If this service stays true on their promise, we will see a rovultion for the industry.
Imagine this – you either have a TV set or a PC (or Mac). Second, imagine that it’s an old PC or laptop – something slow and couldn’t possibly run games such as Left 4 Dead or Crysis.
Now, there’s a new technology that allows you play the games via a service called Onlive. Onlive claims that you don’t need all the processing power: RAM, harddrive or even video card juice, the Onlive services computes all the graphics algorithims in THEIR server and just streams it to you. Thus, you DO NOT need a fast computer or even the latest consoles such as the Xbox 360 or PS3 to enjoy all the games you wish to play. All you need is a (fast) Internet connection and an account.
If this becomes succesful, it WILL revolutionize the gaming industry.
Oh, did I tell you that downloads will also be kept at a minimum? Read on….
OnLive, Inc., the pioneer of the on demand era of video games, today emerged from seven years of stealth development within the Rearden incubator to unveil The OnLive Game Service and OnLive MicroConsole™ at the 2009 Game Developers Conference. OnLive is a revolutionary, on demand video game platform delivering the latest and most advanced games instantly, on any TV via a sleek, inexpensive MicroConsole, or on almost any PC or Mac.
OnLive is supported by many of the top names in the video games industry including Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive Software, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, THQ Inc., Epic Games, Eidos, Atari Interactive and Codemasters.
“OnLive is the most powerful game system in the world. No high-end hardware, no upgrades, no endless downloads, no discs, no recalls, no obsolescence,” said Steve Perlman, Founder and CEO of OnLive. “With OnLive, your video game experience is always state-of-the-art.”
Designed for gamers of all skills and ages, the OnLive Game Service is easy to use. The elegantly designed OnLive MicroConsole—about as small as a deck of cards—easily connects any TV and home broadband connection to the OnLive Game Service and is operated by an OnLive wireless controller. Gamers can enjoy the same experience on almost any Internet-connected PC or Mac via a small browser plug-in from OnLive.com—even entry-level computers will play the highest performance games. Whether on TV, PC or Mac, OnLive provides instant access to the most advanced games in the world, solo and multiplayer.
“OnLive combines the successful components of video games, online distribution and social networking into one affordable, flexible platform that offers a new way for game fans to access and enjoy content,” said Mike McGarvey, COO of OnLive. “By substantially lowering the barriers between content and consumers, OnLive has created an environment that is highly beneficial for every facet of the video game ecosystem. With OnLive, gamers can play what they want, when they want, how they want. That level of freedom has never been possible until now.”
HOW IT WORKS
The secret? Decompressing algorithms.
Normally, all the graphics and interaction is processed by the client (the computer you are viewing this post right now). With Onlive, all the processing power and the games are hosted in Onlive’s high performance game servers and your PC (or TV) will just “accept” the processed data without need for any major data processing.
The result will be mind-blowing, imagine playing games such as Crysis or Devil May Cry on an old Pentium 4 computer or, with the Onlive gadget, straight on your TV set.
This may hurt the console hardware industry but Onlive will certainly be a big blow to the nefarious pirate syndicate. You can even demo games before paying for it. There is no official word yet from the online gaming or MMORPG industry on how Onlive may impact operations.
Pricing on the service is yet to be determined.
To summarize,
- You don’t need a fast PC
- You just need a TV (with the Onlive gadget), Mac or PC and a FAST Internet connection
- Play any game you like, anywhere
- Choose from a list of hundreds of games supported by leading major developers
- You can try before you buy
- Service will launch initially in the United States
- Downloads are kept at the minimum since you get streamed, processed information and game data
RELATED LINKS
- Onlive Official website
- Onlive demo video
- Onlive Press Release
- Onlive feature article on venturebeat.com
Via gmtristan.com
