Mike Bantick
Saturday, 13 March 2010 13:16
Opinion and Analysis
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It was the Game Developers Conference in 2009 were online cloud based gaming service OnLive first announced their plans to rid the world of video-game consoles. GDC 2010 OnLive is ready to announce pricing and imminent go-live dates.
At the 2009 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, new company
OnLive announced their plans for a cloud-based form of in-home video gaming. This removed the need for a sophisticated piece of gaming hardware, as well as the requirement to run down to the game-store for the latest release on disc.
Instead OnLive asked us – or to be exact, North American residents – to ensure adequate internet bandwidth was available to the home. OnLive would take care of the rest, providing AAA gaming titles in High Definition, fully patched and ready to play either solo or with other well connected American families.
At the 2010 GDC, OnLive announced pricing plans and release dates for the service, which has been in closed beta testing for some months now.
The service will cost US$14.95 per month, which will be waived for the first three months for the first 25,000 folks to sign up.
"Individual titles will be available for purchase or rental on an a la carte basis. Specific game pricing, including rentals,purchases and loyalty programs, will be announced prior to the consumer launch event at E3. We’ll also be announcing additional loyalty and discount programs for consumers in the coming months." COO Mike McGarvey
told gaming magazine MCV.
OnLive has garnered significant backing from major game developers around the world and plans to launch the service with games such as Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed II and Prince Of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, as well as THQ’s Metro 2033.
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