While this was spotted by one of our forum members (Lemonhead) on Saturday, the official announcement has not been made until today. GameSpot has announced that they are changing the way that gamers can find, play and evaluate games by directly including the ability to play instant demos from GameSpot reviews.

“For as long as video games have existed, consumers have sought out information that helps them make smart purchases and get the most out of their gaming experience,” said Simon Whitcombe, Vice President, Games, CBS Interactive. “Now, the next big innovation is here: merging the editorial with the experiential. By making demos available from our review pages, GameSpot is now the ultimate one-stop destination for gamers to read reviews, news, watch videos, and actually try out the latest games.”

“By integrating OnLive-powered instant game demos, GameSpot has deepened its user experience and further distinguished itself as a premiere gaming destination,” said OnLive Vice President of Games John Spinale. “We streamline the process of sampling a game, making it an integral part of discovery and evaluation by the GameSpot reader—not a disjointed one that forces the customer to go down to the store or wait several hours for something to download to their hard drive.”

This is certainly a huge announcement for OnLive, a company looking to establish themselves in the video game industry. GameSpot is one of the most popular video game review websites on the internet. This partnership will certainly provide OnLive with much needed support, and publicity.

The following games are now available for demo on GameSpot, via OnLive’s cloud gaming service:
· Homefront Large-Scale Warfare Multiplayer
· Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction
· FEAR 3 Multiplayer
· Duke Nukem Forever
· Borderlands
· Just Cause 2
· Batman: Arkham Asylum
· Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

Plenty more will be added. OnLive allows gamers to try games for free. Gamers then have the option to purchase the game from OnLive, rent it, or do whatever they like. They can demo the game for OnLive and then purchase it for another platform if they prefer.

This partnership between OnLive and GameSpot goes both ways. OnLive will be integrating GameSpot video content such as interviews, game reviews, and more into their service.

Let us know what you think about this new partnership between GameSpot and OnLive at OnLiveFans.com Forum

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