US-based streaming games service OnLive has released new images of its micro-console and controller.
The company claims it can offer glitch-free, server-based versions of the latest triple-A titles - without the need for discs or downloading. Its micro-console allows gamers to access its online store via their TV.
However, the firm's claims have been called into question by the likes of Microsoft and Sony..
OnLive is due for launch in the first quarter of this year. See below for the new snaps.
The controller looks just like a 3rd party Xbox 360 controller (which imo isn't a bad thing), though I'm not too keen on the buttons being labelled as "live".
With today's connections, I just can't see how this is going to work. Especially over a large area. Nice idea, but as Voodoo said, a few years too early. Still, important to get the ball rolling I suppose.
Does technology have to fail before it becomes good? This is the first cloud-based console and im not sure it will revolutionise games. Did the first-ever MP3 players revolutionse music? i dont think so.. Also, the controller is horrific. One of the main ways this would work is if their was peripheral intergration across the board of the consoles. (wont ever happen though) Its ahead of its time
Did the first-ever MP3 players revolutionse music? i dont think so..
Of course they didn't, but they allowed people to improve on them and keep going forward. With technology nowadays, first generation stuff is almost always buggy and flawed. This does look like it's going to be pretty bad, but it's got to start somewhere.
As interesting as pictures of the system may be and as important as game images are it's all pointless if we don't know how much this is going to cost. As this isn't just a straight forward new console pricing is important.
The lost opportunity for second-hand games has to mean it's the cheapest form of gaming, in theory! If it's the same price as console gaming I can't say there's any motivation to change. The lack of details make me a little suspicious.
if this is going to support all the latest AAA titles or whatever, it also needs to support both the PS3 and Xbox controllers.
Also is the US interweb infrastructure already in place for this type of thing. I always saw this type of thing to be best trialed in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong etc.
Well, seeing as 360 controllers are compatible with PCs and this thing appears to have a couple of USB ports, I imagine there'll be a way of using them. Don't know as much about PS3 controllers, but there will be some clever sausage out there who can make it work, I'm sure.
I've been thinking about this, and it could work. When you play online these days, one of the players is the host, and therefore has to upload game data to each other player. Well, the problem with broadband is that download speeds are fast, but upload is still p**s poor.
With OnLive, all of the hosting will be done in their core, and you will only be uploading your key presses.
The average download speed in UK is around 2mb, which is plenty to stream a decent video signal. I personnaly have a 10mb and can stream HD perfectly.
On the downside.... They are releasing it in Q1 2010, well they better get on with the marketing, as no one I know has heard of this, and whether or not its technically possible will be irrelevant if no one knows what it is. Secondly, even with the best broadband, video streamin needs a second or 2 to buffer, meaning delayed gaming. Finally, I've heard their pricing model will be pay per play... at around £1 per game... f**k off, I'll go to the arcades thanks.
That's not what hosting means in console gaming - even though one person is hosting, all the processing is still done on your XBOX/PS3 (graphics, sound etc), there are just a few numbers whizzing round telling each player's machine what everyone else is doing. There isn't any video/graphic information being uploaded.
That problem won't be dodged by OnLive, in fact it'll probably be made worse. I'm not sure exactly how it works, but it won't be HD video streaming as that would mean incredibly fast video encoding.
I'd like to find out more about it, but I think this might be an ambitious failure that paves the way for something vastly improved in the future, probably supported by a big name.
Even if it did work, I've got absolutely zero interest in buying into a machine where I don't actually physically own the games I play. I hope onlive dies a quick death and then we can move on to other more interesting future projects(like 3d gaming for example).
That's not what hosting means in console gaming - even though one person is hosting, all the processing is still done on your XBOX/PS3 (graphics, sound etc), there are just a few numbers whizzing round telling each player's machine what everyone else is doing. There isn't any video/graphic information being uploaded.
You clearly misunderstand me, I know exactly how hosting works. I didnt mean that you stream the image/sound to other players. Everyplayer uploads their location/keypresses to the host, and the host has to then distribute the player information to every other player. For example, a 16 player game like COD, the host is uploading 15 times more data than they would have to on On-Live, as there would be no need for a user to be a host using On-Live's method.
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