03.10
OnLive was announced in 2009, as a service where games are stored on a server, then the games can be streamed onto your television (using their micro-console) or computer (using their browser plug-in), much like how a video can be streamed. Unlike conventional gaming, there won’t be any discs, or cartridges involved. You won’t even be downloading the games. It is all data stored on a different server and streamed into your home. OnLive claims that they’ll be able to offer high definition games to any connection with 5Mbps or higher.
OnLive has already partnered with Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Take-two, Epic Games, Atari, CodeMasters, THQ, 2D Boy. OnLive has already announced that Mass Effect 2, Assassins Creed 2, Borderlands, Metro 2033, Dragon Age Origins, Prince of Persia, and more will be available on their service at launch.
OnLive was originally scheduled to release in winter 2009, however it wasn’t released. Just recently, OnLive announced their plans to release their browser plug-in for computers June 17th, 2010, for $15 a month. OnLive will wave the fee for the first 3 months for the first 25,000 people who pre-register for their service. Their microconsole is planned to be released soon, but no definitive date has been set. Please note that the $15 per month does not cover the cost of games. The $15 covers retail game demos, multiplayer across PC, MAC, and TV, spectating others games, video capturing and posting (tilted “Brag clips”), pausing and resuming games you’ve purchased across different platforms, gamer tags, user profiles, friendslist, and chatting.
After buying a retail game through OnLive, you’ll be able to stream it instantly, without downloading anything, or receiving any physical product. OnLive has the potential to drastically alter how video games are played, and become a big competitor for console video games. Only time will tell how viable OnLive really will be.
