Features// OnLive - or Dead in the Water

The OnLive home system needs to be integrated into more games too. It's all well and good providing us with a friends list but when they don't work with the games I'm using on the service, they just seem pointless. Saint Row The Third is unplayable with anyone on your friends list unless you randomly happen upon them during match-making, leaving co-op and completely avoided feature.

With gamers moaning about any dropped frame or graphical glitching, there's little wonder why most would prefer to buy new releases the old fashioned way over this.

It's not as though new games are any cheaper on OnLive either. Saints Row The Third is (at the time of writing) listed for £29.99 on OnLive but is widely available on the PS3 and 360 for less than £20.

Steam Power
When providing a service like this you really do have to take note of the competition. Although there isn't any real direct rival to OnLive, Steam comes closest. Steam works because it's a flexible and ever changing marketplace. It reacts to bricks and mortar price reductions and tries to offer value for money wherever it can.

This is something OnLive need to implement and fast. If they continue with its higher prices it will create a reputation for offering little value for money, especially as you’re not getting at least a disc in return.

Bargains
Still, there are some bargains to be found. For just £6.99 a month, the Playpack Bundle is an absolute steal, containing over 100 titles. Many of which I was surprised to see on there and are made for cloud gaming.

Take Just Cause 2 for example. Slowly working my way through missions or going on the odd rampage is a hell of a lot of fun and to know I can simply carry on when I'm visiting family, even if they don't own a console, is fantastic.

OnLive is also capable of offering a rental service. Most games have the option to play for three days for £3.99 or five days for £5.99. On top of that, all games are available to 'demo' for free, allowing players to play the opening 30 minutes of any game of their choice, only once. If they chose to purchase the game after these 30 minutes, they'll be able to pick up from exactly where they left off.

It's something that OnLive has over its competition and maybe something it should focus on more to when advertising the product.

Service Proviso
Unfortunately, but obviously not surprising OnLive is completely dependant on an Internet connection. Not only that, it has to be an unlimited one. Playing a game for an hour reportedly requires around 3Gb of downloading. To those who have to watch their download stats, this could really rack up some expensive bills.

Despite all its faults, OnLive clearly has room to grow. It partly depends on internet technology advancing and partly on how much value for money they are willing to offer when it comes to new games. The gaming market is currently a constantly changing one. If OnLive want to compete, it needs to keep up.

It also needs to look into reducing how often it reminds me that this is a streaming service. I would never like to play a game that I'm really looking forward to on OnLive in its current state. I want a game to be as perfect as it can be and no service limitations should get in the way of that.

There's also the pitfall that is security. OnLive must try everything it possibly can to keep users’ online details secure. One slip up could mean that the service is banished for good. I'm sure it's not an easy task, but it's one that must never drop in priority. The business depends on it.

One thing's for sure 2012 is going to be a massive year for OnLive, and I for one hope that it's still going strong come 2013.