Sign in / up

back to article OnLive

CES 2012 Week Sometimes technology just blows your mind. When I reviewed the OnLive Game System, I was impressed by the simple fact that this "cloud gaming" kit worked at all – let alone that it worked so well. Then the company invited me along to see its new iPad app and my jaw landed with a thud on the ground as they …

COMMENTS

House rules Send corrections
This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Si 1

    Been waiting for the iOS app for ages

    I suspect Apple aren't going to approve the OnLive app. It's been stuck in approval hell for so long I think there must be a problem with it. It's probably down to OnLive wanting to sell games through the interface but not wanting to pay Apple 33% on every transaction. It will be interesting to see if OnLive re-work the app or if they just give up.

    0 0
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      In-app fee

      I read somewhere else that OnLive were getting around the 30% (not 33%) fee on in-app purchases in the same way Amazon's Kindle app does. ie. You can only make purchases from the website, and not in the app.

      So whatever the problem is it probably isn't that.

      0 0
  2. b166er

    OnLive Desktop/Enterprise is on the way too apparently. A full Windows 7 desktop with apps on your tablet of choice!

    0 0
    1. KnucklesTheDog
      Reply Icon

      Ironically Windows tablets have been on sale for as long as I can remember and no one cared! It will be interesting to see if stuffing it inside a remote virtual machine will make a difference!

      Still, I think OnLive is a superb service for games. My only criticism is that some of the multiplayer games are under subscribed at the moment. I suspect this is because some of them seem to require a player to host rather than OnLive running dedicated servers for them.

      0 0
  3. Oliver Mayes

    Hmm, balancing a tablet on my lap while holding the controller? I'd rather just use my home console in that scenario.

    1 0
    1. Lionel Baden
      Reply Icon

      Agreed

      That looked Sooooo uncomfortable !!!! ill stick to gaming in style on my PC thanks just call me old fashioned i guess
      1 1
  4. EyeFellOver
    Alert

    Universal Controller

    It's worth noting that there is a pretty serious technical issue with the universal controller.

    The Universal Controller uses Bluetooth when connected to my Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Bluetooth hops around the 2.4GHz range. My Wi-Fi (until recently) also used 2.4 GHz via 802.11n. This caused my tablet to drop its wireless connection after playing via OnLive for a few minutes.

    OnLive support were helpful but couldn't identify the issue. After a bit of searching I found that other users are having the same issue. The only recommendation was to switch to 5GHz for my Wi-Fi.

    A new router (£80) and now I'm working perfectly, luckily I needed a new one as mine was pretty dated, but for people not in a position to upgrade it shows a major failing in the testing of the hardware.

    0 0
    1. Thomas 18
      Reply Icon
      Thumb Up

      How universal is it?

      I looked into physical controllers a while back for Android because I wanted to play the snes emulator with one. - The wiimote wasn't recognised/supported by the Galaxy S though it works with many other Android handsets - the Zeemote worked but is a horrible one handed controller - there's a discontinued Bluetooth controller called the BGP-100 Does this controller get recognised by your tablet? such that you can play any games that support joystick input with it?
      0 0
  5. pullenuk

    tried this.....

    On the PC its pretty impressive, not proper HD even on my fibre connection.

    But my xoom, video quality is poor, barely read the writing.

    So no good

    0 0
  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Not for me

    Don't like the terms and conditions. Even though they charge full price for the games they retain the right to remove that game from the system at any time if they feel it isn't getting enough players and don't have to credit you any money back. I like to go back and play games that I own at any time, only this week I found my old copy of FFVII and joyfully stuck it into my PS3 to play it through again. If you don't get the media for you to play with whenever you want then all you are doing is renting. If I am renting then there is no way I am paying the prices they ask for.
    9 0
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Or me

      I tried it, bought SpaceMarine for a quid. It worked well enough (great game), but for me, it was the control lag that killed it, I did get largely used to it, but I had no chance in anything that required quick, precise movements. Also, the games in the playpack are (with a few exemptions) dire. It's inevitable that they have to remove games, they should offer a percentage credit or something when they do that.
      1 0
    2. nexsphil
      Reply Icon

      agree with this guy

      Indeed. While this service is a lot more playable than I expected, attempting to charge full price for an inferior product is not very smart in my view. No serious gamers are going to forsake their rigs for this connection-dependent lagfest, and casual gamers aren't going to part with the money these guys are asking. Shame really, because as the article says - this is a very impressive technical achievement.
      1 0
  7. Downside
    FAIL

    Technically great

    but practically? What market is it aiming at? SMART TV owners with no PS3 or XBOX or Wii? I just can't see it succeeding, unless Cable or Satellite networks build it in to the STB's and productise it. Does it do voice comms? It just looks like a solution for a non-existent problem right now.
    0 0
    1. EyeFellOver
      Reply Icon
      Devil It's aimed at lazy people like me! I have both a PS3 and an Xbox360, but only 1 tv (and no urge to buy another). We have a young child so TV time is premium, and we both like to watch/do different things. With Onlive I can play a good selection of games on eith my tablet or my laptop so my other half can watch TV. This way, we can be sat next to each other, and hold a conversation (some of the time), while doing different things. It also means that I can lay in bed and game if I'm ill, or tired, or just being lazy!
      0 0
  8. Tsung
    Stop

    Tried it...

    And cancelled, my issue with the service is they insist on storing my Credit Card details. Make 1 purchase, they keep your CC on file forever, when I emailed them to ask them to remove it they told me they couldn't. I closed the account... It was OK when I tried it but had Q's to get in (I guess they have now gone) and on my internet connection it was a little ropey.
    0 0
  9. ph0b0s

    Great news for PC gamers

    While this will not be so appealing to PC gamers who have a gaming rig, what it does is increase the user base for PC versions of games. That is unless there start being games made specifically for the on-live system. PC games with mobile device user base numbers, that's a good thing right?

    0 0
This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like