OnLive [Now on smartphone and tablet!]

Radiation

Radiation

Golden Boot Winner
6 February 2006
Widnes
Newcastle United
ONLIVE LAUNCHES IN THE UK [PC]
Thursday September 22, 10:34 AM
Cloud gaming service ‘OnLive’ has finally launched in the UK. The way you buy and play games may never be the same again. Seriously...

Cloud gaming means that you don’t physically own the games you play – you don’t even need a high-end PC or fancy console to play them on. Instead, players become subscribers who merely control the action, while all the processing takes place on powerful remote servers. Access to games is practically instant, and all user inputs are effectively streamed back in near real-time.

The standard OnLive set-up costs £69.99 and consists of a slick joypad and the OnLive ‘Microconsole’. The latter, which is as tiny as the name suggests, plugs straight into your broadband router and out to your TV via HDMI. All the necessary cables are included in the box.

Alternatively, players can hook up on PC or Macintosh. A small browser download is required, and users can opt to plug in a compatible joypad – a wired Xbox 360 controller worked for us. Otherwise the service is exactly the same.

OnLive launches with a range of over 100 games, including many big name releases such as ‘Batman: Arkham Asylum’, ‘Dirt 3’, Deus Ex: Human Revolution’, ‘LEGO Harry Potter and many more. All are priced from £1.99 to £39.99, but your very first purchase will cost just £1.

Three or five day rentals are an option if you’re not looking for lifetime (virtual) ownership. However, the most tempting offer is the all-you-can-eat ‘PlayPass’, which gives unlimited access to most games in the OnLive library and costs just £6.99 a month. BT Broadband customers are offered the first three months absolutely FREE.

Speaking of freebies. OnLive is giving away the Microsconsole package at this weekend’s Eurogamer Expo – Earls Court, September 22-25. Stocks are limited, though, so act quickly to avoid disappointment.
So what are the catches with OnLive? They’re very few, in fact. Users will need a moderate internet connection – a 3MB line is recommended – there’s no SCART output for older model TVS and the service is not supposed to be used by players under 13 years of age. The upsides are that it’s cheap, easy to use, most games have free demos and any there’s very little lag between player inputs and the on-screen results.

We’ve been using OnLive for the last week and we’re pleasantly surprised by how well it works – see our hands-on report for our full impressions. Better still, sign up at OnLive.co.uk and try it out for yourselves.

http://uk.videogames.games.yahoo.com/5e/news/onlive-launches-in-the-uk-67915e.html


8 DECEMBER

eml_hdr_Mobile_06.jpg


INTRODUCING THE ONLIVE APP!
Now you can experience console-quality gaming on your Android tablet and smartphone. Launch a top-tier game anywhere. Play it everywhere.

Experience top-tier games on your tablet: No more flinging birds.
Pick up your games anywhere: Play over WiFi or your mobile network.
Play via touch or controller: Play select games via touch, or play them all with the Universal OnLive Wireless Controller. Learn More

Download the FREE OnLive app for Android now and get LEGO Batman: The Videogame free!* More Tablets and Phones Coming Soon!

http://news.onlive.com/rd/9z1zjhcu84ncmphep7f9l46ofjad4krsct6cdaja64g
 
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Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

Sounds brilliant, when using the TV do you have to have it plugged into the router aswell? so you can only play on a TV next to the router?
 
Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

Sounds interesting. I've been getting involved a bit in cloud computing at work but hadn't thought about it being used as a platform for gaming.

It'll be interesting to see how this develops and how long before the likes of EA some find way of scamming more money out of us than if we'd bought a physical copy of a game.
 
Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

Looks brilliant. My Mac isn't good enough for gaming, so to have the ability to play most games with ease and very reasonable pricing will do just fine.
 
Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

I got this yesterday and got very excited (and carried away on Facebook! LOL).

Worked flawlessly on my MacBook Pro - no lag, everything was fast and looked good. I went ahead and ordered the Micro Console straight away (*nervously looks out of window... nope, still no delivery*)

This will be the future!
 
Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

Where did you buy it from? I've had a quick look around and I've only found mentions of it being sold on game and gamestation websites. It makes it sound like its not for sale in stores yet.

I'm gagging for one.
 
Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

Had a US account for a while now but obviously had difficulty connecting to their servers most of the time.

Tried it yesterday on the UK servers and was impressed. The service seems really good and its community features are almost as good as Xbox LIVE. It was a bit dodgy yesterday in terms of network dropouts and graphical glitches but thats probably due to the server being bombarded by all the new owners.

I reckon the micro console will be really good especially with a wired connection. Its great that the controller works with Macs, PC's, iPads, iPhones and Android tablets. I can really see this taking off, especially if they have good regular deals like Steam do. It seems to me at least as a great way to enjoy PC gaming without the hassle of expensive setups and the ability to play it on a variety of devices everywhere is a great idea.
 
Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

If you pre-order the new Saints Row, they email you a promo code to get the Microconsole for free (well you pay £6 delivery).

The service is great and works very well - the quality of the video stream could be better though but I'm hoping it might be via the Microconsole (Lovefilm streams on PC are pants, via the PS3 they are much better).

Plus Deus Ex Human Revolution for £1 and playing within minutes? Awesome :)
 
Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

just downloaded the pc app and played it via that. My gamertag is KRadiation if anyone wants to add me.

Amazing. And thanks for that link, sounds like a great deal. i just hope the game isnt as poor as SR2 was on the pc
 
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Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

Ordered the Micro Console from the OnLive site itself - order has been processed but no sign of it shipping yet. Might drop them a mail over the weekend as said it would 'ship within 1 day' - but too be honest, I wasnt expecting it what with it being day 1 launch.
 
Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

Ah right.
I bought the Playpack for £6.99.... only to then find that my £1 for your first purchase offer vanished. Seems if you don't use that first it's gone.
I jumped on the online chat support thing though and minutes after the screw up they emailed me a code for a 97% discount. I've just picked up Splinter Cell for 39p !

I've pre ordered Saints row 3 too now and used the code for the free console. I got the email saying it;s processing but that's it so far. Does anyone know if the console actually adds anything to the image quality or things like that or if it's basically just a way of putting the service onto your tv screen?
 
Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

Its just a way of accessing the service via your TV Rad. However the micro console doesn't have built in Wi-Fi. You can only use it with a wired ethernet connection. They say that a wired connection is the best set up and will improve upon substantially any latency, lag and graphical issues you might have experienced on a wireless connection.

Two good things about the micro console package are that firstly you can use the wireless controller with a variety of devices and secondly the micro console has USB ports, so you can plug in a wired 360 controller or PS3 controller and those will work too. Not only that but USB hubs work so you can play local multiplayer too.
 
Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

That's what I thought, it just linked the two... Though it seems a tad expensive for basically just a box that links your router to your tv. I like how small and almost plug in and play it will be though... should be amazing for taking round to a friends house, wiring it up and having a play.

Random thoughts.

The notice when people are spectating you is really off putting. Not the actual message but just knowing that people are watching you. I love it though. Earlier I was playing splinter cell when Pbb and some random person started watching me... I threw a grenade and it clipped the car I was taking cover behind, dropped at my feet and blew me up. Apart from me being daft and killing myself, I loved knowing that someone just randomly happened to be watching me as I did that and probably either laughed at me or face palmed.


On the subject of the playpack.
Does anyone have any recommendations from the list of games outside of the obvious big name games?
 
Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

Radiation said:
That's what I thought, it just linked the two... Though it seems a tad expensive for basically just a box that links your router to your tv. I like how small and almost plug in and play it will be though... should be amazing for taking round to a friends house, wiring it up and having a play.

Random thoughts.

The notice when people are spectating you is really off putting. Not the actual message but just knowing that people are watching you. I love it though. Earlier I was playing splinter cell when Pbb and some random person started watching me... I threw a grenade and it clipped the car I was taking cover behind, dropped at my feet and blew me up. Apart from me being daft and killing myself, I loved knowing that someone just randomly happened to be watching me as I did that and probably either laughed at me or face palmed.


On the subject of the playpack.
Does anyone have any recommendations from the list of games outside of the obvious big name games?
Click to expand...

Some other things;

1) I'm sure the box comes with WiFi - sure thats in the tech specs, unless I've read it wrong and it says you can connect a wired bridge -> wiresless router?

2) I've heard that the box does greatly increase quality though (prob due to the wired connection).

3) The controller looks great and has a dedicated 'brag' button on it to save your clips **

4) That moment you described was very funny - I'd literally just joined you and you blew yourself up. I knew you must have laughed or something as it popped up (or made a camera noise?) that you'd saved it. So I then looked at your brag videos and shared it to my Facebook.

** By the way, just how awesome is the 'brag' thing? Why nobody done that before - such a great idea. If you score a great goal, or something like Rad did, single click of a button and you have saved your 10 second clip and shared it in an instant. Just brilliant.

== EDIT

Just chatting to support -

1) Dont know when they will be shipping, but they do have stock. I pressed him on it and he said they cannot comment. Sounds bit ominous.

2) Console is wired only, no wireless (though again, could connect an ethernet->wireless bridge I guess)
 
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Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

Yeah I love the brag thing. There are some great clips in the bragging section, like the NBA shot where the guy throws it from his own half and gets a basket after the times expired to the Homefront clip where someone in a tank fires a shot and gets everything right hitting a helicopter that's flying across.

I really like using the Arena too... might sound daft but just sitting watching someone playing a game and seeing how it is, is a great option to have. Before I picked up splinter cell I spent about an hour watching other people playing other games I were contemplating.

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Edit @ 19:07

Just had a look on http://onlivefans.com and found a thread about people getting their consoles. Some interesting quotes;

I got mine yesterday, freaked out, noted how heavy the console was (but tiny!). I hooked it up, and an eternity later it was done updating both the firmware and the controller. DAMN does it looks better on the console. On the TV it'd sometimes be blurry or something, but on the TV over the past few gaming sessions, I've noticed like 4 artifacts and NO blurring or lag. Spectacular! Onscreen keyboard is terrible though >_>
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Well I finally broke down and got myself a micro console, after a lengthy period of being hugely unimpressed by the software client. I am surprised at just how responsive the onlive system is for gaming. It's a wonder.

I'm a pretty big console gaming nut (lost count at 100 systems years ago), but I've been growing unhappy with the current generation. Onlive is a nice change. There are sales all the time--onlive clearly wants new customers, and wants me as a customer. I also find the policy of buying access to software more honest than the tactics that both download and disc games seem to have adopted lately.

I treat onlive as an arcade, and it treats me to games without so much as a download to wait through. Simple and nice. Though I will say that the graphics are somewhat less than what I was expecting.
Click to expand...

I just got a Second MC in the mail!? YAY ME
Click to expand...

I finally got my Micro Console today and ... WOW! It is just a way better experience than the PC client. Image quality is better, controls are better. Everything seems to be running at close to 60 fps whereas on my PC I was lucky to get 30 fps. I highly recommend that everyone get one. I am one happy customer!
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I got mine! I can't believe how drastic of a difference it is between the PC client and the micro-console. With the Owl Controller the controls feel local, I don't feel any input latency at all. The colors pop, the darks are dark, and everything just looks amazing. I plugged in some surround sound headphones into the speaker jack, and holy crap THERE'S SURROUND SOUND! Expect an unboxing video soon, and a review!
Click to expand...
 
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Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

Onlive is just going to be huge. To launch like they have, aggressive pricing, on the whole excellent technology a great set top box and controller package, a decent catalog of games and brand new releases. That was day one by the way!!

The plans they have for it are pretty amazing, dont think we've seen the surface scratched yet. I think the future of gaming is here (I said that the iPad would be a great console and a lot of people on here scoffed!) and in 12 months, onlive will be the defacto console choice for most people.
 
Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

And at the moment these games are just pc games with the graphics set to maximum. I can't wait to see some games that are made FOR onlive rather than being pc ports that were made so they could run on a load of different set ups rather than just being able to push the boundries.

No more having to go out and buy the latest graphics cards to run the latest games. Just boot OnLive up, pick the latest game and away you go. I think casual gamers will jump on... i doubt they'd want to pick up a ps4 or nextbox for £400 when onlive will be able to churn out the same kind of games at a fraction of the cost and of course a few months after those consoles are out and the pc market eclipses them in terms of graphics... onlive will be up there too without anyone having to upgrade their pc or buy more ram or fiddle around.


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Just found this nice read.
Standardized Dynamic Hardware - Why OnLive is Truly Revolutionary.


At the crux of the console vs PC debate is the issue of hardware, with each platform having its own benefits. Console hardware is standardized, allowing for greater optimization and stability. PC hardware is dynamic, changing over time and advancing by leaps and bounds. Each has its benefits, as well as its drawbacks.

Standardized Hardware

With consoles there are no major variances in the hardware. When developing a game for a specific console, developers can count on every user having the same hardware specifications. This allows them to optimize their games specifically for that hardware, squeezing as many drops of power from it as they can. This also results in an overall more stable experience, and allows them to test for possible errors more effectively.

This results is reduced costs and a lower barrier to entry for the end consumer. They can confidently purchase a console and be absolutely certain that their single investment will grant them returns for years to come. Since they're running games which are truly optimized for their hardware, hazards such as driver and OS conflicts are completely unheard of. The games have the benefit of being specifically designed for the platform they're using, resulting in an overall more stable experience.

The drawback with standardized hardware is that it's, by nature, static. A new standard may be the top of the line upon its release, but as the years pass the hardware becomes increasingly dated. This effect is somewhat mitigated through optimization, the achievement of greater performance with that same hardware through technical wizardry, but even that can only go so far. Eventually the hardware reaches its limit, and no more can be done with it.

Dynamic Hardware

With the PC you have more dynamic hardware. Unlike the static nature of consoles, PC hardware changes rapidly over time. New GPUs are released packing more power than the version that preceded it, for example. This allows for games to reach incredible heights of graphical fidelity and effects, easily outstripping that of their static console counterparts. The consumer who can afford the latest and greatest will be (theoretically) treated to the best visuals our medium can currently produce.

The downside of dynamic hardware is that it is, by nature, fluid. A developer cannot count on their consumers having the same, or even similar, hardware, and thus must ensure that their game can run on a wide range of hardware specifications. Failure to do so means locking out potential customers by selling them a game they cannot play due to their hardware limits. This reduces their ability to optimize, or tap into the full potential of any given hardware.

The varied nature of the hardware landscape also means greater potential for conflicts and bugs, since developers cannot possibly account for all of the hardware and system environments that their game will encounter. A developer cannot truly know what problems may arise until their game is released into the wild and the bug reports start coming in. What runs smoothly on person A's setup may have bugs and crashes on person B's setup, and so on.

This greater potential for instability, as well as the ever-changing nature of the non-standardized hardware environment, results in an increased barrier to entry for the consumer. The hardware, as well as the system requirements for upcoming games, changes over time, making hardware upgrades more frequently necessary if the consumer wishes to continue having the best possible experience. Consumers have to invest not only their money, but also their time to fully understand these technical requirements and upgrade their systems accordingly.

The technical knowledge required of the end consumer to effectively exist in the dynamic hardware world further raises this barrier. Whereas console owners need only consider the brand of console they're using when purchasing a game, PC owners must keep an array of technical details in mind when making their own purchases. For example, it is easy to buy a game for a console owner as a Christmas present if you know what console that person owns. To do the same for a PC gamer requires a familiarity with the specifics of that person's hardware. Grandma can hardly be expected to know what a GeForce 8800 is, or what it means when a game recommends an AMD Radeon HD 5850 or better.

So while dynamic hardware offers unrivaled power and adaptability, in the end it makes things more complicated for the developer and the consumer, and requires a greater commitment from both.

OnLive - How it Changes Everything

It used to be that a platform could only be one or the other--standardized or dynamic. It was simply impossible to have both. The reason for this is the large number of entry points one must consider. Each consumer owns one set of hardware (an entry point for their game), and this determined the overall hardware environment. With both dynamic and standardized hardware you are considering millions of individual entry points simultaneously. That is where the problems arise. All of those entry points must be identical (or very nearly so) in order for standardization to exist.

OnLive takes this concept and turns it on its head. Its very nature as a cloud gaming platform grants us something that is truly unprecedented: standardized dynamic hardware.

With OnLive, the developer must consider only one entry point: the OnLive data center. That data center is the source of all the games every OnLive customer plays. It does all the hard work behind the scenes, invisible to the end user. This changes everything, and all for the better.

Like with standardized hardware, the developer may optimize for only one specification and ensure that all of their consumers will have the same experience. Like with dynamic hardware, the specs improve over time. Cloud Gaming offers the stability and ease of standardization and the raw power of dynamic hardware. It has the strengths of both and the weaknesses of neither.

We are not seeing the full benefits of this game-changer yet because OnLive is still receiving PC ports of games that are retrofitted to run in the cloud, with varying levels of optimization depending on developer commitment. In the future, though, we will be seeing true cloud games that take advantage of the unique hardware environment that is OnLive. It will not be a case of OnLive running a modified PC version, it will be OnLive running the true OnLive version.

Imagine a game built from the ground up specifically for OnLive, designed to tap into the full potential of the data center; running on an OnLive OS designed specifically to deliver an optimal cloud gaming experience. As the tech advances, OnLive advances with it, delivering the latest performance with no additional investment from the end consumer. An infinite shelf life.

The end consumer gets the simplicity of having only to consider a brand when buying their games, as well as a minimal or even nonexistent hardware investment. The biggest investment an OnLive consumer may have to make is the purchase of a microconsole, but many OnLive users receive those things for free with a game pre-order anyway. Once OnLive starts coming pre-baked into the televisions, blu-ray players, tablets and smartphones people will buy anyway, the question of hardware will be completely removed from the consumer equation.

This previously unthinkable mixture of simplicity and power, combined with the ubiquity OnLive will achieve with its integration into net-connected electronics, will be the linchpin of a gaming renaissance. Cloud gaming will reach a wider audience while providing experiences that are impossible to get anywhere else.

The simplicity of a standardized environment without the stagnation.

The power of a dynamic environment without the cost and complexity for the end user.

All of this wrapped in a simple, cheap service that allows instant access to it all with minimal to no investment outside of the price of the games themselves.
Click to expand...

http://onlivefans.com/showthread.ph...ic-Hardware-Why-OnLive-is-Truly-Revolutionary.
 
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Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

If I was to move to a different country and pay for a VPN would I still be able to use this?
 
Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

It's great and all, but what about people who have no/cannot afford internet?
 
Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

Still think their pricing is a joke. £35 for a game you don't physically own, has no resale value and can only play if you're online. I think OnLive is a good idea but not sure it'll catch on ahead of consoles.
 
Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

I wonder what effect this will have on the current price gap between PC and console games. Particularly taking a company like EA, where this year the robbers have upped the console price of FIFA to £55 (and even charging an extra £15 or so to play it a week early....lol...£70....for last years game with tweaks), yet the PC version is a mere £30, although a lot of people will have PCs that would need to be upgraded to play it at its max settings. OnLive negates that. I expect EA will charge £55 for the OnLive version.
 
Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

DagsJT said:
Still think their pricing is a joke. £35 for a game you don't physically own, has no resale value and can only play if you're online. I think OnLive is a good idea but not sure it'll catch on ahead of consoles.
Click to expand...

I got Splinter Cell for something like 39p. [I'll just check... Right I was wrong, it was actually 31p!] I doubt I could buy it anywhere at that price so the resale value doesn't come into it.

Most of the games I've bought on the pc over the years can't be sold on because the single use code has gone, or shops just refuse to take them. So I have a big pile of pc games that are practically worthless in terms of resale... but that didn't stop me buying them. As they're pc games, I'm online anyway because the pc is turned on so having to be online for OnLive isn't an issue.
 
Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

Yes, you're playing at max settings, but it's not the same as playing in max settings locally, on your PC, because there's the issue of compressed video.

And consoles will always have exclusives, Mario, Zelda, Uncharted, God of War and so forth.

And for games like fighters and shooters where every milisecond counts, the inevitable lag will cause problems.
 
Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

They have Homefront MP on there, I think it has 32 players in the game modes and I've played it with no lag at all.
I have no idea how but it worked just like I had it on my own computer, but it looked far far better than my pc could ever handle. So "but it's not the same as playing in max settings locally, on your PC"... Well I can't do max settings locally, so this is better.

Of course consoles have exclusive games... but its obviously just a matter of time until onlive gets some of its own exclusives. Most people already have a ps3 or 360 or Wii anyway, so you just buy the exclusives you love on there.
 
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Re: OnLive Launches in the UK

Maybe you need to be a friend. Never mind, they're on my profile on OnLive if you look there.
 
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