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OnLive extending LG partnership to G3 series televisions
Are you way into cloud gaming and own an LG Smart TV of the G3 series variety? You're in luck, as OnLive this morning announced support for that very line of Google TV-powered LG televisions, bringing a library of "over 300 titles" to the platform. The G2 series already got that support back in November, if you recall, but it appears that OnLive's reach is expanding across a variety of LG Smart televisions. Should you wish to get in on the action, you'll need a Universal OnLive Wireless controller to actually play any of the games available. We'll be giving it a look later on this week during CES 2013 to see what's different -- if anything -- from OnLive's presence on other platforms. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Google TV getting Ubitus support, promising 'console and MMO' quality gaming
Ubitus might call itself "the worldwide technology leader in cloud gaming solutions," but we've yet to hear of the Taiwanese cloud gaming company. But that's about to change, as Ubitus just announced a partnership with Google TV to bring "console and MMO games" to various GTV-enabled devices. That means both Smart TVs and set-top boxes with Google TV will now have access to Ubitus' library of cloud-based games; Resident Evil 5, Lost Planet 2, and Super Street Fighter IV are all shown in an image we got with the announcement. Whether that means worldwide or Japan-only remains unknown for now, but we'll be sure to find out as CES 2013 kicks off in earnest today.
PlayCast cloud gaming service is coming to the US in 2013, we go hands-on a bit early
We're no stranger to cloud gaming services 'round these parts -- we covered OnLive's brush with death and subsequent rebirth and Sony's acquisition of Gaikai. Meanwhile, Playcast has been growing on its own, working on deals with US content distributors, and now the company is set to roll out its gaming platform Stateside early next year. We got a chance to see Playcast's service and chat with VP of Corporate Development, Meir Freidlander and VP of R&D Yuval Noimark about their business, so join us after the break to see what the company has in store for us in 2013.%Gallery-173261%
LG Google TVs now have integrated OnLive cloud game streaming
LG Smart TV owners may've noticed a new application pop up today on their G2 series sets, as OnLive's cloud game streaming app is being delivered via an over-the-air update today (first announced at E3 back in June) -- it seems that LG Smart TVs are the first to get Google TV's latest update. Beyond just viewing games, the app allows for actually playing them employing OnLive's wireless controller (sold separately). Per normal OnLive service, you can demo various games before buying them, and purchases on one OnLive account transfer across its many platforms (PC, Mac, Android tablets, the Microconsole, and LG TVs). The OnLive app can be found in the "Premium Apps" area, and it'll be pre-installed on future LG sets. Of course, it's a question of how long any of this will last, as OnLive's had a rough 2012 -- the company lost the vast majority of its staff and its former CEO back in August. It was subsequently spun off into a separate company to keep from defaulting on its many, many overdue loans.
OnLive was reportedly sold for roughly $5 million to venture capital firm
Even though weeks have passed since that well-documented OnLive kerfuffle took place, where unfortunate layoffs and the formation of a "new company" were at the forefront of it all, previously unknown details are still coming out of the woodwork. According to Mercury News, the once-promising cloud gaming outfit was purchased by a venture capital group for a mere $4.8 million, which appears to be a relatively small amount of cash for an outfit once valued upwards of $1.8 billion -- not to mention when compared to, say, rival Gaikai's $380 million sale to Sony. Still, this is said to have been due to the bad shape OnLive was in at the time, with the Palo Alto-based company reportedly owing more than $18 million in debt, leaving it with no choice but to take "the best that it could get."
Cable, IPTV providers reportedly testing cloud-based HD gaming for launch next year
The next generation of consoles from Sony and Microsoft haven't even been announced yet but their best competition may be from your cable TV / internet provider, according to a report from Bloomberg. The only-too-eager-to-talk people familiar with the matter named AT&T U-Verse, Verizon FiOS and Time Warner Cable as services preparing tests before the end of the year with general availability planned for 2013. Comcast and Cox were also name dropped as potential candidates to bring console-quality HD games directly to customers, based on tech from startups like Playcast, CiiNOW and Agawi. Of course, while we've seen this sort of setup before (as seen above, check out an awesomely 90s Sega Channel ad after the break) and recently from OnLive and Gaikai, cloud gaming has yet to catch on in a major way. Whether this potential approach is all smoke or will actually turn into reality has yet to be seen, but after TV Everywhere we wouldn't be surprised to see providers toss in gaming as another incentive for subscribers not to cut the cord. [Image credit: Sega Retro]
Agawi cloud game streaming headed to Windows 8, focused on 'mid-core and hardcore' games
Cloud streaming provider Agawi (formerly "iSwifter") is making a second major push with its cloud-based game streaming service alongside Windows 8 this October. Beyond the social content it already brings to the iPad -- "more than 12,000" Facebook games -- Agawi's second run at streaming is more focused on what it calls "mid-core" and "hardcore" games. But what does that mean? Executive chairman Peter Relan says "mid-core" means "web-based MMOs with a PC download," versus PC downloads representing the "hardcore." The example video (below the break) shows Agawi working with a variety of games, though none of the titles in the video confirm potential content partners for the service (Relan teases a fourth quarter reveal of more news). And today, Agawi announced its collaboration with Microsoft Azure, resulting in cloud game streaming across the world of Windows 8 -- tablets, PCs, and even its phones. "Popular AAA games will be made available in the coming months for instant play on Windows 8 devices with no additional work required by developers," the launch PR promises. Input methods for games vary dramatically by platform, and we've already seen what happens when you shove tablet-based touch controls onto a console/PC game (it ain't pretty). "That's a publisher decision," Relan says. "We support the idea of d-pads on the tablet itself. We support pure touch gesture on the tablet. We support point-and-click on the screen -- touch and tap. We support swipe for scrolling. We support a full controller, like an Xbox console controller," he adds.
More OnLive management moves: Perlman out, as investor Lauder settles for Chairman
As the OnLive storm continues to ride itself out, details of who the winners and losers are (mainly losers) keep washing up on the shore. Today's casualty seems to be CEO Steve Perlman himself, who -- just days after the firm reinventing itself -- is "departing to work on his myriad of other projects." In his place the former COO, Charlie Jablonski, is temporarily taking the reins, as well as continuing his role as head of operations in the new organization. Finally, completing this wave of announcements, is the news that chief investor, Gary lauder, will officially take the title of Chairman. So, as the new incarnation settles into its new structure, we'll just have to sit tight, waiting to see what the next chapter in the OnLive story is.
HTC to lose its $40 million investment from OnLive's financial restructuring
As cloud-based gaming service OnLive struggles to reform itself and cope with its pricey infrastructure, HTC's $40 million investment made last year will disappear completely, according to a recent filing to the Taiwan Stock exchange. OnLive began streaming its gaming selection to Android smartphones and tablets at the end of the same year but we never saw any exclusive features for HTC hardware. Following some tough financial results, it packed up its Korean office and recently returned half its stake in Beats, although its involvement with OnLive had never resulted in the same degree of publicity.
OnLive officially announces asset acquisition, notes that its newly formed company will keep OnLive name
Amid the rumors, sourced reports and statements, it was easy to lose track of the facts surrounding OnLive's recent restructuring efforts. No surprise then, that the newly formed outfit has issued a press release and FAQ (after the break) in hopes will clear things up. First and foremost, the firm reiterates that the streaming game service will continue operating uninterrupted, and that the "newly formed company" that acquired the firm's assets will continue to do business under the OnLive name. The announcement also mentions the Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors (ABC) process OnLive used to settle its debts, noting that "an affiliate" of Lauder Partners, a technology investment firm, was the new OnLive's first investor. Finally, the firm laments the necessity of laying off its staff, stating that "neither OnLive, Inc. shares nor OnLive staff could transfer under this type of transaction," confirming that nearly half of the previous staff had been offered positions at the new company, and optimistically projecting future hires culled from both previous and new employees. The new OnLive calls the asset acquisition "a heartbreaking transition for everyone involved," but looks optimistically to a future of "transforming the OnLive vision into reality." Check out OnLive's full, official word on the matter below.
OnLive hits reset after being dragged down by expensive servers, confirms service will continue
OnLive has finally issued an official statement after rumors of mass layoffs first leaked out earlier today, confirming that its assets have been acquired into a newly-formed company with what it claims is "substantial" financial backing. The big news for users is that the OnLive Game and Desktop services will remain operational and continue to be supported. The release also claims a "large percentage" of OnLive staff is being hired into the new company with plans to hire more over time, while PR informs us the leadership team remains intact. Check the words straight from the source after the break. We've heard from some of the people present for the meeting where the new plan was revealed today, confirming the company is going through a process known as Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors (ABC). A faster alternative to bankruptcy that doesn't involve the courts, it allows OnLive to deal with some of the issues it was facing, most notably an oversupply of servers for the number of users it had signed up. The ABC process allows OnLive to be unshackled from the expensive server contracts and bring in a new source of venture capital. Oh and that other major cost, the employees? Not all of the information is known yet, but beyond the loss of jobs, it turns out the stock they owned was in a company that no longer exists. We're hearing their benefits will end after August, however there are offers of contracts to answer questions about important topics like "where things are," in exchange for special form stock in the new venture. Update: Joystiq has more information from a former employee, who estimated the average number of peak concurrent OnLive users at around 1,800 or so, and the amount of retained staff in the range of 20 percent. One other tidbit? The source expects OnLive to go after recent Sony acquisition Gaikai for infringement of a game streaming patent, so stay tuned.
Source: OnLive undergoing buyout in wake of dire financials, laying off 'at least 50 percent' of staff
After a lot of back and forth from the rumor mill and official OnLive channels, we now have what we believe to be a far clearer view of precisely what is happening right now at OnLive headquarters in Palo Alto. We've spoken with a (now former) employee of the gaming service who ran down today's events for us. According to the account, a meeting was held at OnLive's offices at 10AM this morning, wherein the company's CEO announced a massive staff layoff -- at least 50 percent of the staff, according to our source's numbers. The layoffs come as part of across the board cuts to the company, and all those out of a job will have their key cards deactivated as of 4PM local time today. The source was understandably baffled by the abruptness of the news, along with the added blow that no severance will be offered and stock holdings are essentially worth nothing. The move apparently comes as OnLive is being purchased by an unknown party. Those being kept on have reportedly received offer letters from the new company. Why the sudden move? The source believes it may have something to do with the company's massive operating costs, which we're told are around $5 million a month. Certainly those concerns line up with a story dug up by Kotaku highlighting the company's plans to file for Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors as a result of the company's troubled financial situation. We're still gathering information as to the nature of the buyout. Update: According to our source, the writing wasn't on the wall at the company per se, but OnLive had reportedly been entertaining acquisition offers ahead of the news from companies including HP. Update 2: Our source has offered up some additional information on the matter, putting the average concurrent user number for the service at 1,100 to 1,500, peaking at around 1,800 on a given day -- not exceptional by any means in the face of reported $5 million a month operating costs. The number of layoffs, meanwhile, may well be greater than originally suggested, with our source putting the number of employees staying on board at around 10 to 20 percent.
Big Fish Unlimited lets gamers resume play on mobile, PC and TV, stay distracted at all times (update: HTML5 explained)
The perpetual crisis of casual gaming is that need for just one... more... turn. After all, those 29 levels of progress aren't coming with you to the office, are they? Big Fish Games wants to ease our consciences (or at least our egos) with Big Fish Unlimited. By using HTML5 to constantly save progress, the cloud service remembers exactly where a player was and ports it to the next device: it's possible to hop from a Android tablet, to a Roku box, to a Windows PC's browser without having to replay anything. The nature of the streaming games themselves won't give OnLive players second thoughts, but their lighter footprint won't demand as much from an internet connection, either. Most of the intended audience will appreciate the price -- the now active service costs $8 a month for access to more than 100 games from the full catalog, and free play is on tap for 20 of the games as long as you can endure periodic ads. Whether or not coworkers can endure another round of your hidden object games is another matter. Update: We've since talked to the company directly, and it turns out that the HTML5 is more for the cross-platform support; it's the server that tracks progress whenever you quit a given app.
OnLive says support for Universal Controller on Nexus 7 is coming 'shortly'
Those of you who are proud owners of one of Big G's Nexus 7 -- and are frequent users of OnLive's Android offering -- may have noticed the lack of support for the gaming outfit's Universal Controller on the Jelly Bean slate at launch. Fret not, though, as that might be changing soon. Speaking to GottaBeMobile, the cloud company said that while there's no Nexus 7 compatibility at the moment, it does "hope to have it shortly." OnLive wasn't quite clear about what "shortly" really means, but according to the aforementioned site, the Universal Controller's had a tendency to work with some titles before "the official support was announced" -- so a few of you could get lucky ahead of time. Either way, we'll let you know as soon as OnLive intros a more formal solution.
Gaikai's cloud gaming beta arrives on cue to high-end Samsung Smart TVs
Gaikai announced with a flourish that it was partnering with LG and Samsung for Smart TV cloud gaming, so its acquisition by Sony made us wonder if those arrangements would still hold. Well, it looks like all's well with the arch-foes, at least on that front. The service has landed in a closed beta, provided you're the lucky owner of a 2012 Samsung LED 7000 series or higher Smart TV with the latest firmware update. Should you decide to download the software, you'll be offered the chance to check out the company's early access program, which will not only let you sample the cloud gaming wares, but also get you a Logitech Gamepad to boot -- provided you're a "selected participant." That'll let you kick back and test out some Gaikai games for yourself, so if you're among the select few with the right TV, check the source to see how the install works.
Sony buys Gaikai cloud gaming service for $380 million
Cloud-based gaming service Gaikai has had plenty of spring in its step recently, and now we know why: it's been tying up a deal to sell itself for a rather substantial sum of cash. The $380 million agreement is slightly below the $500 million bandied about it in some rumors last week, so perhaps SCE execs feel like they've got themselves a bargain. SCE boss Andrew House promised that the union of Gaikai's "engineering talent" with his company's "game platform knowledge" would lead to "unparalleled cloud entertainment experiences." For his part, Gaikai CEO David Perry said he was "honored" to help Sony "grow their ecosystem." None of this sheds much light on precisely what the Japanese giant will do with its new acquisition, or how it'll deal with the potential (imaginary?) awkwardness of supplying a service direct to TV rivals like Samsung and LG. In any case, the two companies need to secure regulatory approval before getting down to the tricky stuff.
Alleged Xbox 720 document leak resurfaces, stirs rumors of Kinect 2, native 3D, AR glasses
A document passing itself off as an internal Microsoft presentation about the future of Xbox has surfaced, and is stirring internet chatter with its possible hints at the future of the console. Despite turning up online over a month ago and potentially dating back to 2010, a few things mentioned that have since come to fruition -- like SmartGlass -- are earning it more attention. The proposed developments include cloud-based entertainment, native 3D, augmented reality "Fortaleza Glasses," scalable hardware -- all by 2015. If that's too long to wait, however, the time line also indicates we'd be seeing the next generation hardware in 2013 for $299 (more precise and four-player ready Kinect 2 included). The Xbox 720 package described includes such pie-in-the-sky bullet points as Blu-ray and whole-home DVR features, all from a low-power always-on box built on a "Yukon" ARM hardware platform. Of course, even if this is legit and not just some business student's exercise, all the talk of value propositions, OEM licensing and developer profitability are proposals that could have changed. Need more reasons to be skeptical? Digital Foundry points out the extremely optimistic wattages listed and previous appearances of the illustrations included. Ponder over the full 56-page document for yourself -- taking into account the bored minds on the internet that are capable of cranking out this kind of stuff, like that infamous Nintendo Revolution video -- after the break. Update: The document has been pulled from Scribd, apparently at the request of a Covington & Burling, LLP. [Thanks, Leonard]
OnLive's E3 blowout includes new games, easy in-browser access, MultiView and LG's Google TV
OnLive launched in the summer of 2010 streaming games to PCs or Macs, and now two years later it has returned to E3 feeling pretty good about the state of cloud gaming and its place in it. Among a series of announcements going out are news that it will be demonstrating gaming on smart TVs for the first time on LG's G2 Google TVs with support for up to four universal OnLive controllers at once. The Google TV viewer app has been out, although OnLive gaming has been closely tied to Vizio's upcoming Google TV models in the past while LG showed off Gaikai access at CES. It's not available on retail units yet, but is expected to be added in a software update, with an eye towards adding support for Cinema 3D gaming later on. At the same time it's rolling out an update to its in-browser gaming clients that lets publishers and retailers launch players into games without creating a login. Finally, we've got the new OnLive MultiView feature that lets players see the video stream of another player without exiting their own session. As suggested in the press release (all are included after the break), it can let you check in on a friend's game as it happens, or even see from a teammate's perspective during a co-op match. That feature is currently in closed beta and is set to launch later this year, read on for all the details about what OnLive is up to and a list of games coming soon that includes Darksiders II, Civilization V: Gods and Kings and more.
Gaikai-powered cloud gaming coming to Samsung Smart TVs (update: hands-on video and impressions)
At this point, most people (in the tech world, at least) are quite familiar with Gaikai's cloud gaming platform, which lets users have a not-quite-console quality gaming experience on any device. The technology has found its way onto Facebook and in LG TVs, and now Gaikai's bringing gaming to Samsung TVs, too. Called Samsung Cloud Gaming (SCG), it'll be available via the Smart Hub on Samsung 7000 series and up Smart TVs in the US this summer. The technology powering SCG is the same as what's behind LG's service, but Sammy's customized the UI to suit its sensibilities. We got a chance to speak with Gaikai CEO David Perry about his company's latest partnership, so join us after the break for more. Update: Video hands-on added after the break. We also demoed the service playing Darksiders, and aside from some mild stuttering the button masher was smooth enough to play using a USB-connected controller. We're told that the software we viewed isn't final, so it may not reflect the final look. Joe Pollicino contributed to this post. %Gallery-156996%
NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang announces cloud-based, virtualized Kepler GPU technology and GeForce GRID gaming platform
We're here at NVIDIA's GPU technology conference here in San Jose, California and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang just let loose that his company plans to put Kepler in the cloud. To make it happen, the company has created a virtualized Kepler GPU tech, called VGX, so that no physical connections are needed to render and stream graphics to remote locations. So, as Citrix brought CPU virtualization to put your work desktop on the device of your choosing, NVIDIA has put the power of Kepler into everything from iPads to netbooks and mobile phones. While the virtualized GPU has application in an enterprise setting, it also, naturally, can put some serious gaming power in the cloud, too. Fear not, for Jen-Hsun's crew has created GeForce GRID technology that leverages Kepler's cloud capabilities to augment online gaming services like Gaikai by greatly reducing input latency by up to 30ms. Naturally, NVIDIA's not spilling the secret sauce that makes it happen, but you can read all about the new technology at the PR and source below. Sean Buckley contributed to this post.
