Gaikai game streaming service evades also-ran status with investments from Intel and Limelight

Since we're still reeling from the fact that OnLive actually works, it seems a bit premature to be looking for competition in the game streaming space. Still, the browser-based Gaikai service is coming on fast, with a planned September launch and EA on board for those mega-hit titles the kids are playing these days. For a bit of added reassurance, Gaikai just announced it's getting investments from Intel Capital and Limelight Networks, whose products it just happens to be using. Gaikai's servers will have 6-core Intel processors and Intel SSD drives inside, and Limelight is already on tap to make the whole distribution part work. We can't say we're happy to see yet another platform war in the gaming space, especially after it looked like Steam was going to let us all live in perfect harmony in computer land, but the allure of playing high-end games instantly from a browser is hard to deny.

[yeoldgreat1 Posted Jul 23rd 2010 11:42AM]

Will you have to be constantly online to play their games?

[yeoldgreat1 Posted Jul 23rd 2010 11:43AM]

@yeoldgreat1
Whoops, read it again and noticed "browser based".

[JONNNathannn Posted Jul 23rd 2010 11:51AM]

@yeoldgreat1 Yeah, the browser connectivity is the whole point as the cloud is rendering the graphics and streaming it to you. In theory, you should be able to play things like Crysis on a netbook while at the campus library in between classes. In practice...OnLive doesn't allow Wifi yet, games have some input lag so everyone's tolerance is different and it's more of a mixed bag.

I'm all for new and cool things but they have to (1)work properly and (2)not be expensive as fuck. Or rather, be worth the asking price. OnLive's model of a membership fee + paying full prices for these streaming games is ludicrous.

As it always goes with digital distribution - you're not fooling us. We know you're saving money from packaging, licensing, distribution and retail negotiations. Stop being so greedy and pass the savings on or you'll fail like the go. OnLive is at the mercy of the game providers and they do have a service running that should be compensated but their whole model needs retooling. I'm not asking for free membership and $5 games, but let's be real.

[yeoldgreat1 Posted Jul 23rd 2010 11:56AM]

@JONNNathannn
Maybe Google will get involved and offer the service for free, except you'll have to sit through a couple of adverts every half hour.

[microlith Posted Jul 23rd 2010 11:57AM]

@JONNNathannn
It's worse than simply a membership fee and full price games. OnLive also has to negotiate licenses to offer the games, and those licenses have a duration to them.

If after, say, five years Activision no longer wants to offer older, cheaper games they can simply refuse to renew the license, revoking your access to the older games.

It's a publisher's wet dream. Charging full price for games the consumer never has access to, so they can't crack it, and at any time you can rescind their "ownership" of the game.

[shotmaster Posted Jul 23rd 2010 12:06PM]

@JONNNathannn Actually, I'm AMAZED that they can offer the service for that cheap. Think of all the MMOs that charge 15 bucks for one game, then realize that those servers dont need to be nearly as powerful as onlive's do. Onlive also has to be ponying up big bucks to all the ISPs who are going to have to stream all this. The also have to have a huge number of server farms to keep the ping time down. All in all, this project took a ridiculous amount of capital (in the 100s of millions atleast) and they are only charging 15 bucks!
I cant wait for people to realize that 150ms input lag isnt the same as 150ms network lag...

[SirNoDroin Posted Jul 23rd 2010 1:04PM]

@yeoldgreat1

Prefer is PC game programers just stop being lazy and just write games so they run better on less-then-stellar consoles (like console developers are able to do) rather then needing a "cloud" to render my games.

Considering games with nearly the same graphics sometimes have twice the system requirements for the PC port of a Console game, you really have to wonder how fast they push these games out these days...(obvious Valve and Blizzard are exempt from this rant).


The end result of these onlien games is always going to be the same, input lag, its just invetable. And while some games like RPGS and adventure games wouldn't be bothered by this, twitch games (typcially the ones you want to play for short periods of time on the go, Street Fighter, Quake, Ect) are just never going to work until infrastructure is updated.

[CruZer87 Posted Jul 23rd 2010 3:33PM]

@JONNNathannn I just wana say that ONlive does allow wifi since I have been using wifi on my laptop to use the service for afew weeks now. I have veriosn fios as my ISP an there has never been lag sincem played batman and mlb 2k10.

[Prevacator Posted Jul 23rd 2010 11:51AM]

Oh great, another company to provide that all too glorious 100% DRM restrictions upon games. Enjoy modding your favorite games! Oh wait...

[jshuby Posted Jul 23rd 2010 4:03PM]

@Prevacator anyone ever tell you that stealing is wrong? Oh wait I guess not

[Prevacator Posted Jul 23rd 2010 4:23PM]

@jshuby
You can mod games that you legally bought, you dunce.

[cyberXwarrior Posted Jul 23rd 2010 11:54AM]

Great, so now I have to say I'm a on-site PC gamer?
Long live local rendering!

[GAM3TAG Posted Jul 23rd 2010 12:01PM]

ONLIVE IS GOD

[23542354 Posted Jul 23rd 2010 12:10PM]

Steam>>>>anything else at this point I mean the reason steam really is even big is because of the vavle titles sold in the store, TF2/hf2/css and portal, I mean this store would need some killer exclusive titles and it would need something steam is missing which isn't much other than saving all saves online which would get pricey

[GumbyX Posted Jul 23rd 2010 12:15PM]

"especially after it looked like Steam was going to let us all live in perfect harmony in computer land,"

O_O

Someone wasn't around when Steam was in beta. Anything but peace and harmony.

Anyway, competition is good. Maybe this will spark Valve to ramp up Mac conversions of Source games. Doubt it, but you never know.

[shotmaster Posted Jul 23rd 2010 12:29PM]

@GumbyX Just curious, but what source games are left? I thought they had converted all of them (I know TF2, CSS, HL2, Portal, are all ported).

[GumbyX Posted Jul 23rd 2010 1:45PM]

@shotmaster Looking it over again, I made a mistake. All of the Vavle released Source games has been ported/converted. All other Source games have to be ported/converted by their developers, so I guess I should be yelling at them. Alien Swarm would be the newest Source-based game only released on PC, but not sure if that is considered a Valve game or not.

[aztek Posted Jul 23rd 2010 2:53PM]

@GumbyX Actually the L4D games are not ported yet.

[GumbyX Posted Jul 23rd 2010 3:40PM]

@aztek Ah HA! How could I have forgotten L4d. Its the main reason I got excited about Steam coming to Mac.

I blame my forgetfulness on the fact that its my first week at new job and I've been getting 5-6 hours a sleep a night before driving 2 hoursto (and then back from) work.

.... VALVE!! GIVE ME L4D!!! ..... >.> .....

[GeneralThade Posted Jul 23rd 2010 12:25PM]

This sounds so Gai.