All Blighty then?
However, OnLive has been hard at work to bring its services to Blighty. In 2010, it announced a partnership with BT, with the telco taking a 2.6 per cent stake in the business. BT has the exclusive right to bundle OnLive with its broadband packages, and has already said the game service will be available to all its Total Broadband and Infinity customers. BT hasn't said how this will work, but a likely approach would see the telco send subscribers the compact OnLive MicroConsole adaptor and controller.
How it works
The adaptor, which costs US-based users $100 (£62), plugs into a TV's HDMI port and comes with a wireless control pad and access to one game. This lets OnLive be accessed using any TV that doesn't have the software already embedded. Console-less gaming on your telly is here, now.
OnLive isn't the only cloud gaming player - half a dozen others are offering services of a similar nature. One, Gaikai, has now opened a public beta in the UK. Unlike OnLive, Gaikai operates through a Flash-enabled web browser not a GoLive-style app. This makes it potentially even more readily available, on multiple platforms.
That may prove central to its success. Games giant EA, for instance, has taken its titles off OnLive and now offers them through Gaikai. EA's CFO, Eric Brown, recently complained about OnLive being too expensive and that the service has too much latency for good gaming.
MicroConsole and control pad
EA's interest in Gaikai may be because the service is more focused on presenting demos rather than offering full games. Gaikai actively encourages customers to still buy a copy rather than solely use its service to run a title.
Next page: Company in the cloud
COMMENTS
if it's 3AM
and I can't sleep I usually find a quick hand-shandy will do the trick.
dont feed the troll
For the record I'm glad you spent 699 hours being thoroughly entertained and engaged at the same time, rather than spending the time doing truly antisocial behaviours.
as for the troll, its nice for you to categorise the time spent as being "wasted in achieving fuck all"
much like your post then, and I'd imagine there are many more like it, which I'm assuming is you providing ample hot air to vent your frustration at the fact that you have no way of controlling how "productive" someone is in a manner of their choosing.
Which nicely sums up your rant....you've wasted it and achieved fuck all.
karma.
Biggest problem
If my internet connection dies, one of the best things to do is play some games.
Resolution downgrade ...
I never run a game below 1920 x 1200 pixels and that's standard for PC gamers these days, many run at far higher resolutions. Please explain then the attraction of 720p?
