They’re not cut-down versions of the full title, though. Like the downloadable demos you’d encounter online, these are free of charge.
If you just want a taste, 30-minute demo sessions are available. Three- and five-day rentals are available for those who looking for a quick fix or a multi-day binge, and a user’s favorites can still be purchased outright. Ion-equipped netbooks certainly can’t handle them, and neither can my CULV-powered ultraportable notebook, whose Intel integrated graphics only has enough grunt for casual games like AudioSurf and Darwinia.ĭespite featuring what I suppose must be called a more formal selection of games, OnLive’s pricing model seems more geared toward the casual crowd. OnLive’s current catalog includes recent titles like Assassin’s Creed II, Borderlands, and Batman: Arkham Asylum, all of which require a reasonably competent GPU to run at playable frame rates. You can use systems as anemic as 10" netbooks, although the recommended spec calls for a dual-core CPU and at least 1280×720 pixels of display resolution. As a result, OnLive’s hardware requirements are practically nonexistent. On the client PC, the OnLive app is merely a portal to what I imagine is a datacenter packed tightly with rows of rackmount gaming rigs.
The speed of one’s net connection is the most important thing here because the games themselves run on OnLive’s servers. That’s the premise behind OnLive, a cloud-based gaming service that promises to let PC and Mac users access a library of recent titles from anywhere with at least 3Mbps worth of Internet connectivity. Google Docs has become the poster child for cloud computing applications, and services like Dropbox have popularized cloud-based storage. I’m talking about cloud computing, which allows users to access applications, data, and even games with little more than a low-end PC and an Internet connection. You’ve heard about the cloud, right? No, not the one that’s spitting a pitter-patter of raindrops onto the roof of my home office.
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