Ambitious cloud gaming service OnLive is ready to come out "guns blazing" when it launches in the UK this Thursday, September 22, thanks to the "robust platform" its developed for over a year in the US.
"We haven't really talked about OnLive much in the UK yet so I don't think we deserve any credit, but soon hopefully we'll get some good reactions," he said in a recent interview.
"We started off in the US with a soft launch. We did some PR and said 'hey, this is neat and revolutionary technology', but we didn't really market or push it hard because we were still developing what it was.
"We limped out with the fundamental architecture... but we didn't have a fully robust feature set that gets everybody excited," the exec added.
"Now we have a really robust platform so we have the ability to come out guns blazing in the UK and show everybody the opportunity is huge.
"We've put [everything] together over the course of the last year and there's a library of games and a really cool feature set that other platforms can't do, such as the fact that you're playing super high-end games on a tablet for example."
In the UK, BT has the exclusive rights to bundle OnLive together with its broadband service offerings, although customers will also have the option to order directly from OnLive to run over any UK ISP.
Alongside its streaming platform, OnLive is promising "over 100 top-tier games instantly available for play via almost any broadband Internet connection throughout the UK on HDTV, PC, Mac, and iPad and Android tablets."
Membership is free, along with free access to demos for all games, exclusive mass spectator features and voice chat during any live game in play on OnLive-whether in the UK or around the world.
If you're interested, you can sign up for free at onlive.co.uk, and get priority access on the launch date with almost any PC or Mac via a small browser download, a free app on the iPad or Android tablet, or on any HDTV via the OnLive Game System.
Comments
23 comments so far...
KK-Headcharge78 on 19 Sep '11 said:
You brought a nationwide s**t hot broadband service with you? Cos right now we don't have that!
lostimage on 19 Sep '11 said:
will defo be trying this when it comes on Thursday. I had a go with the American version and it wasn't that bad. picture was clear and virtually no lag and that was coming across the Atlantic, hoping it will be even better with servers in the country
kirankara on 19 Sep '11 said:
Yip this has fail written all over it
steve_2003 on 19 Sep '11 said:
CVG Headline - 22nd September 2012 :- Onlive says "We know where we went wrong & we can improve".
Coulson1990 on 19 Sep '11 said:
Mine is going out guns blazing. As an ebay auction. Thanks for the free unit Eurogamer Expo.
WHERESMYMONKEY on 19 Sep '11 said:
Well the UKs broadband is much better than america and its been doing alright over there.
It's worth giving a whrl for the free demos alone.
RustySpoon80 on 19 Sep '11 said:
Where? I'm on a 1.5mb connection (when lucky) and I live in a major city. Thats the best I can get.
There's no way this would work for me.
Barca Azul on 19 Sep '11 said:
I think that this and Cloud is going to drive up the cost of ISP bill.
they will start charging for Data and it will become an expensive way to game, store music or watch films. it costs ISPīs millions to keep up with changing infrastructure, and in the end someone has to pay for it!
KK-Headcharge78 on 19 Sep '11 said:
Yeah you are right for ther free stuff but for me the broadband service, whilst improved, still has the proximity to s**t from a great height on many a nights gaming. All I'm saying is I currently prefer the warm feeling of having a console sat there ready for action.
This may well change....
svd_grasshopper on 19 Sep '11 said:
essentially what you are doing with this, is renting really old games...
don't see it appealing to many people, what a load of s**te.
even scumbags can afford a console and rent brand new games, with this you aren't in the gaming loop. it's like coming late to the party in a cheap, torn suit...
c3dpo on 19 Sep '11 said:
Quick question:
Does anyone know if the DL / UL used by Onlive is part of your alloweance if you have one?
Just think it could be considering you could potentially streams gigs easily in a day. I'm not capped at all, but thought I should spare a thought for my mates who weren't so luck in the post code loto
SVD: LOL Hard! But very good point sir
obscured021 on 19 Sep '11 said:
I have been playing around with onlive on and off for about 8 weeks, its good but the graphic compression and lag in games like metro needs to be fixed, I am running a 100mb connection, so are most of my friends so i cant comment about how it would run on a slow line, the lag might improve when the uk servers start up this week.
kirankara on 19 Sep '11 said:
You brought a nationwide s**t hot broadband service with you? Cos right now we don't have that!"
"Well the UKs broadband is much better than america and its been doing alright over there.
It's worth giving a whrl for the free demos alone."
Broadband in USA is better than uk( even their definition of broadband is 4mb minimum), coming in at 15th in world in 2009 survey . Uk nowhere in sight. Virgin says they are optical , but still connect to house using coaxial cable, so not optical broadband in truest sense either.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/01/news/ec ... /index.htm
nologo on 19 Sep '11 said:
i've been using the USA version (from the UK) for months now - well since it was released in the USA.
the graphics arent 100% in comparison to the actual game because of compression - i dont know if this changes when your DL speed increases - i'm on 20mb o2 connection.
the guy who says he lives in a major city and only gets 1.5mb, thats probably because you are only paying for 1.5mb! i live in the middle of nowhere in cheshire and i get 17-19mb of my 20mb.
its a good service - you don't have to buy a game, you can rent it just for a the weekend so if you fancy a blast on a game which is pc only and your pc (like mine) is a few years in the past - its a good chance to experience games. if they released Modern Warfare 2 on it, i'd probably buy that game from it. i cant stand it on the ps3/xbox because of the controller - would love to have apc which i can play it on max settings.
nologo on 19 Sep '11 said:
and what i will say to ppl who say they want an actual physical item...
wait until netflix comes to the UK, i've just returned from US - netflix is so big over there. seriously a lot of ppl have it.
onLive is basically netflix for games.
I cant remember the last DVD, CD i bought.. i only buy games because they dont allow you to buy every game on PSN.
svd_grasshopper on 19 Sep '11 said:
if your pc can't handle COD2 on max settings, time to do a bit of upgrading.
most people don't get anywhere nearer their quoted ISP speeds. i only get 2mb as well... think it is supposed to be 12mb. it all depends, the UK's network is a big sorry mish-mash. it has to be upgraded and standardised before something like this can work.
woodins on 19 Sep '11 said:
Being a bloke who no longer plays online games (more into RPG's now, as a 31yr old man I no longer have the reflexes or time to get as good at COD as I was with CS back in the day lol), I don't really have a prob with downloading my games for my 360/soon to be purchased PS3, I just wish MS and Sony would take a leaf out of STEAM's book and make the pricing a bit more beneficial for the guy who is buying the game without a box or disc. On the face of it, OnLive looks like a promising way for some peeps to play games - lag issues aside.
However . . . . . . .
Ever had your net connection go down for a few hours? Or a day? I know its rare nowadays, not like how it was when ADSL/cable was first rolled out, but it does still happen.I don't live on Emmerdale farm, more like a crappy bombed out part of South London before someone asks. It's never a convinient time when your net connection goes down, especially when your working from home like I do, but if it happened to me during important stuff like gaming, I would be freakin' livid. At least with XBL, Steam, and I assume the Playstation Network, you can still access your downloaded games even if your local area is suffering from net issues.
And what about issues from their side? XBL was down for a day only what? Two weeks ago? What If Anonymous or some group of "ethical hackers" decide to publicly expose OnLive's security weaknesses to teach them for daring to be a profit making business? What if you couldn't play those games for two weeks as they try and get everything up and running again? I'm all for a digital future (saves a finding a place to stick the box when I eventually become bored with the game) but only if I still have a lump of silicone on MY side that has a chipset and HD for when the net side issues do eventually occur.
RustySpoon80 on 19 Sep '11 said:
No I'm on Sky max. My phone line doesn't allow any faster.
gmcb007 on 19 Sep '11 said:
I really don't see it working out. Maybe in 3 years, but it's too early.
Beetle Bum on 19 Sep '11 said:
Goodbye new Ģ400 PS4.Goodbye new Ģ400 Xbox720
Hello free Onlive PC application.
f**k off Onlive payed subscription
f**k off Onlive in advance for future potential extortionate pricing once everyone is on board.
toaplan on 19 Sep '11 said:
I'm very sceptical about OnLive. I grew up playing fast-paced arcade games, shoot'em-ups requiring sharp reflexes, precision platformers like Mario, and snappy fighting games in the mould of Streetfighter II. So any kind of lag in gameplay is inacceptable. For the same reason I've been avoiding the Kinect, although it is a more interesting idea otherwise...
TheDragonDoji on 20 Sep '11 said:
OnLive are aware we're running a broadband infrastructure on 100 year old copper wiring yes? The Virgin connection I have may say optical but that isn't correct in the truest sense.
My internet drops in and out twice a week, plus I share one router with 3 others....no thanks.
Down with robots on 20 Sep '11 said:
A lot of people seem to think this service is sending the whole game down the internet, when all it's doing is sending a few kb of information for each frame. Besides, the internet is not going to get slower, so getting it up and running now means that in a few years time it may very well be the best way to play games. I'm going to give it a try anyway.