Xbox-PlayStation Killer Going Way of Netflix

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J. DOe
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Xbox-PlayStation Killer Going Way of Netflix

The article, at http://www.businessweek.com/...">http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-01-06/xbox-playstation-killer-goin..., says:

Quote:Imagine playing video games on an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 console attached to your flat-screen TV, with a stack of game disks next to it.

Now take away the console, and the disks, and you'll begin to get the idea behind OnLive, a new online service that does with high-end video games what Netflix Inc. is doing with movies: stream them over the Internet straight to your screen, in this case via a palm-sized adapter that plugs into the TV and your home network.

...

This is disruptive, maybe even revolutionary, technology that has the potential to upend the multibillion-dollar game industry. Consoles like Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 take years to develop, require a lot of computing horsepower and cost hundreds of dollars. The OnLive Game System has none of that overhead. It costs $99, and includes the adapter, a wireless handheld controller and one game.

OnLive games tend to cost less than Xbox and PlayStation versions. You can rent them for shorter periods at less cost, or try out new titles for free. Of course, you're not actually buying or renting the physical game; you're paying for the rights to play it in the cloud, on OnLive's remote servers.

...

The critical question for users, of course, is how well OnLive works. Games, with their visual richness and need for rapid responsiveness, demand a lot of computing power, and OnLive by and large delivers. Gameplay was swift and stutter-free over my speedy cable Internet connection, and if the graphics aren't always quite up to Xbox or PlayStation standards, the differences are all but invisible unless you're paying close attention.

And because OnLive is a service and not just a gadget, it offers some features that console-based gaming can't -- for instance, the ability to start a game on your TV, then log in from a PC or Mac and, using a Web browser, pick up where you left off. If your computer's Internet connection is fast enough, you're able to play even sophisticated games on not-very-powerful hardware.

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Like Netflix, OnLive may eventually be built into other gadgets; the company, whose investors include Autodesk Inc., AT&T Inc., BT Group Plc, Time Warner and Maverick Capital, this week announced its first deal to put the service onto TVs and mobile devices from Vizio Inc. sometime later this year.

Video games are always available for new devices, but this indicates that high quality games are now coming to an old device, i.e., televisions (note, though, that some of the very earliest video games were on televisions, like Pong that I played on a black and white television about 35 or 40 years ago). This will make it that much easier for people, including younger children, to excessively play video games as they no longer even need an electronic computing device but, instead, just a network connection in addition to a television set.

- John O.

[em]Carpe Diem![/em] (Seize the Day!)

hirshthg
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yep, it is out there, games

yep, it is out there, games are here to stay, and soon you will be able to play anywere

leveling in steps, serenity, sponcys, sponsors, exercise, and sleep, (sanity has been downsized) sober from all electronic games since 11/19/2010

Kincaid
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wow - that description just

wow - that description just got me wanting to give it a go - it sounds dangerous. Imagine how hard it could be for those of us coming into Olga when systems like this are the norm.

lizwool
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I don't know how well this

I don't know how well this will work, if the Pay-As-You-Go Internet access goes into affect - http://www.olganon.org/?q=node/23882

Liz

Liz Woolley

J. DOe
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Liz, I agree that

Liz, I agree that pay-as-you-go type pricing may significantly limit the types of online games that some people play. That will affect not only streaming to a TV, but also to any console or PC type device as well.

Regarding playing video games on a TV, the related article Is the Apple TV about to take on Xbox Live? says:

Quote:

One of TUAW's tipsters points to an interesting possible development for the Apple TV: an online gaming service beyond what Game Center's paltry offerings currently provide, expanding gaming in iOS to the "hobby" living room device.

Mysterious references to "ATVThunder" in the yet-to-be-released iOS 4.3 seem to indicate online games and merchandising will soon flow through iTunes and potentially into your Apple TV. Imagine scheduling games to be played online, viewing games by date, leaderboards by date (beyond Today, This Week and All Time), or watching live games or archived games. From what's been spotted in the OS, these may all be possible via streaming to your Apple TV. Considering the 8 GB of onboard storage for the device, it would have to be streaming, wouldn't it? Luckily the Apple TV is capable of OpenGL rendering, and the onboard processor and iOS frameworks are up to the task of streaming all sorts of things, including games. It's got the same A4 CPU that powers the iPad, clearly a gaming platform in its own right.

...

To sum up, it appears iOS 4.3 could add some new sales vectors for Apple and some more data sharing services:

- Online gaming, from MMOs to arcade games using Xbox Live-style matches and associated merchandising. Beyond your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, these games could be played through the Apple TV. There could even be a new controller in the future, leveraging the infrared or Bluetooth connectivity on the ATV.

This is still mostly speculation, based on partial information of an unreleased version of iOS, and any initial offering would likely be fairly underwhelming compared to dedicated consoles. However, I would not bet against Apple since they have previously shown that they will work hard to overcome limitations and detractors (e.g., iPod, iPhone, etc.).

- John O.

[em]Carpe Diem![/em] (Seize the Day!)

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