GDC09: “OnLive” System Streams 720p Real-Time Gaming to your TV, PC, or Mac
Want maxed out Crysis quality graphics on your computer or television without having to buy the game up front, or better yet, dump thousands of dollars into a PC that can support it? Well, the team at Rearden Studios promises that “OnLive” will be just that.
The brainchild technology is the result of seven years of hard work spent developing an interactive video compression aspect which, according to Rearden, allows a multitude of OnLive servers spread across the country to stream videogames to your PC, Mac, or TV via a subscription based service with no more than a millisecond of lag. All of this makes the first paragraph sound all the more impressive.
Publisher support of the product includes several big names such as EA, Ubisoft, Take-Two, Epic Games, THQ, and Codemastes to name a few. At launch, the streaming subscription service promises 16 titles to choose from, and while none have been confirmed, the photos showing off the service feature popular games such as Crysis Wars, Mirror’s Edge, and Tomb Raider.
Those wanting 720p quality on their HD sets will need an internet connection of at least 5 mbps (megabits per second) while those willing to settle for standard definition gaming can squeek by with a 1.5 mbps connection.
If the OnLive technology becomes everything their creators believe it can, we will all be one step closer to having dogs named Astro and robot maids named Rosie. Check back tonight (shortly after7pm PST) for updates from the Rearden Studios conference at GDC09.
