GDC 2009: Will OnLive change PC gaming as we know it? [Update]

Posted Mar 24th 2009 12:00AM by John Callaham
Filed under: Downloads, Hardware

There's yet another entry in the already crowded list of PC game online services that will be formally introduced at the Game Developers Conference this week. However info about the service, called OnLive, has already started to hit the Internet. And from the looks of things this venture, if it is successful, could change the face of PC gaming and perhaps console gaming as well.

VentureBeat reports that OnLive has developed a variation on "cloud computing" that will enable PC owners with broadband connections to play advanced PC games with high end graphics with little to no downloading. All of the processing for the game itself is handled via a server farm and is then sent to a PC with an advanced compression technology (although exact details on how all this works is still something of a mystery). The service is scheduled launch before the end of the year with a monthly fee (a la Xbox Live) and a number of publishers such as Electronic Arts, THQ, Take-Two Interactive, Codemasters, Eidos, Atari, Warner Bros., Epic Games and Ubisoft plan to offer games for the service.

The big question is: Will this actually work? The company plans to show 16 games played live using the OnLive service at GDC this week. If this takes off not only could console companies be concerned but also high end PC game rig companies might be affected. Since PCs with even poor hardware could run high-end games via OnLive there may not be a need for such rigs anymore . . .

. . .again, if it actually works.

Update: Our sister sites Joystiq and GameDaily have more details on the OnLive service.

Tags: gdc-2009, onlive-game-service, rearden-labs

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Sounds like it'd be a really expensive service to maintain if it becomes popular.Posted at 12:24AM on Mar 24th 2009 by Einhanderkiller

As with all subscription models to come before it, I prefer to own my games rather than rent them.

...bysmittyPosted at 7:35AM on Mar 24th 2009 by bysmitty

I wonder how Microsoft, AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA feel about all this. With people continually buying new hardware and software to play the latest games, they all have a vested interest in the PC gaming market as it is now.Posted at 9:28AM on Mar 24th 2009 by Mark

First thing I thought was, wow, time warp! Here comes Dragon's Lair again!

Only places I see this possibly working are in the major cities with really good broadband services.
Posted at 5:12PM on Mar 24th 2009 by Gomer

OnLive is actually powered by AMD's Fusion Render Cloud supercomputer system. I guess the company feels that a subscription based model will offer better long-term profits than constantly trying to improve video technology with diminishing returns.

I agree with bysmitty, I'll want to actually own my games instead of subscribing to a video stream. But since there's no GameFly-like rental service for the PC, nor do most stores take returns, this could be a great way to try out a game before deciding on whether you want to buy it.Posted at 12:34PM on Mar 25th 2009 by Steven Wong

This feels a lot like that guy a decade or so ago that said "I can stream TV-quality movies over a 14.4k modem!" and gave demos where he actually had a hidden network cable running it over 10baseT. I'm not saying it *is* a scam, but it sure smells like it.Posted at 8:58PM on Mar 26th 2009 by James