Ed
03-26-2009, 07:33 PM
Article From: http://loot-ninja.com/2009/03/26/gdc09-onlive-hands-on/
GDC09: OnLive Hands-On
http://loot-ninja.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/onlivemain3-499x299.jpg
I spent some time this morning playing around with the OnLive service and talking to a few representatives at their booth on the GDC show floor. By now,we’ve all heard about the service (http://loot-ninja.com/2009/03/24/gdc09-rearden-studios-introduce-onlive-game-service-and-microconsole/) that is supposed to revolutionize gaming. It certainly has the potential, and based on what I saw, I would get in day 1 (depending on cost of course).
There weren’t too many games available to play as of yet, since the service was just announced. I got a bit of hands on time with Burnout Paradise and Bioshock; both looked and played great at 720p. I’m sure Burnout Paradise was chosen as a showpiece due to its extremely fast paced gameplay where any slowdown would be easily noticeable. According to the reps, everything was running from their server farm off site. With some not-so-fast internet connections here at the Moscone Center, I find that a bit hard to believe. Either way, I noticed absolutely no slowdown or any indication that the game was not running locally, which is the biggest thing that needs to be right about the service.
The menu system is fantastic. Hitting the center controller button brings you from your game back to the menus, which are some of the most fluid I’ve seen. You’ll see swoops and sweeps as screens change as well as running video on tiles representing the games you can play. One of the cool features displayed was ability to take 10-15 second clips of action in games you play to upload and share with friends. So the next time you get a cool combo or whatnot, you can show off your skills. The biggest feature for me, aside from the whole concept and implementation, was the Arena feature in the main menu. You can fire it up and watch any current games being played on the service. Want to see somebody good playing Bioshock or Unreal Tournament III? Check them out and learn their skills. You don’t need to own any of the games to watch what’s going on in the Arena, so it’s a great way to get an idea of what you’re buying before you drop your cash.
http://loot-ninja.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/onlivegdc0904-500x375.jpg
Speaking of dropping cash, while no pricing structure has been set, there are some very flexible models in the works. Because everything is running locally at the OnLive server farms, publishers can offer various discounts, free weekends, rental periods, etc. which would be controlled through the user account administration at OnLive. One example given by a company representative was a 4-5 hour rental of a game to get a feel to see if you’d like to buy. Rent the game right away, check it out, then decide to purchase or not. I think this concept could dramatically change how we pay for and rent our games.
My biggest concerns with OnLive are still balancing the server load and bandwidth. The last thing you want when playing a game is slowdown, and that could very well happen if too many people are logged on simultaneously or your internet connection slows to a crawl. While OnLive stated a 5 Mbps connection is needed for 720p at 60fps, you won’t necessarily need that whole connection speed the entire time. And although standard definition can be done on any 1.5 Mbps connection, if you want to play with the big boys, you need a fat pipe. With broadband proliferation in the United States not even at 50%, you have to wonder exactly how many people will really be able to take advantage of this service.
The concept delivered by OnLive is astounding and very promising. It will all depend on how well they can deliver on their promises and how much things ultimately cost. With a great team of people behind it and already seven years invested, I have a feeling this won’t be another Phantom that just disappears into the sunset.
GDC09: OnLive Hands-On
http://loot-ninja.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/onlivemain3-499x299.jpg
I spent some time this morning playing around with the OnLive service and talking to a few representatives at their booth on the GDC show floor. By now,we’ve all heard about the service (http://loot-ninja.com/2009/03/24/gdc09-rearden-studios-introduce-onlive-game-service-and-microconsole/) that is supposed to revolutionize gaming. It certainly has the potential, and based on what I saw, I would get in day 1 (depending on cost of course).
There weren’t too many games available to play as of yet, since the service was just announced. I got a bit of hands on time with Burnout Paradise and Bioshock; both looked and played great at 720p. I’m sure Burnout Paradise was chosen as a showpiece due to its extremely fast paced gameplay where any slowdown would be easily noticeable. According to the reps, everything was running from their server farm off site. With some not-so-fast internet connections here at the Moscone Center, I find that a bit hard to believe. Either way, I noticed absolutely no slowdown or any indication that the game was not running locally, which is the biggest thing that needs to be right about the service.
The menu system is fantastic. Hitting the center controller button brings you from your game back to the menus, which are some of the most fluid I’ve seen. You’ll see swoops and sweeps as screens change as well as running video on tiles representing the games you can play. One of the cool features displayed was ability to take 10-15 second clips of action in games you play to upload and share with friends. So the next time you get a cool combo or whatnot, you can show off your skills. The biggest feature for me, aside from the whole concept and implementation, was the Arena feature in the main menu. You can fire it up and watch any current games being played on the service. Want to see somebody good playing Bioshock or Unreal Tournament III? Check them out and learn their skills. You don’t need to own any of the games to watch what’s going on in the Arena, so it’s a great way to get an idea of what you’re buying before you drop your cash.
http://loot-ninja.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/onlivegdc0904-500x375.jpg
Speaking of dropping cash, while no pricing structure has been set, there are some very flexible models in the works. Because everything is running locally at the OnLive server farms, publishers can offer various discounts, free weekends, rental periods, etc. which would be controlled through the user account administration at OnLive. One example given by a company representative was a 4-5 hour rental of a game to get a feel to see if you’d like to buy. Rent the game right away, check it out, then decide to purchase or not. I think this concept could dramatically change how we pay for and rent our games.
My biggest concerns with OnLive are still balancing the server load and bandwidth. The last thing you want when playing a game is slowdown, and that could very well happen if too many people are logged on simultaneously or your internet connection slows to a crawl. While OnLive stated a 5 Mbps connection is needed for 720p at 60fps, you won’t necessarily need that whole connection speed the entire time. And although standard definition can be done on any 1.5 Mbps connection, if you want to play with the big boys, you need a fat pipe. With broadband proliferation in the United States not even at 50%, you have to wonder exactly how many people will really be able to take advantage of this service.
The concept delivered by OnLive is astounding and very promising. It will all depend on how well they can deliver on their promises and how much things ultimately cost. With a great team of people behind it and already seven years invested, I have a feeling this won’t be another Phantom that just disappears into the sunset.