You can now follow OnLive on Twitter for the latest tweets and updates.
http://twitter.com/onlive_fan
There was a nice interview conducted by John Callaham of Bigdownload.com. Callaham chats with OnLive VP, John Spinale. Spinale breaks down some of the questions that still linger for everyone in the gaming world. Custom servers were built to handle the processing power on OnLive’s end. Their data center strategy is almost set:
“By the time we launch the consumer service nationwide, we’ll have multiple server centers strategically located around the country making distance a non-issue for our users.”
Spinale then talks about the bandwidth requirements that everyone seems to be questioning. Spinale mentions that 5 Mbps is a requirement for HDTV resolution and will mostly needed just to handle peak data rate. The “average” data rate will most likely be half of that. They expect the typical user might average about 2Mbps while connected to OnLive. to dispell the ISPs putting bandwidth limits that would mean that it would take less than 250 hours to consume a 250GB/month cap. That’s a lot of gaming.
Spinale reiterates that downloading is not what OnLive does it is strictly gaming on demand.
Great interview by John Cllaham of Bigdownload.com.
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There has been quite the buzz on usage based internet pricing, primarily by Time Warner Cable in Austin/San Antonio area as a test market. With the emergance of streaming videos, television, and movies on demand, Internet services providers are starting to see how they can either curb this or capitalize on this. Once again the faithful and non abusing users are being punished because of a few people taking advantage of their ISP services. However there are no restrictions considering it is an “unlimited service” from ISPs and that is what they advertise, we should say people are taking full advantage of their bandwidth not abusing.
What does this mean to OnLive? Well this could affect this if more ISPs go to this model of pricing. ISPs have for years tried to clamp down on how we use the Internet from peer to peer file sharing to using a VPN connection on a residential line. Omar L. Gallaga of Austin360.com give his take on the who usage based pricing from Time Warner Cable. Back to OnLive, this coule be detrimental to OnLive if this goes nationwide. OnLive as well as many other gaming on demans systems do require quite the bandwidth. OnLive requires at least a 5 Mpbs connection for high definition. That would be about 63% of my 8 Mpbs connection from Comcast Cable.
Well the speculation from Gallaga is that perhaps Netflix or Xbox would make deals with ISP to have immunity with them. If you connect to these places you will not be charged. We shall see what happens. We shall see what happens in Austin.
Guy de Beer CEO of Playcast Media another cloud gaming technology theorized that OnLive maybe bought out by the likes of Google or Microsoft in the future. Although OnLive has plenty of money and should have enough money to launch and sustain with the buzz around the gaming world. De Beer told TechRadar that he believes the OnLive is looking to sell its proprietary technology to Google or Microsoft.
Here is another quote from Gamers.com:
“As superbly funded as OnLive may be, they are no match to compete with the Comcasts, Verizons and AT&Ts of this world. So are the OnLive people stupid?” asks de Beer. “No, they’re probably pretty smart – they want to develop this model (which would work in small scale), and sell it to someone bigger who may be able to find the business case to compete with the Comcasts and Verizons. Maybe someone like a company that starts with an M, ends with a T, is based in Redmond WA, and has been trying to build such a parallel private network for a product that starts with an X and ends with a Box?”
De Beers also mentioned that they are potentially asking for pre-money valuation of $350 Million which would mean their selling point would be in the range of $2 Billion. Who has that kind of money these days? Google and Microsoft of course. A dark house might be Cisco. Cisco has been venturing into new ventures besides networking hardware. Cisco has been venturing into collaboration, server blade technology, and now do they want to compete with the gaming folks? That would be quite a huge venture marrying Cisco’s networking expertise with OnLive’s gaming technology. Who would question if it will work now? Just a theory folks. Just a theory.
We will probably see a bunch of these over time whether they are better or worst than OnLive we will see. GaiKai seems to be a new cloud gaming service that has sprung up. GaiKai lets you play any game from within your browser. No files, no installation, just a browser it claims. Video and audio automatically adapts with your bandwidth from ~500Kb/s to ~2Mb/s. GaiKai also claims any game can be played without modificiations.
More details to come.
You can sign up for the GaiKai beta here.
Sony has probably been the one of the only ones to comment about the new OnLive Games on Demand system that is set to be released this year. Nintentdo’s Reggie Fils-Aime has made general comments but still shied away. In an interview with Edge-online.com Sony’s director of corporate communications, Patrick Seybold, had two questions and a comment:
“What will be the final cost to the consumer when you start adding up what [OnLive is] selling?”
“What will be sacrificed when you [put OnLive] into a real world environment where multiple devices are plugged into one broadband connection?”
“PlayStation’s been bringing HD gaming and entertainment into consumers’ homes for many years now,” adds Seybold. “With both digitally distributed and disc-based content, we have a competitive offering for consumers, whether they are tethered to the Internet or not. Only on PlayStation 3 can you get HD gaming, watch BD and downloaded movies, have ample hard drive space for music, movies and photos, built-in Wi-Fi, and free access to PlayStation Network – right out of the box.”
How do you take this from the director of corporate communications? These are the questions that OnLive has yet to answer and questions the everyone wants to know. The beta testing this summer will make or break OnLive they must have everything perfect or almost perfect at this point.
The Onlive Microconsole seems to be quite a simple system, the specifications allow for four wireless controllers, four bluetooth headsets, two USB controller connections for a possible keyboard/mouse. The the other side of the console there is a Micro-USB for power-in, Video/Audio out (looks to be an HDMI port), Ethernet connection, and S/PDIF optical out. Is there no wireless? You will need a hardwire for network connection? Perhaps a wireless connection through a USB.
We stumbled upon this article reporting on OnLive, Inc. receiving $16.5 Million in venture capital funding with backers from Maverick Capital and Warner Brothers. Little did we know that the “data and network storage” startup would be for storing video game data. The article on Venture Beat was dated October 31, 2007. Two years later OnLive the future of video games is set to release. This has to be the same companies. Little did anyone know what this company was all about. There must have been some serious Non disclosures floating around.
Spong.com has reported that Sony has trademarked “PS Cloud” in perhaps a way to counter the upcoming release of Onlive Games on Demand. This is strictly speculation. Sony maybe just trying to protect their brand. Or do they really have something in the works in the cloud and are just throwing this out to say watch out.
Dan Ackerman of CNET gave his opinion today on the Big O and Dukes show on WJFK based out of Washington DC. From the sounds of it Dan Ackerman did not sound too positive about the new OnLive Gaming on Demand system. His main concern was that the amount of bandwidth required to keep the games going in a quality manner. Dan’s quote:
It can’t possibly work.
It’s snake oil. It’s impossible.
Dan seemed skeptical of OnLive. Dan Ackerman thought that the concept is great, but just didnt see it working becuase of the bandwidth and possible lag. Dan Ackerman compared that they cant keep Twitter up and running what thinks that OnLive can keep their systems up and running all the time.
You can check out the Big O and Dukes Podcast of the interview.
