Onlive

Vampire_Zio

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Tried to do a search on here for Onlive threads and got no results. So, was wondering if anyone has this service and how they like it? looking to get the 9.99 a mo bundle.
 
Tried it when it had a free beta. Played the Batman game on it. It was a decent services. I had one minor lag issue but that during the first days of the beta going live.
 
Never will understand why someone would want onlive. Pay for a service that requires you to be online to play anything, you buy games that dont even really own, play games at lower resolutions and be 100% dependant on a service thats brand new and no one really uses or is guarnteed to still be around in 2 years.

Most of their games can be bought inexpensively anymore and they actually belong to you, your not just renting them for a unspecified amount of time.

Friend of mine and I tried it together. We played games for about 45 minutes and then spent a hour or so watching others play via the spectator thing which was mildly ammusing. Then it got packed up in the box and he asked if I wanted it for my collection and it sits packed away with my other systems never to be touched again.

The only real reason anyone could own this is if its in a kids center or like a hospital where someone can play but you dont have to actually need to use anything but the controller. Its impractical for anyone with even a mild gaming habit.
 
Well I am not getting the system they offer to sell with the service, and I was thinking about getting the 9.99 a month deal....which would save me money on games I want to play but dont want to own. Looks like the membership is free too.
 
Seems like most of the games available in the 9.99 a month plan are older games that have all been on sale on Steam for $5 or less. You're better off saving that $10 a month and blowing it on the next Steam sale.
 
[quote name='Lawyers Guns N Money']Seems like most of the games available in the 9.99 a month plan are older games that have all been on sale on Steam for $5 or less. You're better off saving that $10 a month and blowing it on the next Steam sale.[/QUOTE]

But then I would have to spend anywhere from $2 to $5 per game....I actually got the onlive service and it works great the only lag I've experienced is when I run off a wifi connection direct wired is fine. Yeah some of the games are old but I have not played them yet so that is fine, looks like they get new games added to the collection once they are not "new" anymore.
 
I love the OnLive service. On top of the growing selection you also get 30% off any other game purchase. That makes most pre-orders abnout $35. Compile that with the fact that they usually offer another free game with pre-order, you can get two new games for $35 such as Deus Ex and Arkham City.
 
I'm glad to play Devil's Advocate here...


[quote name='gargus']Never will understand why someone would want onlive. Pay for a service that requires you to be online to play anything, you buy games that dont even really own, play games at lower resolutions and be 100% dependant on a service thats brand new and no one really uses or is guarnteed to still be around in 2 years.[/QUOTE]

Do you play games online with any other platform? Microsoft's premium online service costs $59.99 a year, Sony's premium online service costs $49.99 a year, and millions of people pay $15 a month to play MMORPGs. What's the difference? Are those options less expensive? Yes and no. Add on DLC content and the cost of the game and it begins to even out a bit. Not to mention that if a game is pulled from the Onlive service after a certain amount of time, you're refunded the full price you paid.

Most people can't afford to pay for an expensive console or PC/upgrade to play the newest games at full resolution. The resolution for Onlive, at least in my experience, has been comparable to my games on my PC and consoles.

The games you buy are also not guaranteed to work forever. CDs get scratched and broken, developers take their online servers down for many games, and game consoles usually last about 5 years. Nothing is ever set in stone.

[quote name='gargus']Most of their games can be bought inexpensively anymore and they actually belong to you, your not just renting them for a unspecified amount of time.[/QUOTE]

What about games with DRM? Do they actually belong to you? Can you play/install them on an infinite amount of machines? With Onlive I can play on any just about any computer device with no restrictions.

[quote name='gargus']Friend of mine and I tried it together. We played games for about 45 minutes and then spent a hour or so watching others play via the spectator thing which was mildly ammusing. Then it got packed up in the box and he asked if I wanted it for my collection and it sits packed away with my other systems never to be touched again.[/QUOTE]

I'm really glad you gave it a shot at least. Many people hate Onlive and have never tried it for themselves.

[quote name='gargus']The only real reason anyone could own this is if its in a kids center or like a hospital where someone can play but you dont have to actually need to use anything but the controller. Its impractical for anyone with even a mild gaming habit.[/QUOTE]

Completely not true. I am a perfect customer for Onlive because I game when I find the time. Sometimes that means on my phone, my DS, or my home console/PC. For me to be able to stick to one game on any platform, at any time, and resume where I was in the game...well that's incredible. It may not work for you, but that doesn't mean it's a bad service.
 
[quote name='jaydepps']I love the OnLive service. On top of the growing selection you also get 30% off any other game purchase. That makes most pre-orders abnout $35. Compile that with the fact that they usually offer another free game with pre-order, you can get two new games for $35 such as Deus Ex and Arkham City.[/QUOTE]

you get two free games with preorders all for $35?
 
[quote name='Pck21']I'm glad to play Devil's Advocate here...




Do you play games online with any other platform? Microsoft's premium online service costs $59.99 a year, Sony's premium online service costs $49.99 a year, and millions of people pay $15 a month to play MMORPGs. What's the difference? Are those options less expensive? Yes and no. Add on DLC content and the cost of the game and it begins to even out a bit. Not to mention that if a game is pulled from the Onlive service after a certain amount of time, you're refunded the full price you paid.

Most people can't afford to pay for an expensive console or PC/upgrade to play the newest games at full resolution. The resolution for Onlive, at least in my experience, has been comparable to my games on my PC and consoles.

The games you buy are also not guaranteed to work forever. CDs get scratched and broken, developers take their online servers down for many games, and game consoles usually last about 5 years. Nothing is ever set in stone.



What about games with DRM? Do they actually belong to you? Can you play/install them on an infinite amount of machines? With Onlive I can play on any just about any computer device with no restrictions.



I'm really glad you gave it a shot at least. Many people hate Onlive and have never tried it for themselves.



Completely not true. I am a perfect customer for Onlive because I game when I find the time. Sometimes that means on my phone, my DS, or my home console/PC. For me to be able to stick to one game on any platform, at any time, and resume where I was in the game...well that's incredible. It may not work for you, but that doesn't mean it's a bad service.[/QUOTE]

Nice response to a bunch of general questions anyone might have! I have used onlive for about a week now and both my girlfriend and I love it, her computer is junk so she enjoys getting to play games without needing to install...especially if I am on the beast machine that actually works :p
 
[quote name='Vampire_Zio']you get two free games with preorders all for $35?[/QUOTE]

Certain games you pre-order come with a free game coupon code or MicroConsole. Check the OnLive sales thread I started on CAG for more info. Link is in my siggy.
 
One thing that is a big turn off of On-Live is no mod support. While there is some decent titles for the service, a game like Deus Ex is really enhanced (and made a lot better) by the fan made Shifter mod.

Just take that into consideration because one of the big parts of PC games is mod support. Also a lot of these titles can be found on 360/PS3 for cheap.
 
Yea, kinda stinks that mods cannot be used, yet. However, OnLive tends to include all the DLC free with many games.
 
I'm as hardcore as they come and I still have uses for on live. Games like witcher I probably could,t play on my PC. I also get a kick out of spectating.
 
[quote name='jaydepps']I agree, OnLive is great for that reason. For those who can't afford high-end PCs. Just use OnLive.[/QUOTE]

High end PCs can be found for cheap. They grow cheaper by the day.
 
Oh yea I know, but if you act at the right time OnLive consoles are only $10 and the PC Player is free.
 
Yes gaming PCs are cheaper but in a few years they will be obsolete to play the latest games , with onlive your pc is going to be able to play anything they throw at it. I think the service is a great addition to the gaming world and some may have doubts about it , but thats to be expected with something new , people made same comments with steam .
 
[quote name='ginjaninja88']Yes gaming PCs are cheaper but in a few years they will be obsolete to play the latest games , with onlive your pc is going to be able to play anything they throw at it. I think the service is a great addition to the gaming world and some may have doubts about it , but thats to be expected with something new , people made same comments with steam .[/QUOTE]

Pretty how I feel. Although I don't think high-end gaming PCs will become obsolete. OnLive is not the end of gaming PCs, but it helps expand the gaming PC market because now even lower end computers can play high end games.
 
So I want to chime in because I finally took the jump and signed up for an OnLive account this morning just to try out some of the free trials, and boy was I amazed.

The download for the PC was like under 2MB and only took minutes to download, install, and I was up and running.

From there, nothing else to download. The two trial games I tried started right away and the graphics were very good with no noticeable lag.

I have 2 main reasons for trying this and possible fully jumping onboard:

1. We travel a lot, so the laptops we bring aren't gaming laptops. They can play some games with very low settings (such as anything from the Dawn of War II series). I just tried Dawn of War II: chaos rising and the free trial played perfectly. Much better than my actual installed version. This is great since I can play any of the OnLive games on laptops/pcs/macs and not worry about hardware requirements.

2. Again, we travel a lot, and I normally have to bring the PS3 or Xbox 360 with us. Now I can just plug the TV adapter in and play the games on any TV. So when we visit the inlaws or go in vacation, as long as there is a TV and Internet connection I'm good to go. But, it does rely on an Internet connection...

I don't have the TV adapter, but I did put in a request for a review copy. If the quality is as good as what I've seen in the Trials on the PC, this would be amazing.

I really really want to play that Warhammer 40K: Space Marine game on the go without worrying about hauling consoles around and I know my laptop can't handle it. And the Space Marine game comes with a free TV adapter and controller. This may be the answer I have been looking for. My only concern is how the online community looks compared to the 360 or PS3.

Either way, so far I am impressed!
 
[quote name='jaydepps']Oh yea I know, but if you act at the right time OnLive consoles are only $10 and the PC Player is free.[/QUOTE]
But you have to have a fast broadband connection. I live in BFE rural Colorado, and we only have access to 1.5Mbps DSL, which isn't fast enough for OnLive.
 
Someone posted a free version of Amnesia: The Dark Descent on Onlive before and I've played a bit of it. Never tried Onlive until then but when I was playing, everything ran smoothly (I'm on FIOS). Only bad thing is I wish I could up the graphic settings, seems like it's made to run on medium settings the whole time.
 
I've been playing Borderlands GOTY and Deus Ex all morning lol. I haven't had even the slightest hiccup or lag at all. By the way...amazing games if anyone cares.
 
[quote name='Pck21']I've been playing Borderlands GOTY and Deus Ex all morning lol. I haven't had even the slightest hiccup or lag at all. By the way...amazing games if anyone cares.[/QUOTE]

Agreed! So far I've only played trial games (Dirt 3, Home Front, and Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising), and didn't have any hiccups, lags, choppiness, etc.

Really impressed and I think I will get the Batman pre-order and get Space Marine for free.

I really hope they keep expanding their libraries because I'm definitely impressed with what I've seen!
 
Every time Onlive has a high profile game coming out I love spectating at midnight and getting an early look. Did it with Deus Ex for over an hour.
 
Yea, spectating is pretty fun. The trials are great as well. Seems like every game has a free 1 hour trial except Deus Ex.

Also, Lawyers, your right about the connection speed. I believe the current minimum is 3 mbps which is pretty easy to get unless you live in a rural area like you suggested. There have been rumors that they are lowering the minimum mbps to either 2 or 1. I can't remember which.
 
How is Deus Ex? I haven't played the first one, but hear nothing but great things about the game.

Also, I read that there will be an Android app coming out soon?

If so that would be freaking amazing. Playing Space Marine or Batman on a tablet with a controller...that's an instant sell right there.
 
I'm another Onlive convert. I found out about a great deal (here on CAG of course), where all I had to do was spend $19.99 (or somewhere around there) in a certain period of time on their service, and I'd get a free console, and they might have even thrown in an additional free game when I first signed up.

I bought Split Second for $19.99, paid $10 shipping for the console, and I haven't looked back. I admit a lot of their games are older, but they are coming out with newer releases as well.

I also understand the concern about never actually owning the game, but that's a chance I'm willing to take. Onlive says "full play passes" (their equivalent of ownership) are good for as long as I remain a member of the service (free or paid), and for a minimum of 2 years. For a game like Split Second, I can live with that. They really have no reason to remove them, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Honestly, I have a feeling that by the time my first purchase drops off their service (that is, IF it ever does), my Onlive library will be so huge I'll barely notice its absence.

Oh, and spectating is definitely a lot of fun. I always wondered what it was luck to fuckin dominate in an FPS, and now I know - frickin' cheaters. ;)
 
Hey guys, I recently won a free microconsole from a contest, but I'm a little confused. Are there any free games? If not that kinda sucks because I don't buy games due to insufficient funds (even the $9.99 plan I read about earlier in the thread is out of the question, unfortunately). I thought (mistakenly, perhaps) that the microconsole had several free-to-play games with only the newest games having to be purchased. Cany anyone give me any insight, because all I see is paid games which is very disappointing to me :(
 
[quote name='victimsofadown']Hey guys, I recently won a free microconsole from a contest, but I'm a little confused. Are there any free games? If not that kinda sucks because I don't buy games due to insufficient funds (even the $9.99 plan I read about earlier in the thread is out of the question, unfortunately). I thought (mistakenly, perhaps) that the microconsole had several free-to-play games with only the newest games having to be purchased. Cany anyone give me any insight, because all I see is paid games which is very disappointing to me :([/QUOTE]

There are currently no free to play games with OnLive. The model is supposed to resemble Netflix with their streaming options. You can also buy games through OnLive. Also, if you can't afford $10 a month then I don't know how you play anything that isn't free to play.
 
[quote name='Calinks']Every time Onlive has a high profile game coming out I love spectating at midnight and getting an early look. Did it with Deus Ex for over an hour.[/QUOTE]

Honestly that's the strength of OnLive. I use it more often to check out people playing games than to play games on it. It's very nice to watch someone play a game you don't own or to see if you would be more interested in the game by watching it on something a bit better than YouTube.

It would be awesome if they started a service where you could broadcast from your own computer. I also honestly think they'll start doing that. They've hinted at the possibility of different horizons with the Micro console. Perhaps it could be a very nice capture card.
 
[quote name='Zacmanman']There are currently no free to play games with OnLive. The model is supposed to resemble Netflix with their streaming options. You can also buy games through OnLive. Also, if you can't afford $10 a month then I don't know how you play anything that isn't free to play.[/QUOTE]

I either play games I already own or buy a cheap game every few months... thanks for the info, I'll hock it to a friend I guess :cry:
 
[quote name='victimsofadown']I either play games I already own or buy a cheap game every few months... thanks for the info, I'll hock it to a friend I guess :cry:[/QUOTE]

You may want to hold on to it. Every Friday they have a game on sale for $5.00.
Last week I picked up Mafia II. Before that I got Arkham Asylum for .99 cents on the Labor Day weekend sale.
I'm really enjoying Onlive. I got the console for free with the Deus Ex HR pre-order and it's very well made. The controller is almost identical to a 360 controller and it's sturdy. It came with a rechargeable battery, regular battery, HDMI cable (Sony, Microsoft?) and a charging cable.

For a free system I was completely blown away.
 
Personally I couldn't justify Onlive since you lose the ability to mod a game, and even worse you likely don't own the games you're paying for. I tried the demo of Assassins Creed Brotherhood and I was unimpressed. The image quality was really quite low, and there was a noticeable lag (im on a 5GB cable connection) which I didn't expect. However this might be different for those with a subscription. Your mileage may vary...
 
[quote name='jpoon78']Personally I couldn't justify Onlive since you lose the ability to mod a game, and even worse you likely don't own the games you're paying for. I tried the demo of Assassins Creed Brotherhood and I was unimpressed. The image quality was really quite low, and there was a noticeable lag (im on a 5GB cable connection) which I didn't expect. However this might be different for those with a subscription. Your mileage may vary...[/QUOTE]
Mods are supposed to be on the way, but it doesn't bother me either way. I like the convenience of being able to play on lots of devices without worrying about saved games or meeting specs.
Also, I find the image quality to be pretty good. Not as good as my high end PC, but at least as good as the Xbox 360 or PS3.

My main reason for buying is the price. It's hard to beat buying a good older game for $5 or pre-ordering a new one and getting a free console or another game free.

No lag for me either unless I play wireless.
 
[quote name='nattybohman']Mods are supposed to be on the way, but it doesn't bother me either way. I like the convenience of being able to play on lots of devices without worrying about saved games or meeting specs.
Also, I find the image quality to be pretty good. Not as good as my high end PC, but at least as good as the Xbox 360 or PS3.

My main reason for buying is the price. It's hard to beat buying a good older game for $5 or pre-ordering a new one and getting a free console or another game free.

No lag for me either unless I play wireless.[/QUOTE]

Yeah but with a PC connected to other devices you can do the same, though. It's great for ppl without or unable to get a PC but for those that have it's like buying sea water in the ocean.
 
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I got a console for free, and bought a few games for cheap, it's actually not bad on a tv. On a pc/netbook, it looks pretty terrible though, and the lag is easier to detect. Overall, I can't really argue with the value I got it at since the console was free.:)
 
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