While the TV is traditionally turned off for family game night, Mountain View, California-based TVHead is trying to get families turn it back on. The new games-on-demand network, launching Q4 2006/Q1 2007, will deliver original video games straight to the TV with no additional hardware required. Kids will be able to access TVHead’s channel like any other station and play games with an ordinary universal TV remote.

CEO Sangita Verma says the company created technology that plugs into the existing cable video-on-demand infrastructure and essentially works the same way. She says cable and IPTV providers capable of delivering VOD will be able to carry the TVHead channel.

Children and families rank high on TVHead’s radar and Verman is currently working with different kids IPs to make licensed content an integral part of the service and will be announcing key licensing deals shortly. The company’s offering licensors a share of subscription fees in lieu of a royalty rate, and will take care of game design and programming. In addition to the pending deals, Verman remains on the lookout for more hot kids properties.

At launch, a small selection of TVHead games will be available free of charge through regular cable. The monthly subscription fee should fall between US$5 and US$8 and subscribers will have unlimited access to all game offerings. At least 20 titles will be on tap when the net goes live and they’ll be updated regularly, with a new game joining the roster every two weeks. Verman’s also planning to expand the service beyond North America to Asia by late 2007.