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OnLive a threat to the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii?

March 24, 2009 in Industry News comments 20

Imagine playing Crysis or any other modern game with the graphics settings cranked all the way up on a cheep laptop, or on your TV with a console the size of a Nintendo DS. This is what OnLive is promising to do for those with a 1.5 Mbps internet connection for standard-def, and 5 Mbps for high-def.

OnLive is currently in a closed beta, but is expected to go into a public beta this summer, and to launch this winter.

Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, look out. Your traditional video game console business model may be in danger.

It's too early to tell how much danger, of course, but a start-up called OnLive announced a brand-new game distribution system Monday night that, if it works as planned, could change the games game forever.

OnLive, which was started by WebTV founder Steve Perlman and former Eidos CEO Mike McGarvey, is aiming to launch a system--seven years in the works--that will digitally distribute first-run, AAA games from publishers like Electronic Arts, Take-Two, Ubisoft, Atari, and others, all at the same time as those titles are released into retail channels. The system is designed to allow players to stream on-demand games at the highest quality onto any Intel-based Mac or PC running XP or Vista, regardless of how powerful the computer.

The system will also stream games directly to a TV via a small plug-in device, and players can use a custom wireless controller as well as VoIP headsets in conjunction with it.
Livewire_19 via news.cnet.com »
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Most recently commented on by on Mar 25, 2009

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  • 0
    dwg14390 Mar 24, 09
    I saw the videos and I'm sort of confused, does this make it so that we can play pc games on our tv??

    Sweet.
    • 0
      Livewire_19 Mar 25, 09
      You pay them to stream games to your TV or PC. You just need money and a fast internet connection, their computers do all the work.
  • 1
    Slumpy monkey Mar 24, 09
    Shits going to eat away at you DL limit. Plus how would it work online(online gaming wise) Lagg would be terrible, I mean up your connection to servers back to your tv, then back up the server and then eventually to the rest of the players.

    Games lagg just normally, imagine with this added middle man. Good idea, has its flaws. Could work out if it got huge industry support, it does have big names behind it. But simply not enough yet.
    • 1
      BlackLabel Mar 25, 09
      quote Slumpy monkey
      Shits going to eat away at you DL limit.
      Download limits aren't an issue if you pay for a decent connection... Download limits are only in place to recoup for the users disregard for quality. If the user won't pay for the 10-50Mb/s connection they will impose these limits as to hopefully force you to pay the full amount, it's easier to just pay for the best in my opinion.
      • 1
        Slumpy monkey Mar 25, 09
        hmm, You make a fine point good sir.
  • 1
    carouselambra Mar 24, 09
    They're gonna get the most out of it by working in collabaration with the big names man; competing against em, they'll get crushed. Atari, Ubisoft, EA etc. doesnt carry the weight they used to, to be able to compete with an entire gaming system or systems. Times were, those third-party companies and their games MADE the systems what they are. But like anything, the power has now shifted against them, to the point where they're at the mercy of the systems and the gamers who play them. If it's a revolution, like the "wii revolution" was supposed to be, then I wouldnt be too worried about trading in your systems just yet
  • 0
    Sayyed Mar 24, 09
    Hmmm...How much do you bet this will have a very high monthly service charge? I like the idea of playing high end games on a shitty PC though

    I honestly think this is to early for its time.
    • 0
      BlackLabel Mar 25, 09
      Shouldn't do, i mean the box itself will probably be cheap enough for everyone to buy and once on there they will no doubt make their money off of the games. This will be treated as a standard console, the only difference being is it can be plugged in anywhere and played by anyone with a semi decent connection. If this takes off then it could be amazing though it won't kill PC gaming, nothing will kill PC gaming as the best format to play these games will probably be on a PC of some sort.
      • 0
        Slumpy monkey Mar 25, 09
        Yeah, but these servers aren't going to be cheap, There going to need ones that can run crysis at max like a thousand times at once.
  • 2
    Seproth Mar 25, 09
    No, it's not a threat to PS3, 360, Wii...perhaps to the next-gen though.

    I think this idea is about a decade too early. Many people don't have the connection speed to deal with this. When fast internet is more spread out then it'll be more likely to work.
    • 0
      Livewire_19 Mar 25, 09
      quote Seproth
      No, it's not a threat to PS3, 360, Wii...perhaps to the next-gen though.
      Exactly, if it threatens anything it's expensive PC parts manufacturers , and the next-gen of consoles, even then it won't have a huge percentage of the market. But this is a very interesting idea for the future.
      I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft or Sony license the tech or even buy the OnLive company if it all goes well.
  • 0
    Bale Fire Mar 25, 09
    Considering most connections in Australia can't handle that, and a similar situation with many other countries. No I don't this is a threat to any of them until unlimited high speed broadband is available to everyone.
    • 0
      BlackLabel Mar 25, 09
      Perhaps this will jumpstart those countries into doing something about it. It's no excuse when there are countries doing it already. The UK one of the countries normally always behind has one of the fastest public connections on the planet at 50Mb. Surely it can't be that hard to get 1.5Mb these days even in Australia?
  • 0
    MusiKon Mar 25, 09
    Sounds like the Infinium Phantom.
    • 1
      BlackLabel Mar 25, 09
      It does though the Phantom was flawed from the start. It was hardware based like a PS2 or Xbox where as this is controlled through a hardware receiver and the top specs and all that is done on gargantuan servers and then streamed to the user at high speed. If this service works then it will revolutionise gaming by giving gamers the world over ultra high spec PC graphics for a low low cost.
  • 0
    xegaldis Mar 25, 09
    i don't think it's hardly a threat, meh.
    • 0
      Onvacation Mar 25, 09
      So you think its a threat?
  • 0
    BlackLabel Mar 25, 09
    Hmmm my only issue with this system is that it wirelessly pairs with the client. I would much prefer a hardwired solution for the sheer fact that if my 20Mb connection is getting me the game instantly in real time, and the I/O on the wireless device is slow the game will still encounter slow down and temporary freezes as the data is being fed slowly to my TV or Computer wirelessly.

    Also if it has a wireless pairing system where is the WiFi? I know it makes more sense to go the hardwired option but PC and Consoles have been telling users that WiFi is more intuitive for the most part and yet this service doesn't seem to use it.
  • 0
    Livewire_19 Mar 25, 09
    Here is the sign up form for the Beta.

    http://www.onlive.com/beta_program.html

    The requirements listed for signing up in the OnLive beta testing is: "You need to be at least 18, based in the US and have a broadband-connected PC running Windows Vista®/XP®, or an Intel®-based Mac." The beta is set to begin soon, in summer 2009.

    Does anyone here want to sign up and tell us how well it works, when or if they get in?
    I can't, the fastest internet I can get right now is 768Kb.
    • 0
      Sayyed Mar 25, 09
      I signed up, I just hope I don't get secretly billed

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