wide enough to offer something of interest to most gamers. There is also material on comics and older video games. They plan to expand into live broadcasting this year.

The web site supports the program with past broadcast archives, a message board, and links to the companies and publications mentioned during the broadcast. There is also a link to the needed RealPlayer 5.0 (a free download at www.real.com), and advertising information.

It is somewhat trendy to refer to contemporary broadcasting as ‘narrowcasting,’ meaning forfeiting a mass audience in order to appeal to a particular marketing segment (e.g. males 18-25). Still, no matter how narrow modern radio gets, it is never going to go after gamers. However, the Internet can speak to the smallest of groups, and GameTalk is but one example of this. Can Wargame TV be next?