OnLive is a new service that is trying to change the way video games are played. Receiving recognition from networks such as CNN, The New York Times, and others- this start-up from founder Steve Perlman has had the industry talking. Whether or not it changes how video games are played is yet to be seen.

If you happen to live in a rural area, odds are you won’t be able to enjoy the services of OnLive. OnLive requires a 1.5 Mbps connection in order to properly function, and a 5 Mbps connection for high definition content. This is sad news for many Americans, who know that the United States is ranked rather poorly as compared to other nations in terms of accessibility to high speed Internet solutions.

The founders of OnLive have created their product with the idea that game consoles are unnecessary. By allowing for cloud computing and high speed Internet to stream content, OnLive is able to be used with browser plug-ins or very small devices that hook onto televisions. This is compared to other systems such as the Xbox 360, which costs hundreds of dollars for the console alone.

Major publishers are already converting code to the OnLive platform. You may have heard of popular companies such as Ubisoft or 2D Boy games, who make games for popular systems today. OnLive encourages other developers to get started with the developer’s kit that is offered. With the right tools, developers are able to make their own games for the OnLive product, and distribute their creations across a massive network of players.

Since the OnLive program doesn’t use hardware, aside from a small box if you decide to use the television option, speculators are wondering what the response will be from Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. It would seem that hardware-based consoles are slowly coming to an end as software-based entities will now be taking the lead. Some services such as GameStop or Netflix may also see harder times as a result of OnLive.

Those who have a Mac will be glad to know that OnLive is able to work on a Mac. This is great news for Apple users, who previously didn’t have many video game options to choose from as compared to Windows users. The same holds true for Linux users, who currently do not have support from the OnLive team, and no immediate plans are in action to do so.

Closing Comments

The video game industry has changed much since the early 1980’s, and will continue to do so in the next decade. As services such as OnLive come out and change established norms, we can only wonder what will come next. It seems like it will be a waiting game from here on out.

Learn more about OnLive games and OnLive.