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[Omar Ismail]

It will quite literally buy you a brand new high end CPU or GPU upgrade each and every year, more if you can be bothered to sell your own parts. I wish I could afford to keep my rig as high end as that.

Man, do you want to know what the killer setup for this thing will be?

My $300 Revo 3610 that I use as a HTPC hooked up to my TV. Being able to play high-end games on demand instantly. Ya... I'm interested.

Except it's probably going to kill my bandwidth cap
Stupid Rogers.

 

[VideoMan]

Well the pre-registration site is already up.

http://www.onlive.com/special1

You don't have to put in a credit card yet so I signed up. If I'm in the first 25,000 and get 3 months free I'll do it. From the way the confirmation email is written they'll tell you if you're in the first 25,000 before you have to pay so it's worth a shot imo.

 

[Slo]

Well, if Onlive can't come up with a sustainable business model then all the games you buy over their service are going to be forever lost. So even if you want to sue the service only causally, I'd say its long term viability is pretty damn important.

Point taken.

 

[Somnid]

People are really hitting the problems with OnLive but aren't really grasping the benefits. While I personally am uncovinced of the viability of this type of service as a replacement for traditional game purchasing I do think it'll serve a niche that nothing else can.

 

[Chrange]

It will quite literally buy you a brand new high end CPU or GPU upgrade each and every year, more if you can be bothered to sell your own parts. I wish I could afford to keep my rig as high end as that.

Where are you shopping that you can get a brand new high-end GPU for $180?

 

[Sloegr]

If you plan on using OnLive for several years, wouldn't it be cheaper at some point to just buy a computer that can run those games? I realize that there will be cheaper pricing available, but if you'll indulge me for a moment...

Using OnLive for a five year period would come to $900. That's enough money to buy a not-too-shabby PC. If OnLive is supposed to be the future of gaming, something that could potentially be integrated into just about everything, it seems silly to have such a steep price. They're practically undermining the purpose of their system.

And god forbid that you use OnLive to play a subscription based MMO. :lol

Not to mention buying games only at OnLive prices. Unless they have sales that can compete with the current DD services as well as Amazon, Newegg, etc., the software prices alone will make this a terrible value to many gamers.

 

[Durante]

You are wrong.

The laws of physics are on his side.

 

[thetrin]

$15 a month, and you have to buy games on top of that? Why would I pay for OnLive when I can continue to buy physical media that I actually physically possess, and don't pay a monthly fee to access?

 

[John Rabbit]

Don't forget you'll be able to play your overpriced games with awesome latency and in glorious badly compressed 480p (if your connection can hack the constant 1.5Mbps you need for it, that is).
I'll pass, thanks.

not really. there's (hardly any worth mentioning) no lag and the games currently run at 720p just fine. try again.

also, people need to keep in mind the proprietors behind OnLive don't live in a cave under the ocean. they'd be bat shit bananas to offer a service at $15/mo and then charge full retail or comparable Steam-level pricing on games.

i'm not saying they aren't bat shit bananas, but i'd like to hope they have more sense than that.

 

[brain_stew]

Where are you shopping that you can get a brand new high-end GPU for $180?

Make that $160:


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121363&cm_re=5770-_-14-121-363-_-Product

That GPU is sure as hell a lot faster than whatever it was Onlive were using during their BETA programme.

Oh, and since you're bound to ask, CPU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...03808&cm_re=PHENOM_955-_-19-103-808-_-Product

That's only $160 as well.

 

[dallow_bg]

Well the pre-registration site is already up.

http://www.onlive.com/special1

You don't have to put in a credit card yet so I signed up. If I'm in the first 25,000 and get 3 months free I'll do it. From the way the confirmation email is written they'll tell you if you're in the first 25,000 before you have to pay so it's worth a shot imo.

Thanks, I may as well try it for free.

 

[DieH@rd]

Ammount of emo cryfest in this thread is stagerring.

They announced long time ago that they will have subscription... Those highpower servers have to be payed somehow.

 

[jman2050]

If it works like they say it's not bad.

Physics says it won't.

 

[Pepto]

The laws of physics are on his side.

Laws of physics say that you don't get lag on single player games on other devices?

 

[Hugbot]

Ammount of emo cryfest in this thread is stagerring.

They announced long time ago that they will have subscription... Those highpower servers have to be payed somehow.

You're right, the fact that a subscription is present is exactly what is turning people off of the service.

 

[Chrange]

Make that $160:


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121363&cm_re=5770-_-14-121-363-_-Product

That GPU is sure as hell a lot faster than whatever it was Onlive were using during their BETA programme.

Apparently we have different opinions on 'high end' then. :lol

 

[thetrin]

Ammount of emy cryfest in this thread is stagerring.

They announced long time ago that they will have subscription... Those highpower servers have to be payed somehow.

Subscription isn't what people are complaining about. I think a lot of people assumed that the price of games would be rolled into the subscription.

OnLive was never for a gamer like myself, but I can see why people are not interested, especially when services like Steam exist.

 

[bounchfx]

Pass.

if it was just $15 a month I might consider it, like netflix-y, but 15 PLUS extra? uhm.. no.

 

[Durante]

Laws of physics say that you don't get lag on single player games on other devices?

No, they say that you will get significant additional lag the farther you move the computation from the input and display devices.

 

[yankeehater]

I bet this is just a place holder price to see what peoples reaction is. Closer to launch they come out with a reasonable price, like $5/month, and everyone is happy and they get a huge surge of excitement about their service. If they really do charge $15/month then they shouldnt even bother releasing it.

 

[Vinci]

The Cloud is fucking expensive and removes virtually all rights from consumers. Yeah, I'm not digging on this so much.

 

[dionysus]

Maybe they will have an alternative where you can buy a game for more money than retail and have unlimited access to just that one game. That would make a lot of sense to capture casuals.

 

[thetrin]

A lot of people assumed OnLive would be like Netflix Instant Watch. It is not. People are no longer interested.

There is no surprise here.

Maybe they will have an alternative where you can buy a game for more money than retail and have unlimited access to just that one game. That would make a lot of sense to capture casuals.

So, you pay more money than I do for a version of the game they don't actually own. Then, when servers go down (or their internet dies), they can't even access it? That's not exactly competitive pricing.

 

[Pepto]

No, they say that you will get significant additional lag the farther you move the computation from the input and display devices.

He still is wrong saying that single player games don't have lag on other platforms.

 

[brain_stew]

Apparently we have different opinions on 'high end' then. :lol

Of course a 5770 is a high end GPU, there's less than half a dozen GPUs in existence that are faster than it. Its not the fastest thing money can buy, but it'll play most any game at 1080p with decent settings (many "maxed out") and is fully DX11 capable. Since we're comparing to Onlive though, there's no need to compare at anything above 720p resolution and a 5770 will utterly massacre any game at 720p, Crysis, Metro 2033 and Bad Company 2 included.

 

[thetrin]

He still is wrong saying that single player games don't have lag on other platforms.

You're telling me single player games normally have internet related lag? I'd love for you to explain how.

 

[Turfster]

He still is wrong saying that single player games don't have lag on other platforms.

Except he didn't say that. He basically said you're paying $15 to add lag, comparing playing on a remote server to playing on your own pc.

 

[Pepto]

You're telling me single player games normally have internet related lag? I'd love for you to explain how.

No I'm not saying that. Why do you think I'm talking about network lag?

Except he didn't say that.

I don't how else you can interpret this: "you get something you won't find anywhere else: lag on singleplayer."

 

[dionysus]

So, you pay more money than I do for a version of the game they don't actually own. Then, when servers go down (or their internet dies), they can't even access it? That's not exactly competitive pricing.

Its simiple, one financial transaction and you know exactly what you are getting. No monthly subscription.

To justify a monthly gaming subscription you need to be an avid gamer, those people have already purchased a gaming PC. This way they can appeal to people that want to play Diablo III but don't want to spend money on hardware. $70 upfront and they can play diablo III.

 

[brain_stew]

I bet this is just a place holder price to see what peoples reaction is. Closer to launch they come out with a reasonable price, like $5/month, and everyone is happy and they get a huge surge of excitement about their service. If they really do charge $15/month then they shouldnt even bother releasing it.

Yeah, good luck with that.

This has been Onlive's business model since day 1, and no one should be surprised at this level of pricing, its right in line with everything they've been saying and almost exactly the sort of pricing I expected. Games won't be any cheaper than they are on Steam, either, just fyi.

 

[I <3 Memes]

I feel bad for all of the people who are going to buy games through this company only to lose them when they go out of business within a year.

 

[Vinci]

Maybe they will have an alternative where you can buy a game for more money than retail and have unlimited access to just that one game. That would make a lot of sense to capture casuals.

Casuals aren't complete morons, man. They don't like being financially fucked over either. Why do you think they largely play games that are (a) free or (b) between 99 cents and 2.99? OnLive does not make sense for any part of the market - that's the problem that everyone is butting their heads against in this thread.

 

[dionysus]

Casuals aren't complete morons, man. They don't like being financially fucked over either. Why do you think they largely play games that are (a) free or (b) between 99 cents and 2.99? OnLive does not make sense for any part of the market - that's the problem that everyone is butting their heads against in this thread.

The various definitions of casual are screwing up our understanding of each other. Let me rephrase, people without a gaming PC that want to play the latest must have PC game.

 

[metareferential]

Except he didn't say that. He basically said you're paying $15 to add lag, comparing playing on a remote server to playing on your own pc.

Thank you. I thought it was easy to understand.

But people never cease to amaze me.

No I'm not saying that. Why do you think I'm talking about network lag?

Well, because I was talking about network lag.

And it was so evident that everyone got it.

Except you.

Besides, I was being ironic.

That too I thought was easy to get.

 

[Kosma]

Fail.

 

[ghst]

so you're basically buying a time-share in a semi crappy pc with bonus input lag, and renting games on top of that.

sold!

 

[thetrin]

No I'm not saying that. Why do you think I'm talking about network lag?

Because that's what he was talking about? If you're talking about input lag, much of that is within the user's power, in terms of what equipment they use, and the settings they use on their monitor/TV.

Network lag is uncontrollable after a certain point.

You can't possibly be comparing network lag and input lag.

 

[V_Ben]

At first I was excited, I was electrified.
I thought that I couldn't live without OnLive
But then i saw the price, and saw how you did me wrong,
But I'll stay strong, and learn how to get along!






I'm not paying that much. f*ck them.

 

[Minsc]

Casuals aren't complete morons, man. They don't like being financially fucked over either. Why do you think they largely play games that are (a) free or (b) between 99 cents and 2.99? OnLive does not make sense for any part of the market - that's the problem that everyone is butting their heads against in this thread.

$100 / month for the iPhone says otherwise.

Part of me thinks the more outrageous this becomes and the less GAF likes it, the better it will actually do :lol

 

[thetrin]

so you're basically buying a time-share in a semi crappy pc with bonus input lag, and renting games on top of that.

sold!

Bonus: The PCs are based in Florida, but are not available between October and February!

 

[Vinci]

The various definitions of casual are screwing up our understanding of each other. Let me rephrase, people without a gaming PC that want to play the latest must have PC game.

...

Where are these people, and why aren't they beating down Brain Stew's door asking for details on how to make a cheap gaming rig?

$100 / month for the iPhone says otherwise.

Part of me thinks the more outrageous this becomes and the less GAF likes it, the better it will actually do :lol

Wow. Let's not even talk about the massive diversity of benefits the iPhone can actually provide a user over what OnLive is doing. They're not even comparable. And I hardly think it's only the casuals using iPhones.

 

[dionysus]

...

Where are these people, and why aren't they beating down Brain Stew's door asking for details on how to make a cheap gaming rig?

All the people who express interest in only Diablo III or Starcraft II. That kind of thing. Look, I was just thinking out loud about an alternative business model, because I think their current plan is going to attract 5 financially incompetent long term subscribers.

 

[thetrin]

The various definitions of casual are screwing up our understanding of each other. Let me rephrase, people without a gaming PC that want to play the latest must have PC game.

These mystery people are going to spend even more for OnLive, instead of just upgrading their computers?

I can't imagine anyone is going to be salivating over PC gaming if they're too incompetent to a) get a Dell b) order parts from Newegg or c) upgrade their current computer

Who are these magic people??

 

[Vinci]

All the people who express interest in only Diablo III or Starcraft II. That kind of thing. Look, I was just thinking out loud about an alternative business model, because I think their current plan is going to attract 5 financially incompetent long term subscribers.

Yeah. Blizzard titles are probably not the best example of what you're looking for. My PC is six years old now and could likely play both of them.

 

[Sloegr]

Where are these people, and why aren't they beating down Brain Stew's door asking for details on how to make a cheap gaming rig?

Perhaps they think a gaming rig is $1500-$2000. It amazes me how many people still think like that.

 

[thetrin]

Blizzard titles are a terrible example. If you didn't use Blizzard as an example, you totally could have said "Mac users."

But we're getting Steam now, so that won't even work.

 

[Pepto]

Because that's what he was talking about? If you're talking about input lag, much of that is within the user's power, in terms of what equipment they use, and the settings they use on their monitor/TV.

Network lag is uncontrollable after a certain point.

You can't possibly be comparing network lag and input lag.

The network lag that Onlive is shooting for is much smaller than the input lag of most modern console games. I was just trying to point out that modern console games have quite a bit of lag.

Can you explain why 100ms of input + network lag on OnLive would be different from 100ms of input lag on modern console games?

 

[V_Ben]

...

Where are these people, and why aren't they beating down Brain Stew's door asking for details on how to make a cheap gaming rig?

I have no technical competence, and want to make a cheap rig, but its pretty daunting stuff!

 

[dionysus]

These mystery people are going to spend even more for OnLive, instead of just upgrading their computers?

Spend more? Hypothetically I have a 5 year old dell laptop. I played starcraft 1 back in the day, I would like to play starcraft 2. Spend $70 on Starcraft through onlive and I have a lifetime subscription to just that one game. It looks terrible and is laggy, but at least I can play the game without building a new PC.

I am just tossing out ideas on how to actually make an appealing product to people, cause the subscription model is doomed to failure.

Fine, Mac users.

 

[Minsc]

...

Where are these people, and why aren't they beating down Brain Stew's door asking for details on how to make a cheap gaming rig?



Wow. Let's not even talk about the massive diversity of benefits the iPhone can actually provide a user over what OnLive is doing. They're not even comparable. And I hardly think it's only the casuals using iPhones.

I was just trying to show that people will not be shy to spend large monthly fees. It's not unusual for TV fees to run around $100/month if we want a somewhat better example... it's like the reverse of what this is doing. I don't see OnLive doing as well with a $100/month all you can play - no more charges sub though.