Apollo Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Alright, I don't know if you guys saw on the web but there is alot of buzz going around for OnLive. OnLive is basically streaming video games. They use servers on their side and the client just runs an app on his PC or Mac (they also have a 199 set-top box that you can use for a tv) and you can stream any video game they have on their servers. Pricing is unknown and currently there are going to be 16 games released. ETA Winter 2009. OnLive Official Website OnLive Wikipedia Article Engadget Article Here is my question to you... Do we have another Phantom Entertainment? Yah you remember the guys that wanted to start basically what Steam is now and I think they have somekind of super awesome keyboard mouse combo thing. If I'm not mistaken, they are going to have to have basically a gaming grade computer amount of hardware in their servers for each person that subscribes....am I right? Plus HD gaming would run around 4-5 MBps which means that if 100,000 people were all playing Crysis on their servers which would be a really low estimate if it had the players of any one of the current gen systems or PC (my system of choice :)) they are going to have to be uploading massive amounts of data constantly. I think it is a good proof of concept but I don't think it will catch on or they will figure out that it is not economically viable in terms of shear amounts of hardware and bandwidth (idk how server farm bandwidth works lol so I don't even know how their payment works). I don't know, askin for opinions on this one. I mean I lag on YouTube videos and I have to download Hak5 most of the time just to watch and I am running on a College network with 3Mbps (constantly) down 40Mbps up. I mean I can download torrents (legal ones) at 5MBps, on a home network....I just don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhollyMindless Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 They've certainly done more useful work than Phantom ever did. But a quick review: High server costs Custom Hardware Server capacity Huge bandwidth Inability to control customer connection quality Tells me that there is going to be an entry cost that will keep out the "casual" user just as much as building your own gaming rig. It'll be a hard sell to get $20/mo subscription (Just a WAG - Wild Assed Guess) and then "RENT" games to people. I can't see it hitting big even if it makes it through it's first year. Although given all the love that Jaffe had for a "single console" paradigm, this is the best bet. This would also likely make for better PC gaming as we won't get as many XBOX 360 ports of games on the PC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nullArray Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 It's going to be too expensive for a casual player, and the hardcore will already have a machine. The amount of money they'd be paying for expensive machines + bandwidth would be insanity. The technology, if it exists, is still pretty neat. They say, "lag free" but I can't see how a twitch multiplayer FPS will ever be playable..., when even 500ms lag from my computer means life or death, imagine that (OnLive connecting to the server) + streaming the video to my computer. Even things like twit.tv or Minnesota Public Radio over the internet are seconds behind. So it would have to be used only for games like the Sims,... which are casual, which will be too expensive for the casual player. It's a cyclical clusterfuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swathe Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I think it will be a flash in the pan and be over just as quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linton Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I think it will be a flash in the pan and be over just as quickly. That was my first thought, but what about the video compression system and the servers they describe in this video? http://blog.toptenreviews.com/?p=2398 If anyone can dig up any specific information on how this system works, please post it. edit: Found this article and it had some more info. http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/5...ote-gaming-isn- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vector Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 old story is very old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apollo Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 That was my first thought, but what about the video compression system and the servers they describe in this video? http://blog.toptenreviews.com/?p=2398 If anyone can dig up any specific information on how this system works, please post it. edit: Found this article and it had some more info. http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/5...ote-gaming-isn- So what you are saying is that instead of the crisp clean graphics with no artifacts or whatever I get on my PC now, it is going to look like an avi rip of a movie? Not really my cup of tea, I like to see the game for what it is supposed to be, oh and sorry Vector for bringing this one back up....my bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.