Presented in this first paper of the Gametag series is an overview of the Gametag program. This presentation is intended to provide the reader with background information about several of the important characteristics of the program. These include (1) the sampling strategy and general philosophy of the program; (2) the field-sampling track; (3) the nature of the sampling platform; (4) a listing of instruments and measurements recorded; (5) Gametag data-archiving procedures; and (6) a listing of participating institutions, scientific team members, and principal investigators.