Slashdot Mirror


OnLive CEO Provides Details On Cloud Gaming

eldavojohn writes "OnLive is a new cloud gaming service that is in beta testing. While it might sound like nothing more than corporate buzzwords creeping over into the gaming world, a new video reveals how the CEO claims his service will work. Perlman explains OnLive's solution to the video game compression problem and talks about the '80 ms latency budget.' It's pretty interesting to listen to him figure out this budget and where the 'costs' come from. (Video only.) Now, this all hinges on the 'microconsole,' which — as he reveals at the beginning of the video — is so cheap they plan to give it away. We may also see it incorporated with TVs and other electronic devices. He goes on to talk about perceptual science and dealing with packet irregularities on the internet."

9 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. Linux? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Does it run on Linux? I mean I know this question is often used in jest, but I'm serious.

  2. Oh yes by Zouden · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "is so cheap they plan to give it away"

    Hey Perlman (if that is your real name): the dot-com bubble called. They want their failed business strategy back. Subsidise the hardware, sure, but don't give it away. That's just asking for financial disaster. Your business is risky enough as it is.

    --
    "A week in the lab saves an hour in the library"
  3. Wait... by Sl4shd0t0rg · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Where I have I heard this before? Oh yeah, from a company that now makes lapboards and keyboards, Phantom is it?

  4. What's the problem? by iCantSpell · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I live in Japan, and it only cost $60-80 USD a month to have a 100MB up & down fiber optic connection in every room of my house. I know Japan is only the size of California, but come on. Seriously, the US spends millions on beach sand and damn near nothing on real connections.

  5. Re:A transcript, please by GradiusCVK · · Score: 2, Insightful

    You can make any demand you want. I won't join you on this issue, however; the video was interesting (the guy is a good speaker) and I'm glad to have seen it. Also, the text loaded perfectly fine for me... is "this type of summary" any summary which your particular machine and connection has a problem with? Are you suggesting that Slashdot send a tech to your house to make sure every submission works on your machine? Are we all to make this demand on your behalf?

  6. We already have clouds gaming...MMORPGs by syousef · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Servers that scale: check. Resources brought online as needed: check. Software as a service: Check.

    And that's what make MMORPGs SUCK in my book. I can't play on the train (unless I spend a lot on wireless broadband - it ain't cheap in Aus). I have to rely on servers being up. I don't have time for any of that. If I get an hour to play a game, it needs to be available then and there whenever and whereever I get a chance to play.

    If I want online chat I'll socialise with real world friends and family. I even have a couple of backups (mobile phone and land line). If you think I'm a luddite keep in mind I was on Skype and MSN with my mother 2 nights ago (after going round and fixing the security on her wireless network). I know there are people who love these games - even to the point of neglecting "real" life, but I just can't get into a system where my pleasure is at some company's control. I don't want to play a game against a freakishly good 12 year old. I might be interested in a game against a real world friend but I don't want something that saps my time and requires friends interested in the same niche as me.

    By all means diversify but can we please keep traditional on a cd/dvd games that don't require a cloud, or even a network?

    --
    These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
    1. Re:We already have clouds gaming...MMORPGs by Rogerborg · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Hi, server, it's Rogerborg - I'm back online. Yeah, the thing is, while I was playing offline, I won the game, got all the loot and hit level infinity. Be a good chap and update the world state, would you?

      What, you don't believe me? Dude, would my client lie to you? Seriously, don't be so paranoid.

      --
      If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
    2. Re:We already have clouds gaming...MMORPGs by slim · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Servers that scale: check. Resources brought online as needed: check. Software as a service: Check.

      And that's what make MMORPGs SUCK in my book.

      Yet MMORPGs are a massive success. They fit in with the desires of millions, you're just not one of those millions.

      I don't buy makeup. I don't boldly announce that the makeup industry can't possibly make money.

  7. Re:Oh! by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You want to roll out in a market you're familiar with first (your home market), and during that time, you can have people do research on other markets and line up all your local people and resources.

    You don't want to just jump into an unfamiliar market right away, that leads to problems.