This sounds like one of those "looks better on paper" ideas (OnLive)

[hanselthecaretaker]

OnLive: Inside and Out - Features at GameSpot

Apparently there's a conference tonight on that will explain everything
OnLive: The Future of Video Games

So, lets be conservative and say just the subscription (without renting/owning any games, movies, etc.) costs $20/month. That's $240/yr just to subscribe to it. $240 x average life of a console (5 years) = $1,200. Remember, that's just to say you "subscribe" to OnLive. What is the last console that cost that much? Hell, one could build a high end PC with all the trimmings from newegg for less than that.

Then you have reliability issues that result from an "online only" service, as well as relying on a server farm with a limited number of systems running the content that "x" number of people are fighting over. People would be completely dependent on their ISPs and limited hardware availability which would be a hassle to say the least.

When bandwidth becomes an unlimited resource, this idea could start to make more sense.


Whaddayou think?

 

[redsamurai]

this is the future of gaming bro. OnLive Makes Crysis on a Netbook Possible - Tom's Hardware


when 10-15 mbd connections become acquirable, there will be no more need for hardware.

 

[nimbus]

OnLive: Inside and Out - Features at GameSpot

Apparently there's a conference tonight on that will explain everything
OnLive: The Future of Video Games

So, lets be conservative and say just the subscription (without renting/owning any games, movies, etc.) costs $20/month. That's $240/yr just to subscribe to it. $240 x average life of a console (5 years) = $1,200. Remember, that's just to say you "subscribe" to OnLive. What is the last console that cost that much? Hell, one could build a high end PC with all the trimmings from newegg for less than that.

Then you have reliability issues that result from an "online only" service, as well as relying on a server farm with a limited number of systems running the content that "x" number of people are fighting over. People would be completely dependent on their ISPs and limited hardware availability which would be a hassle to say the least.

When bandwidth becomes an unlimited resource, this idea could start to make more sense.


Whaddayou think?

20 bucks a month for nothing is not conservative. More realistic: little thingie costs 150 bucks, maybe 50 bucks per controller, and then you pay for everything you use.

A couple years ago i would've been so down on this technology because broadband internet connections we so janky. but now for me at least comcast has been super reliable, and i could play without worrying about it. They'll never let their end of the connections get slow, because people will just stop renting their games if it sucks and they'll lose money. I really like the idea because there are so many games I wanna try out just for one day and then probably never play again; yet renting is a little too expensive and too much of a hassle at the store

 

[binö]

hansel don't you think 3 yrs is more reasonable than 5 for buying a new console?

 

[redsamurai]

this is the future of gaming bro. OnLive Makes Crysis on a Netbook Possible - Tom's Hardware


when 10-15 mbd connections become acquirable, there will be no more need for hardware.

does anyone know if onlive is using AMD's "fusion cloud"??

 

[Razorguns]

I dunno. I'd have to see above in action. Looks kinda cool, imagine play World of Warcraft type games on your TV. You may never need women again.

r

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

hansel don't you think 3 yrs is more reasonable than 5 for buying a new console?

The newer consoles have been around for about 3 years already, and they haven't even announced what's going to replace them yet. The PS2 was released in 2000 and is still being sold. 5 years is a pretty standard estimate.

 

[binö]

The newer consoles have been around for about 3 years already, and they haven't even announced what's going to replace them yet. The PS2 was released in 2000 and is still being sold. 5 years is a pretty standard estimate.

20 a month sounds waay too cheap
proly more like 40 or 50...i've never been a gamer but this would interest me

 

[nimbus]

20 a month sounds waay too cheap
proly more like 40 or 50...i've never been a gamer but this would interest me

wait so are you and hansel saying that you just pay a fixed rate for unlimited use?

because it seemed to me like you have to pay for what you use

 

[binö]

wait so are you and hansel saying that you just pay a fixed rate for unlimited use?

because it seemed to me like you have to pay for what you use

i just assumed that's how it was.
surely they'd offer an unlimited package...reasonably priced they'd have a customer with me.
but the unlimited would proly be like 80 a month