• OnLive On-Demand Gaming Threat to Consoles

    OnLive On-Demand Gaming Threat to Consoles

    Techtree News Staff, Mar 27, 2009 1509 hrs IST

    Cloud computing is the future of video gaming

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Steve Perlman and Mike McGarvey launched OnLive 'Games on Demand' System at the Game Developers Conference 2009 at San Francisco. Banking on the cloud-based 'Games on Demand' distribution service, OnLive system promises to bring 720p HD quality games to PCs, Macs, and TV screens. This cloud-based game distribution service is already a potential threat to existing game console makers like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo.

OnLive was started by Steve Perlman, founder of WebTV and the guy behind QuickTime, along with Mike McGarvey, former Eidos CEO. The OnLive Games on Demand System had undergone seven years of extensive testing and development. With the OnLive games distribution service, its makers claim to change the face of PC and Mac gaming.

So far, nine third-party game publishers, who include Electronics Arts, Ubisoft, Warner Bros. Interactive, Take-Two, THQ, Epic Games, Eidos, Atari, and Codemasters, have committed to involve themselves in the game distribution service. These game publishers would also be retailing games as usual.





The OnLive MicroConsole consists of a device that connects the PC, Mac, or TV to the subscription-based cloud services using Ethernet connection. Best part is that the service will run on any PC regardless of the configuration. This sounds like a win-win situation for low-end PC owners and even Mac fanboys.

However, it would be worth noting if any gaming enthusiast is able to pump up extra action with their high-end hardware. Games like Crysis could be pushed from clouds at full graphical settings.

Games would be streamed at 720p resolution and 60 frames per second with negligible lag. Sounds drool-worthy, but the biggest bottleneck here would be the Internet connection. One can expect standard definition content at 1.5 megabits per second, while for the 720p HD content a fat 5 megabits per second Internet pipe would be necessary.

OnLive creators boast that their proprietary compression technology will result in lag time of less than one millisecond. It's being said that OnLive creators have closely worked with the cable and Internet service providers for total elimination of the data packet loss.


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OnLive cloud computing gaming GDC 2009 OnLive Games on Demand Game Developers Conference 2009 Eidos games online gaming OnLive MicroConsole



Discussion Board
(32) Comments
Jason
,Victoria, on Mar 27, 2009 09:32 PM
Seriously? 5 Megs for 720P where as with 360/PS3 i can get up to 1080i/p and not have to worry about a high speed connection my ISP just cant provide i can see this in the future perhaps where there is more coverage of the speeds required, but as it is im already paying $30+ a month for my DSL (which i dl at about 150k /sec) i dont even want to contemplate how much my ISP would charge me for a 5meg+ connection plus the fees for the service, plus the fees for the games i dont like gameing that much ill stick with my consols
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JHALE
,Somewhere, MO, on Mar 30, 2009 06:59 AM
Most internet providers, like the one I work for, has up to 10mbps down/1 mbps up for about 45 a month. I think what a lot of users are confused about is that the local areas where possibly YOU live in only have a few choices around. The cable industry has opened up the pipe lines of the internet to let loose the mega-band width subscriptions.
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Captain Obvious
,Reality, on Mar 31, 2009 12:33 AM
Well, while cable connections of 10 mbps are available for $55-60 per month (NOT 45), you all are missing the glaring problem here... such connections are not dedicated like T1 lines... If every console gamer starts demanding 5mbps of bandwidth, expect the shared networks to be one big sloppy bucket of FAIL.
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Brian
,Alameda, on Mar 27, 2009 08:57 PM
I think the latency of the internet will ruin this idea. Maybe all the Wii fools will go and do this, but real gamers can't stand lag... whether or not its gonna be only 1 ms (thats probably a lie, and doesn't mention the latency of the internet...). Maybe I will be wrong, but its still not looking like something i would care to do...
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warus
,nowhere, on Mar 29, 2009 03:47 PM
why does it say "So far, nine third-party game publishers, who include Electronics Arts, Ubisoft, Warner Bros. Interactive, Take-Two, THQ, Epic Games, Eidos, Atari, and Codemasters" when ther is a rockstar sign on the pic under it????
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Anonymous
,, on Mar 30, 2009 08:44 PM
Perhaps because RockStar Games is not a game publisher, but a developer? They are one of many development divisions of Take-Two, which is a game publisher and is listed on that list. RTFA before commenting next time, thanks.
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Dave
,portland, on Apr 14, 2009 12:31 AM
one of the greatest things about this would be the fact that everyone can have the same games no more ps3 only cuz im sure as hell aint buyin no ps3. p.o.s. imo. but i would miss talking to people about which systems better and comparing them. it was always nice to get together with some diehard sony fans and brawl cuz ive always been a microsoft fan. original xbox best running system ive ever had. still runs and i got it the christmas it came out.
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Scott
,Portland, OR, on Apr 03, 2009 06:42 AM
I fully see this as the future of gaming. The prospect of never having to upgrade hardware and standardization of games at top notch settings with cross platform compatibility I think are it's biggest selling points. Some are concerned with the required internet connection, but most people already have it. In my area, Comcast's standard is 12mb and that's about $45/month. The only thing I'm concerned with is lag. If there is virtually none, this will undoubtedly become the market leader
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John Paul
,NJ, on Apr 03, 2009 03:34 AM
I have commented on a few other sites on this topic. I will be watching this closely, but there are a number of items to think about. -There will always be people that want to have a "physical" or personal device - albeit a game DVD, system or storage device. -The internet connection will need to be great and how much will the service ultimately be? -What type of virus protection and how will it deal with the selling of mature games - will it ask for age confirmation? However, I have been one to say that one day video game downloads or connection will begin to replace DVDs for customers - just for the shere space saving!
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Mike
,New york, on Mar 31, 2009 05:25 PM
Theres no way this will take over the gaming community. The controllers the weirdest thing ive ever seen. Atleast this wont take away from Compettive gaming like MLG. Anyone relize u need a 5Mb connection to run this in HD...its gunna LAG..im not worried at all this will fail. no ones wants to pay more $ to there ISP just to run this game in HD
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fps pwnerer
,provo, on Mar 31, 2009 03:53 AM
it "being said" they work with internet providers doesnt mean anything. the largest issue here will be the internet connection. in the future i hope we can have more of this type of thing (ie more developers hopping on) it sounds like it can work, should be 1080p -i have 50Mb at home =p. to point out to other comments pertaining to the economy; this will probably (pretty much for sure) be a monthly subscription payment to use their services. and if your so concerned why not just give them all of your money? lol. they may not make you buy the game you want to play, which would be nice, but i doubt it. and about our history for our kids? theyre not making you turn in ur pc. and this is the future of gaming, duh. and whether or not to buy it with your internet connection, they will probably have a test, doesnt work- dont buy it. really, if it works the only threat is that of terrorist EMPing the severs.
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joey
,ithaca, on Mar 27, 2009 10:27 PM
this will never replace consoles 360 and ps3 are way better
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Christopher tho
,Southfield, on Mar 28, 2009 12:21 PM
This is a threat to gamers everywhere this means another videogame crash, please dont let this completely kill pc gaming., and this service does kill ps3 and xbox 360 because you dont need hardware meaning you cant get disc read errors or rrod's or hard drive failures causing the action to stop but if unchecked this new device will destroy the hard built gaming community, the end of gaming is near omg. soon after this device dominates dev's will only program games made to run off this onlive system meaning we will never physically have games again meaning we cannot share our past with our children. video games and computers share our memories they are great to pass down to a new generation espeically since they can teach about the past and how the future is going to look. DEAR GOD PLEASE DONT LET THIS THING DESTROY MY BABY.
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Tom
,San Francisco, on Mar 28, 2009 01:05 PM
ATM this service only covers the pc games, it cant take over existing console communties with existing supported premium content sources. This is just a new way to get your game on. A gamers tivo.....
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Louis
, York, on Mar 30, 2009 11:14 PM
Erm i think this is better than consoles..... 1. You dont need the hardware which can RROD 2. It can handle FAR FAR FAR better graphics
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warus
,nowhere, on Mar 29, 2009 03:21 PM
Why is there a rockstar games logo in the picture?????
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Anonymous
,, on Mar 30, 2009 08:46 PM
Because Take-Two, the company that publishes RockStar's games (and may own RockStar I'm not sure) is listed as a publisher already signed on to use this service.
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Brian
,Casselberry, on Mar 27, 2009 09:43 PM
This will never be viable. The client has to send input the server first which means that there will ALWAYS be extended time between when the player presses a button and sees his/her character move on the screen. This would be detrimental for an fps imo.
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JHALE
,Somewhere, MO, on Mar 30, 2009 07:07 AM
OnLive creators boast that their proprietary compression technology will result in lag time of less than one millisecond. It's being said that OnLive creators have closely worked with the cable and Internet service providers for total elimination of the data packet loss. Re-read the above statement, I think you missed out on that part. Think about it for a second, would you please?
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JHALE
,Somewhere, MO, on Mar 30, 2009 07:04 AM
I suspect that you are pretty young, and don't realize how bad the economy truly is. When a father or mother looks at this for their say 10 year old kid for a hundred bucks on the shelves. Versus say a Wii at still 249.99 while the 360 Arcade has dropped to 199.00 and a PS3 at around 399.00 for a 80 gb. You do the math on what they are shooting for. Economical ways to deliver entertainment for the cheapest costs to the everyday average user. Yes you are a pro-gamer, we get that. But there are millions of young people who aren't and those parents that work from pay check to pay check will see this as an easy way out to provide decent gaming to their youngsters.
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Al Meyers
,Atlanta, GA, on Mar 29, 2009 08:59 PM
This article is misleading and ill informed. If the author was a student of history, he would understand that this will not be the death of consoles. I also suggest he understand how disruptive innovation works and would recommend he consult with Clayton Christensen to understand why I believe this new venture may have made some significant early missteps.
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JHALE
,Somewhere, MO, on Mar 30, 2009 06:54 AM
I wish Al Meyers learned to read that the article says, and I quote..."OnLive On-Demand Gaming Threat to Consoles" nowhere in this article it says "death."
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Bob
,Not Quebec, on Mar 29, 2009 03:24 PM
People think THIS will kill the console market? Hahahahaha.. Good luck selling this to the millions of people still using dial up.
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Tom
,San Francisco, on Mar 28, 2009 12:56 PM
Ok as far as the competitive and hardcore gamers go this at least now will not be a replacement. This is because of the latency created by getting the input from the player, processing it, then compressing the images (720p), and then sending it back. And lets not mention routing issues.... This is a really threat to services like GameFly!
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Douglas
,cumming, on Mar 28, 2009 09:08 AM
i think it would be a great idea can't wait for it to come out
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Enzo
,Montreal, on Mar 28, 2009 07:28 AM
Personally, it's a great idea, but it'll never fly. Internet restrictions, etc, will kill it. Plus, I prefer owning my games.
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Anonymous2
,Florida, on Mar 28, 2009 12:10 AM
Sounds like a great idea. They seem to have the answer for the Video (HD 720p which i feel is decent for a 37in screen or smaller), but what about the audio? where is the 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound?? Everyone gets caught up on the HD video stuff, but without the audio, the game experience seems dull. Nonetheless, its good novel concept.
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name
,moreno valley, on Mar 28, 2009 05:16 AM
its as an optical out and obviosly you can use hdmi for that too
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Greg
,chi-town, on Mar 28, 2009 04:57 AM
Yes the Game enthusiast will "be able to pump extra action with their high-end hardware." And no, games like Crysis can not be pushed from clouds at full graphical lsettings". You would need well beyond 5 megabits per scond for 1080p content. The "full graphical settings" for Crysis is 1080p or higher and yes it does make a big difference.
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xxBucdieselxx
,South Portland, on Mar 27, 2009 07:12 PM
There is no way this will replace consoles. It really doesn't even seem like any more of a threat to the video game market than, anything else that has come out in the last decade. Plain and simple, the graphics will not be better than what consoles have out today. Every article I have read on this, if the writer has used the system, has said they were willing to comprimise on graphics. There wasn't a big difference but noticable enough. Also the dedicated speed at which you would need is impossible to have with todays internet structure. This is nothing more than another "feature" in the Video Game industry. It will not kill PC gaming, it will not kill Console gaming (if nothing else that personally I believe people like to have something tangible when they buy a product, whether it be a download or disc), it is just another facet of the video game industry. Great concept, but those touting it poses a threat to PC or Console games, need to seriously rethink their position.
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Bearjazz
,Lindenhurst, on Mar 27, 2009 06:41 PM
Wow, that's not exactly like Steam in almost every way.
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Deciphile
,Chicago, on Mar 27, 2009 06:57 PM
Yeah it's pretty much not. They are streaming all the game content from their servers.Nothing is downloaded to your PC. You play instantly instead of waiting for the game files to be downloaded and then installed. Sounds like a win-win to me. Developers only need to produce 1 set of binaries and the player gets full graphical gaming regardless of what kind of hardware their PC has. this will be the best gaming ever provided they can pull it off and with the major league developers they already have signed, it's a good indicator that they will.
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