OnLive Cloud Gaming Goes Live in the UK
OnLive cloud gaming goes live in the UK today after a year of operating in the US.
OnLive is the equivalent of a games console hosted in the cloud and is set to revolutionise how video games are played, bought and consumed.
OnLive allows a variety of devices to connect to it’s system including internet enabled TV’s and soon, more portable devices such as the iPad and the Android tablets.
You don’t need a games console in your living room anymore and because all of the OnLive processing power is hosted in the cloud, it doesn’t matter if you are accessing on a low spec machine.
The only fly in the OnLive ointment is of course the speed of your internet connection and the capacity of OnLive to deliver their service to millions of people at the same time.
OnLive insist that they have learned from their year of providing the service in the US and have everything in place to ensure that the UK service runs smoothly.
OnLive use some sophisticated compression techniques to make sure that any game played is as the developer intended.
However, I would recommend that you have a broadband connection capable of at least 2Mb/sec and it’s probably best to over 4Mb/sec.
Time will tell whether OnLive takes off but it represents another example of how cloud computing is set to change our lives.
There is no doubt that OnLive has multiple benefits, no expensive hardware to purchase & then upgrade (and/or fix, £100 + labour to fix my PS3!) being the most obvious. The OnLive technology will be automatically upgraded without you having to get involved at all.
I also think the OnLive renting model is much cheaper than the previous model of games buying that serious gamers were used to (console games can be upwards of £50, anyone remember the £1.99 8 bit computer days?!).
OnLive costs at the time of writing
- Free to register an account and play demos
- Monthly PlayPack subscription £6.99 a month
- Individual games from £1.99 and upwards
- Special launch promotion: first game purchase £1 (Deus Ex: Human Revolution anyone?!)
- Micro-console & controller (not needed if hardware is internet connected) is available for £69.99
OnLive: UK Launch Titles (Click Arrow)
AC-130: Operation Devastation
Advent Rising
Alarm for Cobra 11 Nitro
Alien Shooter: Vengeance
Alien vs. Predator Classic 2000
Aliens vs. Predator
Alpha Prime
Alpha Protocol
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
A.R.E.S.: Extinction Agenda
Around the World in 80 Days
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Deluxe Edition
Assassin’s Creed II
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Bloodrayne 2
Blowout
Borderlands
Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition
Braid
Brain Challenge
Ceville
Conflict: Denied Ops
Darksiders
Darkstar One
Defense Grid: Gold
Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Dimensity
DiRT 2
DiRT 3
Disciples III: Renaissance
Divinity 2: The Dragon Knight Saga
Doc Clock: The Toasted Sandwich of Time
Dracula 3: The Path of the Dragon
Duke Nukem Forever
Elements of War
Elizabeth Find, MD: Diagnosis Mystery
Evil Genius
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
F.E.A.R. 3
Faery: Legends of Avalon
Fate of the Pharaoh
Fishdom 2
Flatout 2
Frontlines: Fuel of War
GearGrinder
Glyph 2
Grand Ages: Rome
Hitman: Blood Money
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
Homefront
Homesteader
Infernal
Just Cause
Just Cause 2
Kane & Lynch 2
King’s Bounty: Armored Princess
King’s Legacy
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
LEGO Batman: The Videogame
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
Luxor 2
Madballs in Babo: Invasion
Mafia II
Men of War: Red Tide
Metro 2033
Mini Ninjas
MLB 2K10
MX vs ATV Reflex
NBA 2K10
NBA 2K11
NecroVision: The Lost Company
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Ninja Blade
Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee
Osmos
Pathologic
Patrician IV
Port Royale 2
Prince of Persia
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlord
Red Faction Guerrilla
Red Faction: Armageddon
Remington Super Slam Hunting: Africa
Royal Envoy Premium
Saints Row 2
Shatter
Shaun White Skateboarding
Shellshock 2: Blood Trails
Silent Hunter 5: Battle of the Atlantic
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
Star Wolves 3: Civil War
Super Granny 6
Supreme Commander
Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance
Syberia II
The Ball
The Bard’s Tale
The Maw
Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X
Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction
Tomb Raider Anniversary
Tomb Raider: Legend
Tomb Raider: Underworld
Trapped Dead
Trine
Tropico 3
Tropico 4
Unreal Tournament III
Vegas: Make it Big
Virtua Tennis 2009
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II Chaos Rising
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
Wheelman
World of Goo
Zombie Shooter 2
OnLive: UK Coming Soon (Click Arrow)
Assault Heroes 2
Batman: Arkham City
Bulletstorm
Call of Juarez: The Cartel
Civilization V
Driver: San Francisco
F1 2011
Fallout Tactics
Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game
Football Manager 2012
From Dust
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
Limbo
Might & Magic: Heroes VI
MLB 2K11
NBA 2K12
Operation Flashpoint: Red River
Orcs Must Die
Red Bull X Fighters, International Freestyle Motorcross
Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad
Roller Coaster Tycoon 3
Saints Row the Third
Sniper: Ghost Warrior
Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition
Trine 2
Wargame: European Escalation
Comments