Curse

Inde · Mar 25, 2009, 02:56 AM // 02:56

SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNET) -- Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, look out. Your traditional video game console business model may be in danger.
Popular video games like the "Grand Theft Auto" series may soon be available on a new system.

It's too early to tell how much danger, of course, but a start-up called OnLive announced a brand-new game distribution system Monday night that, if it works as planned, could change the games game forever.

OnLive, which was started by WebTV founder Steve Perlman and former Eidos CEO Mike McGarvey, is aiming to launch a system -- seven years in the works -- that will digitally distribute first-run, AAA games from publishers like Electronic Arts, Take-Two, Ubisoft, Atari, and others, all at the same time as those titles are released into retail channels.

The system is designed to allow players to stream on-demand games at the highest quality onto any Intel-based Mac or PC running XP or Vista, regardless of how powerful the computer.

The system will also stream games directly to a TV via a small plug-in device, and players can use a custom wireless controller as well as VoIP headsets in conjunction with it.

Based here in San Francisco, OnLive timed its formal unveiling to this week's Game Developers Conference, where it will be showcasing the technology and 16 initial games it will launch with.

The service is currently in a closed beta, but is expected to go into a public beta this summer, and to launch this winter.

According to Perlman, OnLive's technology will make it possible to stream the games in such a manner--high quality, no matter what kind of system the user has--by virtue of a series of patented and patent-pending compression technologies. And instead of requiring users to download the games, OnLive will host them all and stream them from a series of the highest-end servers. Users will have only to download a 1MB plug-in to get the service up and running.

OnLive is hoping to capture a significant portion of the video game market share. In February, the industry posted one of its strongest months ever, with total sales of $1.47 billion, up 10 percent from a year ago. And in February, the Xbox, PS3 and Wii accounted for total sales of 1.42 million units.

An intended benefit of this infrastructure, Perlman and McGarvey explained, is that users will be able to play streamed games via OnLive with no lag, so long as their Internet connections meet minimum thresholds. For standard-definition play, that would mean a minimum 1.5 Mbps connection, and for high-def, 5 Mbps.

That's obviously an essential feature, as it's hard to imagine anyone paying for a service like OnLive, no matter what games are on offer, if the user experience is inadequate. But the company promises that as long as users have the requisite minimum hardware, operating systems, and Internet connections, they should be able to have seamless play.

The upshot of this infrastructure model, Perlman said, is that OnLive is somewhat future-proof, meaning that players won't have to upgrade anything to keep on playing games on the system years into the future. Instead, the upgrades will happen on the back-end, with the company regularly boosting the power of the servers it uses to host and stream the games.

And while demos always have to be taken with a grain of salt, CNET News did see a real-time presentation of OnLive on at least two different computers and on a HD TV. Game play was as smooth and lag-free as advertised

So far, OnLive has yet to make its business model public, but what seems likely is some form of subscription service, where players will pay a monthly access fee and then pay additional costs, depending on whether they want to play games once, or buy them for permanent play.

The company also said that it will probably offer free trials of some or all of the games it offers, allowing consumers to decide whether they want to buy. OnLive recognizes that some players may use those trials as a way of deciding whether to buy such games from traditional retail stores, but Perlman and McGarvey suggested that as long as people are interacting with the OnLive system, they'll be happy.

It's clear that OnLive is modeling its system at least somewhat after Microsoft's hit Xbox Live service. So fans of multiplayer games won't be on their own. Rather, they'll have full access to multiplayer features of games built for them. And another interesting social feature is one that will allow users to digitally watch others play games in real time. The company thinks that users will find it exciting to watch the best players in action, even if they themselves are only kibitzing.

Perlman said that the concept of spectating in online game systems is, in and of itself, not new, but that OnLive presents the first time players will be able to look in on what others are playing without owning the games themselves.

Another social feature in the Xbox Live mold is what are called "brag clips." These are essentially 15-second replays of game action that players can share with friends if they want to show off their prowess. This is possible, Perlman said, because OnLive is continually recording the last 15 seconds of action.

All told, McGarvey said, OnLive offers a full suite of standard social features including friends, clans, rankings, leader boards, tournaments and more.

From the outset, OnLive isn't partnering with any of the first-party publishers--Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, meaning that franchises like "Halo" or "Zelda" won't be available. And that makes sense, since those companies are hardly likely to want to sign up with a company whose very technology may obviate their longstanding business models.

That means, Perlman and McGarvey acknowledged, that many players who sign up for OnLive's service will still maintain their consoles, and continue to buy games for them. At least for the rest of the current generation of machines, they said. But come the next generation, all bets are off, they said.

And for the nine--to date--third-party publishers who have committed to being involved, McGarvey said, OnLive presents a much more efficient and profitable distribution model than the standard retail structure. That's because the system is all digital, cutting down on physical distribution costs, and because it is designed to eradicate piracy and second-hand sales, both of which are banes of the publishers' existence.

Indeed, McGarvey said that OnLive has gotten strong commitments of titles from the nine publishers. That means, added Perlman, that the planned launch this winter could be accompanied by the most titles of any new gaming system launch in history.

In addition, McGarvey said publishers are eager for the kind of raw data that OnLive can provide about players' usage of the games, including whether they like or dislike games, how much they play, how they play and so on. That data is hard for publishers to collect with traditional consoles, he argued.

Clearly, OnLive has set an ambitious goal: dethroning the console makers as the game industry's kings. And as is always the case with brand-new and publicly unavailable technology, it is far too early to know whether the company or the service can live up to that goal. But if its demo is any indication, OnLive is definitely onto something, and given that the company has been in stealth mode for so many years, it's possible that the console makers will be caught off guard.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/24/o...ole/index.html

zelgadissan · Mar 25, 2009, 03:01 AM // 03:01

tl;dr (just kidding)

This sounds amazing. I'm actually surprised it hasn't been thought of - or at least attempted - before. Did I miss a cost of service or has it not been mentioned?

Unlucky Slayer · Mar 25, 2009, 03:42 AM // 03:42

As I said in IRC, it wont last much like the Sega Channel and whatnot of the past.

Winterclaw · Mar 25, 2009, 03:49 AM // 03:49

Hurray for lag on "normal" console games because your internet sucks.

Sir Skullcrasher · Mar 25, 2009, 03:31 PM // 15:31

Remeber Steam?

I'm sure everyone here has a steam account at least. This idea might work out well but knowing Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo. They might do something similar to prevent peoples from switching.

I think if the public don't jump on this idea right away (like that failure console called Gizmo) It might go away Elvis! lol

Black Metal · Mar 26, 2009, 01:01 AM // 01:01

since it's all streaming, all the computing power is done on the servers.....so the servers would need to have the computing power of thousands if not millions of pc's , if I'm imagining this correctly

also this has the markings of subscription licenses, rather than ownership, and most people savvy enough to do offsite computer gaming probably know that subscription licenses suck

street peddler · Mar 26, 2009, 01:42 AM // 01:42

so...you play games through your PC, but the game is actually running somewhere else and its just streaming to your computer?

id like to see how that works...also if this is for real it could put a nice dent in the console market. we'll see how willing the Xbro's are willing to change.

RedNova88 · Mar 26, 2009, 09:11 AM // 09:11

Incredibly ambitious, to say the least. Remember kids, there's ALWAYS a catch. It sounds so incredibly cool, being able to play video games and for once not have to worry about frame rates or lag. That's what makes me think it's too good to be true, although if it's not I'll just jump on the bandwagon and never upgrade my PC again. If it DOES turn out to be as awesome as they make it sound, it would still have one gleaming downside to those familiar with PC gaming... NO MODS! Mods can turn a mediocre game into an awesome game, or extend the replay appeal of most games to enormous levels.

Even so, if this turns out to honestly be as good as it sounds then who knows how nuts developers could go. If it becomes so popular that consoles in general are put to shame, expect to see longer and more enjoyable games because devs will have less stress when worrying about system specs. Meh, now I'm getting too far ahead of things.

EDIT: Also as zelgadissan said, we are unaware of the costs correct? If they're insane there's really no point in using their service, and it doesn't sound like it would be cheap. You have to pay OnLive some sort of monthly fee no doubt, and on top of this you have to pay for the game. Wish they would have elaborated on what their services will cost.

One question I have though. How is it even possible to run a game regardless of system specs as long as you meet the minimum to run OnLive? I mean, your computer still has to render everything on screen, correct? Would it be like running the game through a browser or something? I guess I don't understand that part of it.

EDITx2: Thanks for explaining MisterB

MisterB · Mar 26, 2009, 09:54 AM // 09:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedNova88

One question I have though. How is it even possible to run a game regardless of system specs as long as you meet the minimum to run OnLive? I mean, your computer still has to render everything on screen, correct? Would it be like running the game through a browser or something? I guess I don't understand that part of it.

The game is running on their server, and the video and audio output are streamed to your PC. It takes significantly less system resources to play back video rather than render games in 3D. The video resolution would be limited by the bandwidth of your connection.

I like the idea of instantly being able to try a variety of games, but I'm not willing to trade ownership of the games I like. I'm reserving judgment until I learn more about the service.

So, if ANet partners with OnLive, does that mean that Guild Wars 2 will have a subscription after all? At least for users of OnLive, that is.

Sir Skullcrasher · Mar 26, 2009, 07:03 PM // 19:03

One of the major problems that OnLive will be facing is if they got the resources and power to handle whatever amount of users that is going to be on their service.

Another thing is how much the subscription plans will cost us and are they going to charge per titles or monthly? Not to mention if peoples with 56k tries to play on their server, how would it affect others who had higher connections?

I liked the idea but for it to work, it will require alot of resources and planning to get it done perfectly.

Diddy bow · Mar 26, 2009, 09:02 PM // 21:02

I never thought the internet was designed well to handle online game, can it really handle something like this?

RedNova88 · Mar 27, 2009, 05:09 AM // 05:09

http://pc.ign.com/dor/articles/96559...ce_032509.html

Crazy stuff. The idea of playing games regardless of your system specs (as long as you meet OnLive's) is so baffling to the mind. This could change gaming in such a big way.

xRustyx · Mar 27, 2009, 06:02 AM // 06:02

OnLive will be amazing if it:

a) Is not an April's Fools joke.

b) Works.

komma · Mar 27, 2009, 07:27 AM // 07:27

hmmm...one big happy family?

no sir, I do not like it.

Faer · Mar 27, 2009, 07:33 AM // 07:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sir Skullcrasher

Not to mention if peoples with 56k tries to play on their server, how would it affect others who had higher connections

The same way GW players on dialup effect GW players on broadband...?

RAKtheUndead · Mar 27, 2009, 01:07 PM // 13:07

I doubt it's going to work. You see, what everybody's forgetting is that cloud computing actually isn't a new idea at all. During the 1960s right through to the 1980s, most universities and businesses used a system known as time-sharing to support several users on a single computer. It became obsolete when people realised that there was no need to tether themselves to a computer over a network, because suddenly, they had more RAM than a 1970s mainframe on their desk. My first computer had more memory than the Space Shuttle can call on now, and that was a 486SX with 4MB of RAM. My current computer could beat supercomputers from the early 1990s.

It's time-sharing with another name, and frankly, it's completely unnecessary.

ajc2123 · Mar 27, 2009, 01:16 PM // 13:16

Nooooo I only want to choose between 2 systems. We have 3, I dont want a fourth X_x. Competition is good and all but im tired of not being able to play halo cuz i have a wii, but love my super smash bros brawl!

Wait...i dont understand how you can play any game no matter what specs you have.....

DarkNecrid · Mar 27, 2009, 01:26 PM // 13:26

It all sounds well and good but the current internet infrastructure won't be kind to it, most of the time this will probably lag. Also if it actually works and becomes popular, it would pretty much cripple the PC industry even more. The two things that are helping keep the PC industry in check with consoles is its PC customization market and modding prowess and with this you wouldn't be able to use mods and customizing your PC is pointless. You'd still have Source modding from Steam and addons for MMOs, but that's about it. :\ It would definitely shrink both those parts of PC gaming considerably. In that sense, I hope it crash and burns and no one else ever attempts it.

Competition and differences between things are there for a reason, it all sounds well and good to let anybody play any game but its the videocard companies who help the videogame companies advance the industry by improving what the game companies can be capable of, take away a huge amount of their profit (seriously, who is going to buy a videocard if this becomes popular world wide? Just the OnLive people. You can run Steam & WoW just fine on a stock PC video card.) and technological advancements could slow down considerably.

Sir Skullcrasher · Mar 27, 2009, 10:04 PM // 22:04

I have a feeling this could be April's Fool Joke?

RedNova88 · Mar 28, 2009, 09:10 PM // 21:10

Nah I don't think there's any chance of this being fake. It has been talked about before in the past, so it's definitely legitimate and real. However, if it actually works out is another story, how will they handle all their customers? If this gets popular they're going to have problems. Do they have a plan to handle the potential customers that this will attract? It sure would suck for this to be all well and good, works just as they say, but the servers get so crowded that it hinders everyone.