Cloud Gaming Service OnLive Set For Launch

Steve Perlman's long-anticipated cloud gaming service, OnLive, officially launches today, finally ready to be put to the test by skeptical and hopeful gamers around the US. After granting some early sign-ups a free year to try out the service, OnLive also announced the list of 23 games that will available from the start, including Mass Effect 2, UT 3, Assassin's Creed 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and F.E.A.R. 2. Perlman spoke at length with Gamasutra about the beta, latency, and potential partnerships with other broadband providers. Future OnLive competitor Gaikai recently announced it's targeting 2011 for its own launch.

Comments

The Fine Print

[PhrostyMcByte]

From their beta signup page:

The OnLive Game Service (the "Service") Fee will be waived for the first 12 months from the date you activate your OnLive Account. During these 12 months, your access to the Service will include free demos and community features, such as member Profiles, Friending, Chat, Spectating and Brag Clip(TM) videos, but will not include any games, content or other services that are offered for purchase, and which must be purchased separately.

Sounds like you're going to need to pay to test their stuff. At least they're up front about it?

Re:The Fine Print

[carlzum]

Wait, you have to pay for games? I can already buy a console, pay a monthly service fee, and purchase games. I thought OnLive was similar to a premium cable channel, you paid a monthly fee and could play the entire catalog available. This is a slightly cheaper console but you lose the games you bought when the company tanks.

Pioneer of on-demand gaming my ass, Sega and even Intellivision were far more innovative decades ago.

it's magic!

[ILuvRamen]

How are they planning to magically teleport 1280x1024 3D video data at 60 FPS to my computer with under 50 ms of additional lag? This is an extremely stupid idea but if you consider that "real" gamers have systems that can render the games by themselves, it's redundant to say that real gamers won't take a technology like this seriously.

Re:it's magic!

[PhrostyMcByte]

I don't think anyone with a gaming system will be interested, but everyone else may be. Some games like RPGs can be played acceptably with a little lag, and I wouldn't mind being able to see some nice graphics on my Eee PC when I'm away from home.

Will it work well with an FPS? Doubtful. Before anyone says "Hey! I used to frag in Quake with a 300 ping and it was plenty playable!" -- I used to too. But that was 300ms of network latency, not input latency - very big difference. Lag compensation makes a world of difference, and that's impossible when you're just piping video.

Re:it's magic!

[Anonymous Coward]

"Real gamers" are a shrinking market, becoming less and less relevant compared to 'medium' and 'casual' gamers. I could list tons of examples, but the most prevalent at the moment: consider StarCraft 2 lacking LAN *AND* inter-regional games, which would drive any "real gamer" nuts. "Real gamers" don't matter from a developer's/publisher's point of view. Not enough money compared to the masses who likely won't care about the lag while they grind their MMORPG character or spray bullets around each other oblivious to any latency, no matter how unacceptable it would be to a "real gamer".

  - a real gamer

Re:it's magic!

[Anonymous Coward]

What makes you think that "real gamers" matter? Hardcore gamers are an ever smaller niche. The future is in casual games. The people playing farmville and the sims with low end graphics and beige box machines.

Re:it's magic!

[DeadDecoy]

I think ultimately, it depends on the cost. Game purchases would have to be significantly cheaper, as I'd already be shelling out money for a monthly subscription (isp not included) and there's no mention of whether I can backup or archive my copy or whether I'd have access to the games I purchased should I decide to discontinue my subscription. I.e. it's good for games I'd only play once, but I'm skeptical about the service with regards to games that have a long shelf life: civilization, starcraft, half-life, etc.

It sounds cool at first: no high end hardware purchases, but that cost is just being moved to monthly subscriptions. Again, if I decided to discontinue their service, there's a chance I'd end up with no games OR hardware. Given that I'll need a computer regardless, I think I'll just stick with my archaic computer + disk setup until I hear more about the service.

Re:it's magic!

[RoadDoggFL]

So why can't the target audience be hardcore gamers who don't have the money to upgrade their computers? Gaming lounge patrons? Or hell, potential hardcore gamers that don't have the money, technical know-how, or desire to maintain a gaming-competent PC. You're right, there's no market for this. Everybody already has their dream gaming setup.

Re:it's magic!

[Svippy]

I don't think anyone with a gaming system will be interested, but everyone else may be. Some games like RPGs can be played acceptably with a little lag, and I wouldn't mind being able to see some nice graphics on my Eee PC when I'm away from home.

Uhm, yeah, I'm gonna give you that, that would be awesome, but as you can tell from the minimum recommended system requirements, that ain't going to happen:

• PC: Windows® 7 or Vista (32 or 64-bit) or XP (32-bit)
• Mac: Mac OS X 10.6 or later
• Processor: Dual-core CPU
• Screen Resolution: 1280x720
• Internet Connection: 5 Mbps located inside the contiguous United States (wired connection required)

So I am going to assume your Eee does not have a dual-core CPU, a x720 screen resolution or always a wired connection, which means netbooks aren't welcome. But maybe they'll fix that in the future. So you can even play them on your iPad.

Re:as you're clearly can't RTFA

[twidarkling]

Yeah, answered with TACHYONS!!!!

Seriously, someone tied to the company says "We're using a brand new technology, so shut up and take our word for it," and you claim that's an answer?

Oh, I'm sorry, the answer is "It's your equipment, so shut up and pay us." OnLive can go fuck themselves. I'm not paying a monthly fee, plus paying for games, and then I don't get to keep any of them if I stop paying them every month. That's why I don't use XBox Live Gold for online play, that's why I avoid DRM schemes like Ubisoft's, and it's why I don't play MMOs.

OnLive, however, has earned an extra heaping of "they can go fuck themselves" with this kind of shit. I hope the entire company goes down in flaming ruins.

Re:What people don't realize...

[twidarkling]

Or, you pay $350 for a console that's good for 5+ years, and rent games from where ever, and buy any ones you really like when they hit bargain-bin status.

Re:Wet Dream For Publishers

[Jedi Alec]

and hence WE. ARE. FUCKED.

Are we? At some point it'll get bad enough that those among us who truly want to game the proper way will either buy indie titles exclusively or start collaborating and make our own bloody games...

I've been having a blast e-mailing companies with a form e-mail I created which summarized comes down to "Hi, I would have loved to have bought your game X, but unfortunately you chose to treat me, your potential customer, as a thief. Hence I have decided not to buy your game X and instead spend my money on the following companies that do treat treat their paying customers properly: Y and Z."

Now what I'm truly curious about is...is there *any* solid evidence where implementing DRM caused would-be pirates to buy the game instead of torrenting it?