OnLive Games On Demand Service is a Game Changer

After seven years of "stealth development," the groundbreaking OnLive Game Service and OnLive MicroConsole are being presented at the 2009 Game Developers Conference. When it's officially launched in Winter 2009, this on-demand game service will let gamers play current videogame titles instantly on a TV, PC or Mac through a broadband Internet connection.

Using OnLive from a PC or Mac requires a small browser plug-in, no discs, downloads, or console needed. Minimum system requirements? A PC running a current version of Windows XP or Vista, or an Intel-based Mac running a current version of OS X. If you want to play on a TV you'll need the OnLive MicroConsole to control the set-up and gaming experience. OnLive on standard-definition TV resolution needs a 1.5 Mbps connection, but for HDTV 720p resolution you will need a faster 5 Mbps. broadband hook-up.

Is this the future of video gaming? After watching the OnLive promo video, I'm excited about this game-changing service which is already being supported by top videogame companies like Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive Software, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, THQ Inc., Epic Games, Eidos, Atari Interactive and Codemasters.

Gamers in the U.S. can expect a Beta release of OnLive some time this summer, and if you want to be down you can sign-up here. OnLive Game Service and OnLive MicroConsole pricing and availability details will be announced as we approach the official release date, presumably ahead of the 2009 Holiday season.

from Press Release

Instant, High-performance Gameplay

“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.”

Vibrant Community on a Massive Scale

The OnLive Game Service supports a live community of unprecedented scale. A revolutionary user interface allows video game fans to watch thousands of live games in action, join in at any point, share their exploits with friends through social networking tools, or make Brag Clips™ that showcase their skills. With OnLive, gamers have immediate access to demos and can instantly try, buy and play top-tier games, whether playing solo or with friends.

Benefitting the Game Ecosystem

“With OnLive we’ve cleared the last remaining hurdle for the video games industry: effective online distribution,” said Steve Perlman, Founder and CEO of OnLive. “By putting the value back into the games themselves and removing the reliance on expensive, short-lived hardware, we are dramatically shifting the economics of the industry. Delivering games instantly to the digital living room is the promise game fans have been waiting for and OnLive makes that promise a reality that’s affordable, flexible and focused on their individual needs.”

OnLive offers significant benefits to publishers and developers. It costs far less to develop a game for OnLive, and the economics are far more efficient than retail or download distribution models. It typically only takes a few weeks to extend an existing version of a game to work on the OnLive service, so there is little cost incurred by developers and publishers to support the OnLive platform.

Through a partnership with Epic Games, an industry leading developer of triple-A games and cross-platform game engine technology, the award-winning Unreal® Engine 3 is compatible with the OnLive platform. Games leveraging the cutting-edge technology and versatility of the Unreal Engine will easily run on the OnLive service.

Play Top Games from Top Names

OnLive will be showing 16 great titles playable during the 2009 Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco at the OnLive Booth, North Hall #5128.

Coming Soon...

The OnLive Game Service will be offered through a monthly subscription in Winter 2009. OnLive will be available in a variety of different pricing packages and tiers, competitively priced to retail.