al_bundy

How much does it cost

RichC2

I did free trial

edstein

Why do I need this when I have a 360, PS3, Wii and PC to game on? Surely everyone out there interested in gaming as at least one of the above. Granted the PC upgrade path is still pricey but, who is the target audience for this device?

Anubis2005X

Huh, I figured it would run like crap. Maybe I'll give it a whirl if it's totally free.

fumanstan

People who can't afford any of the above? Or has a shitty PC that can't play the most recent games? Seems pretty simple.

al_bundy

Having a shitty pc is solved by having a ps3 or xbox in most cases

And the prices are pretty high for the rent a game service

fumanstan

This is still cheaper.

Drexl

It's not for me, and I don't see it being too popular. But, it could serve a niche for those that don't want even a modest gaming PC and find consoles unacceptable.

However, that controller that comes with the micro console looks pretty good. It looks comfortable, seems to have everything laid out well, and I like how it also has media buttons.

Chew

The OnLive micro system is on sale for 33% off until the end of CES, $66.

http://www.onlive.com/game-system

al_bundy

EA just had a nice sale. there is always a sale on some good game or you can pick up an old one on ebay or gamestop for the price of renting via onlive. the full play prices are the same as buying a physical copy. and game systems double as media centers these days saving me a valuable HDMI port and money in not buying a blu ray player or more expensive TV

RichC2

What good is that if you can't play it?

fumanstan

You're not getting it.

al_bundy

even people in government projects buy game systems these days. with the current systems there is a huge selection of cheap catalog titles. and a PS3 for $299 will double as a dvd/blu ray/netflix etc player

$99 for onlive, plus renting game fees, plus dvd or blu ray player or the extra $200 for an internet enabled TV is not a cost savings. and everyone has one of the consoles so you can trade games with each other. not with onlive

it might be cheaper at first, but not in the long run. i know low income people and they would probably not buy this. the credit card requirement is a big hurdle along with good broadband and HDMI

fumanstan

Yes, it can be. There's no reason to include a DVD or Blu-player cost, we're just talking about someone looking to play a few games.

Hell, I don't even care about the service but it's definitely a cheap way to play.

al_bundy

and how is that? there is a huge selection of used/cheap $20 and under AAA games for x-box 360. why would i pay the same amount to rent or digitally buy B quality games?

without kinect you can buy a 360 for $199. and chances are i will know people i can borrow games from without having to buy anything

onlive plus the component adapter is already $130. $50 for a dvd or blu ray player and it's already the same price

fumanstan

Looking at their webpage, they're not B quality games. They have quite a few big titles. And rental prices on their site is cheaper then $20. And again, some folks don't need a DVD or Blu-ray player or already have one.

Pretty simple to me.

al_bundy

but the credit card requirement is a big hurdle. low income people i know always have a huge wad of cash but no credit or debit cards

the rental prices might be less than $20 but renting games never took off like renting movies. unless you spend all your time playing and finish every game in a few days

fumanstan

That's nice, but wasn't the point which was just that this kind of service can be cheaper then a PC or console to play games.

I don't know why you're hung up on low income folks and credit cards.

al_bundy

too bad their system requirements for the PC are higher than running some of the games directly on a PC

RichC2

Sure, if we're talking pre-1999 games.

Otherwsie that is incorrect. The thing runs on almost anything, my netbook cannot run shit in 3D but has no problem playing Assassin's Creed 2 or Just Cause 2 with OnLive, the only tight requirement is a 3mbps+ network support.

al_bundy

they say dual core CPU in one of the FAQ's. quick check on steam says that borderlands doesn't even need a dual core cpu

RichC2

Dual-core was listed under Recomended Requirements, which allows HD streaming. Also needs a 5mbps connection.

It runs fine on far less than that.

edstein

Onlive is offering a deal until March 12th if you pre-order Homefront for $50 you get a voucher for free hardware.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/27/o...game-purchase/

Drexl

I have no interest in Onlive, but that controller looks pretty good (it even has media buttons). I wonder if it works on a PC.

glassdragon

I've been messing around on this and am quite impressed. They have had tons of promos for one of their game systems if you spend 20 bucks etc. I just subscribed to their playpack which is like 56 fairly decent games and got a coupon for a free game. I got Red Faction Armageddon with it and I get absolutely no lag at all and the games look great. This really is a nice system. My only concern is how long it will be around, but with all the promo's they have it's hard not to try it.

Oh, and it loads the stream up on my system in less than 5 seconds. Less than 5 seconds and I'm playing. This goes for demos too. I tried the 30 minute fear 3 demo and it loaded in about 5 seconds.