GDC 09: OnLive Introduces Video Game Streaming
March 25, 2009 by Ruibo
Tired of waiting for your game to download before you can really blast off? Well, OnLive is here to solve just that, the next-generation “cloud” technology that will take gaming to a whole new level– at least that are their hopes.
Just announced at GDC, OnLive is an on-demand gaming service. Everything is computed, rendered and housed online. In simplest terms, your controller inputs are uploaded to the server and inputs back the results. A video stream of the outputs are sent back to your computer. Similar to how Youtube works for games.
The service works with pretty much any Windows or Mac machine as a small browser plug-in. Optionally, you will also be able to purchase a small device, called the OnLive MicroConsole, that you can hook directly into your TV via HDMI, though if your computer supports video output to your TV, you can just do it that way instead.
To be able to actually make tihs happen, OnLive has worked diligently to overcome lag issues and a video compression algorithm to quickly stream the video back to your screen. A fast connection is quired on your end, a 1.5 mbps is required for standard-definition video (480p) while a 5.0 mbps connection is required for HD (720p).
You will probably never be able to play the game exactly the way it is on your own machine but current delay is approximately 1 millisecond. Nothing you can really notice. Best part is that you won’t need a dedicated hardware to play the game and you will not need to continuously upgrade your computer considering the fact that the game is actually on their computer and all you’re receiving are the video outputs.
As for the optional MicroConsole, give or take is about the size of a PSP game box and maybe twice the height. Comes with two USB inputs, a mini-USB port for power, optical audio outputs and HDMI video output. There is also Bluetooth support for voice or wireless devices. The console is expected to be no more than $100, and a $50 price tag is certainly not out of the question.
In regards tot he service itself, OnLive will work as a paid subscription service similar to Xbox Live. Pricing hasn’t been discussed yet but once connected online you’ll have access to many cool features. An easy video recording/bragging option similar to DVR, friends list, demos, friends list, and much more.
Many publishers have already included their games onto the service including EA, Take-Two, Ubisoft, Epic, Atari, Codemasters, Warner Bros and Eidos. Some games includes Crysis, Burnout Paradise, and GTA 4. OnLive is going to have an open (invitational) beta sometime during the summer and plans on fully launching their system late this year.
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