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deanb
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So I just tried it on my 47" 1080p TV (lunch break), and while I still think it's too muddy it's not nearly as bothersome as it was on the PC. However, the latency was still pretty bad, bad enough to make Dirt 3 unplayable. I ended up weaving back and forth across the road because of latency between when I corrected for the car's motion, when that correction took effect, and when I saw its effect.

 

And here's a speed test I ran immediately after I quit playing to show that it's not my connection that's at fault for that:

 

1503114429.png

 

If I can't play it on a connection that's faster than 92% of the US then the tech isn't quite there yet, though on a slower game (like Tropico mentioned in the article) the latency wouldn't be an issue. I would play Civ V or Tropico on this, and MAYBE something like Arkham Asylum or Assassin's Creed, but I wouldn't play Battlefield 3 or Need for Speed.

 

As for the visuals, while they weren't as troubling on the TV as they had been on my monitor, they were still significantly worse than a 360 or PS3. You know how some games *cough*Arkham Asylum*cough* will have in-engine cutscenes that are for some reason pre-rendered instead of rendered live and so they're blocky and blurry? That's what this looks like whenever anything is moving very much (slow movements are okay). Again though this would only manifest in fast-paced games and wouldn't be (as much of) an issue in something like Civ V. And the graphics were fantastic, with all the fanciness and everything turned on. It's kind of weird, the contrast between those two. It's like playing on a crazy high-end PC with really dirty glasses.

 

All of that said, I agree with the RPS assessment that if I were a console-maker this would have me worried. Though the visuals aren't up to snuff and the latency is too much for anything that requires fast or precise movements/reactions this service is new and it will surely improve with time. And the fact that it completely eliminates piracy has to make it really attractive to game publishers.

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My internet connection is just not good enough for onlive. I can play it, but there is a slight feeling of lag when playing. Its not game changing at all, but it feels like I'm disconnected. I feel like I'm sending my buttons through the internet to the server and then it responds sends it back to me. I know thats how Onlive works, but if I were to play it, I want to feel like I'm playing it on my computer, not on a service.

 

If Charter (who I want to change for fios, but living with parents and not having to pay for internet means I get no say) ups my internet speed or we upgrade to something better, then I'll give it another shot. If it works perfectly, then I'll probably buy the tv controller when I can. I prefer gaming with a controller on my TV

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See the UK version may have the upper hand in that our internet infrastructure a tad better, Onlive have tied themselves up with BT, which supply the backbone for every ISP out there except Virgin Media, and in the US they have data centers that cover 1000 miles. The UK is 874/603* miles from Lands End to John o' Groats

 

*as the crow flies

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Yeah, the UK definitely has the advantage of not being so spread out, which would certainly help with the latency. And since the latency is my biggest complaint if they fixed that I would seriously consider subscribing.

 

@madbass: I agree with the preference for controller. When I used it today I plugged my wired 360 controller into the laptop I was using. My laptop really was functioning exactly like a micro-console.

 

Another thing I'll add: the OnLive PC client has great support for the 360 controller, down to the guide button bringing up the OnLive overlay.

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  • 10 months later...

By now, most of you have probably seen or heard the news that OnLive was apparently on the verge of bankruptcy. Then they were bought out and received "substantial funding".

 

I feel sympathetic towards those who won't be regaining their jobs but I can't say I didn't call it back when it was first announced. The world just isn't ready for something like OnLive to succeed as much as it has to. If it remains alive, I'd be very surprised. There are things I like and dislike about cloud gaming but man, the RPS comments section for these articles turned into a giant hobo wearing a sign that read "The end is nigh!"

 

DLC was going to screw every single one of us in every single game back when it first came out. Consoles were going to kill the PC. DRM would spread like a forest fire in the outback and no-one would be safe from it. THE WORLD IS FUCKED! THE WORLD IS FUCKED!

 

Is nowhere safe from doomsayers these days? It's as if the majority of the internet are Fox News viewers and Daily Mail readers.

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One word: latency. Anything even remotely action-y was completely unplayable here because of the latency. That's a product of the US being so big though I think so the servers were far away, and it wasn't as much a problem on the coasts or in the UK.

 

Apparently although they claimed they had 2 million users (based on total accounts created) their peak simultaneous user count was something like 1800. (*Edit* - That was average, not peak.)

 

DRM would spread like a forest fire in the outback and no-one would be safe from it.

 

Kind of that happened...

Edited by TheMightyEthan
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DRM would spread like a forest fire in the outback and no-one would be safe from it.

 

Kind of that happened...

 

Well, it burned most the forest but the razing of that caused the remainder to put on fire-retardant clothes and set up a fire brigade.

 

....I think the analogy got away from me there so I'll be clear about what I'm getting at. With DRM, the backlash was so great that it caused many developers to avoid it in favour of keeping their customers happy while also giving birth to a strong and passionate movement to prevent DRM from becoming too encroaching. Granted, the fire is still raging so we have yet to see the final outcome but it certainly didn't take the whole forest with it as many decried back at the start of it all.

 

I view cloud gaming in a similar light. While I can envision a future where cloud gaming, under whatever name, is the dominant method of games distribution, I don't ever see it becoming the only method. There'll always be those who avoid it and provide alternative methods, whether for greed or altruism.

Edited by MasterDex
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  • 1 year later...

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-03-05-after-18-months-of-silence-game-streaming-service-onlive-returns-with-cloudlift

 

Onlive returns. Now with the streaming service of the past, and "CloudLift" which ties in with your Steam account to stream the games you own on Steam (and they'll sell Steam keys too). No longer doing individual game sales (though you keep on games if you had them previously.)

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