OnLive

OnLive is an interactive compression method for computer graphics and a Games -on -demand platform, which is based on video -on-demand. It works within the meaning of cloud computing and is designed for video games. The games are installed and running on high-performance servers. There, the main work of the computing-intensive calculations and 3D, the compression of the image data is carried out with OnLive. The player sends its corresponding input data to the server on which of these processes it, and the finished video back ends.

According to the manufacturer, this technology is revolutionizing the game industry. There are, for example, off the high cost of high-performance hardware of the computer games on site, which was a goal of the developers to make the start in game worlds as low as possible. By eliminating the local storage, a large part of the potential for fraud is thereby prevented by cheats. Also, by downloading the game files, loading times, game patches, hardware upgrades and media are unnecessary for an installation.

The fee-based service is initially limited to billing addresses in the United States, even if already agreements with British and Belgian telecom operators have been taken. There are monthly at no cost for the service. The player can buy a game pass for a game that for 3 or for 5 days access to a game granted to him, or he buys is eligible to play for at least three years. Besides being available for a fixed monthly amount, a flat rate.

Development

After seven years of silent development work, the technology was unveiled at the Game Developers Conference (GDC ) in San Francisco in March 2009 to the public.

For the contents of the service, a partnership has been with the game developers 2D Boy, Atari, Codemasters, Eidos Interactive, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Take 2 Interactive, THQ, Ubisoft and Warner Bros., signed to provide games of this manufacturer.

Since June 17, 2010 OnLive can be used in the USA. Are ready to start more than 20 games ready.

Through published in January 2012 OnLive Desktop App with the name OnLive Dektop Plus get tablet owners in the U.S. through the cloud of the company access to Windows 7 and Microsoft Office. Apple and Android (operating system) so that users can use Internet Explorer 9 on your tablet as well as Flash and get faster internet speeds. At one provision of the service available to users outside the United States are working according to the manufacturer.

Technical Background

The compression algorithm should also allow such streaming current games, with high hardware requirements, such as Crysis on a standard 1.5 Mbps DSL line. For a resolution of 1280x720 ( 720p), a 5 Mbit DSL line should be sufficient and take the compressing of the stream only 1 ms. The time to decompress would then depend from the terminal. These would then customary network delay time (usually between 50 and 200 ms). In order to achieve such values ​​, the user should be in a radius of about 625 kilometers of the data center in order to receive the high-quality service with DSL can. When connected via fiber optic cable, the radius may be 940 km.

With the technique, a graphic quality to be achieved, which should be comparable to high -end PCs, the PlayStation 3, or with the Xbox 360. To all users, the corresponding image data is then sent just yet. On the service can be accessed using a software ( for Mac OS X and Windows XP or later ) or a special game console.

Development team

  • Steve Perlman, Founder, President and CEO of OnLive, also known by the development of QuickTime and WebTV
  • Mike McGarvey 's COO and was Eidos ' CEO
  • Tom Paquin is vice president of development. He is known as the main developer of Netscape Navigator and as a founder of Mozilla.org.
  • John Spinale is Vice President for games and media. Spinal was with McGarvey SVP of Product Development at Eidos and director and executive producer of Activision. He also has the company Bitmo. founded
  • Paul V. Weinstein is vice president of business development. Previously worked as EVP of business development for open source database company MySQL.
  • Charlie Jablonski is vice president for business operations. He has worked, among other things 16 years with NBC as the main developer for design and technology.

Criticism

Said Matt Peckham of the computer magazine PC world that OnLive is a " deterministic broadband" implies. This is an " undivided line, durable and guaranteed speed ". But neither " broadband is already so far, nor are the ISPs willing to offer guaranteed speed ".

From a data protection perspective, it points out that through the user data stored in the data centers instead of locally, there is the possibility to generate complex personality profiles and group connections, since all content (games, videos, voice, chat ) over the interfaces of OnLive running.

As all game content located on the provider's servers, apply to OnLive the same criticism as the digital rights management.

The player acquires when buying a so-called "Play Pass" only a time-limited right of use. The most expensive option, which is usually just as much as a "real" issue in trade costs, entitled to play the game for the duration of its support through the OnLive service. It is guaranteed at least one support for three years.

Types of business entity 2004 Palo Alto, California Chief Executive Officer Chief Operating Officer
621194
de