OnLive to start Cloud Gaming Service
By Usman Aziz | March 24th, 2009Onlive game distribution network announced a Cloud Computing Gaming service , which will enable users to play games without the need of gaming hardware or consoles. The games can be played on Windows and Macintosh Computers or High Definition Televisions. This new venture will revolutionize the gaming world by removing the need of buying new generation consoles or updating PCs continuously in order to play new gaming titles.
The new technology uses Cloud Computing to render and compute audio and video on Super powered Cloud Servers and streaming the data to the user over a broadband connection, while maintaining real-time gaming experience.
The Cloud Servers will be able to run games available on any console or PC and will be able to deliver high performance and high graphics quality, all while needing no extra hardware other than a TV or a simple computer.
This whole is not just a fantasy theory, OnLive demonstrated the Crytek’s ‘Crisis’ running smoothly from the Cloud Servers, with only 1 mpbs internet download bandwidth for smooth gaming and 5 mbps bandwidth for HD Resolution gameplay.
Some major game developers such as Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, THQ, Epic Games, Eidos, Atari Interactive and Codemasters have already joined with OnLive to deliver this new gaming system technology.
Another benefit of Cloud gaming is massively multiplayer environments where thousands of players can join a single game and can enjoy gaming without any lag or communication problems, all while chatting and video conferencing.
The OnLive gaming system is expected to be released by the end of this year. The users will be charged monthly, but the prices are not announced yet. The gamers playing on their Windows or Macintosh computers will need no extra hardware to join, whereas the gmaers using HDTV will need to have a small Microconsole which will connect the HDTV with broadband for the connection.
According to Chief Operating Officer OnLive Mike McGarvey:
“You’ve got choice, you’ve got value and your performance is always state-of-the-art and you’re getting all the best games,”
“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,”
“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.”
