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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 bringing cloud gaming to Samsung this summer
Game streaming service Gaikai is partnering with Samsung to add its cloud gaming service to Samsung televisions, the company announced today. The partnership is dubbed "Samsung Cloud Gaming," and will bring Gaikai's game lineup to Samsung televisions starting some time this summer (the Samsung 7000 series is the first to get the streaming treatment).Gaikai says that a "diverse selection of AAA content appealing to both families and gamers alike" will come with the service when it arrives later this year. From the handful of screens we've seen, games like The Witcher 2 and Limbo apparently represent the all-encompassing scope of Gaikai's game offerings.%Gallery-157083%
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.
Gaikai brings its cloud gaming to Facebook, launches beta application
Gaikai's certainly grown leaps and bounds since its early days, and today the cloud gaming firm takes another step by joining the largest social networking platform on the globe. For starters, this first beta of Gaikai's Facebook application is available to North American / European gamers, offering support for browsers such as Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari and Firefox on Windows, OS X or Linux machines. Gamers who've fiddled around with the outfit's previous betas or Walmart's Gaikai powered Gamecenter will know the drill: streaming game demos in the frame of your web browser. Ready to try before you buy? The setup is serving up samples of Saints Row: The Third, Dead Rising 2, Magicka, Sniper: Ghost Warrior, The Witcher 2, Orcs Must Die! and Farming Simulator 2011. Gaikai CEO and co-founder David Perry told us that while the outfit's current Facebook rigging is still centered around demos, it's primed to push full titles if and when a publisher requests it. "Our goal is to get games as accessible as movies and music," he told us "so games get the chance to compete." Gaikai v1.0 is live on Zuck's site now, so click the source link below, pop in your Facebook credentials and you should be all set. Sean Buckley contributed to this post.
CCP considering the cloud, wants to put EVE gameplay on mobile devices
EVE Online developer CCP is looking for a way to bring its Internet spaceships into the cloud. CCP's chief marketing officer David Reid said at last week's Fanfest in Iceland that the company is in talks with OnLive, Gaikai, and other services to try to bring the popular space simulation MMO to one of their platforms.Reid said there "isn't some giant announcement" for release on any other platforms but PC and Mac at this time. But he also said CCP is thinking about ways to bring elements of EVE, including the upcoming Planetary Interaction system (in which players can set up to harvest resources from virtual planets) "finding their ways to tablets and mobile devices." CCP is considering a number of ways to do that, and "to add new sorts of experiences" to the game.
CCP shopping EVE Online to cloud gaming services
You'd think the hardest of the hardcore MMORPGs would be exempt from the casual-fueled cloud-gaming craze, but you'd be wrong. Eurogamer reports that CCP's EVE Online sci-fi sandbox is in talks with both OnLive and Gaikai to expand New Eden's audience. "We are in dialogue with both companies and others," CCP marketing guru David Reid says. "We think it's a really important way to not just play the core Eve Online gameplay -- that you do play today principally on the PC and on the Mac -- but also to add new sorts of experiences." What sorts of new experiences? Well, Reid mentioned EVE's planetary interaction mechanics, and he said that CCP could see PI finding its way "to tablets and mobile devices." It's still very early in the process, though, and Reid clarified that CCP has nothing to announce as of yet.
Exent's GameTanium Mobile launches for Android tabs
OnLive users may have been dining at the all-you-can-eat gaming table since December, but now it's time for the GameTanium crew to pull up a chair. Game provider Exent has brought its subscription platform to Android tablets and offers unlimited access to titles such as Fruit Ninja, Baseball Superstars and T-Racer HD. The service rolls in at a cent under six dollars a month, and there's a three-day free trial for those with commitment issues. The new mobile service is available right away via a direct .apk, so if you want in, skip past the Android Market and take a peek at the press release after the break instead.
Crytek's Gface hits beta, wants you to stream your games, life
Facebook games just not doing it for you anymore? Than put on your gameface -- or log into it, rather. Gface is an upcoming social network, powered by Crytek, that seems to be gunning for OnLive (or maybe Gaikai)'s cloud gaming foothold. Yes, streaming's the name of the game here -- Gface is powered by Crytek's new Seed Engine, a cloud technology platform that lets users share context aware game sessions, video seeds and personal media. Details are hazy at the moment, but if the network's new beta subscription page is anything to go by, Gface will allow friends to socialize, share live video feeds and stream casual and high-performance games in both single player and cross-platform multiplayer modes. This real-time sharing setup is designed to be a hardware independent, cross-platform network that runs in your browser, powered by the GFace experience plug-in; imagery on the teaser page suggests you'll be able to seamlessly pick up a game of "Warface" on your PC, smartphone or tablet. There are plenty of questions left to ponder about the budding social network, but one picks our brain: will it run Crytek's Crysis? Hit the source link below to sign up for the beta, and if you get in -- let us know.
Namco executive: F2P titles 'can't be high quality'
Just when we thought every game development firm on the planet had jumped on the free-to-play bandwagon, along comes Namco-Bandai and executive Olivier Comte. The senior vice president recently spoke at the Cloud Gaming Europe conference, and he had some pretty harsh words for the industry's new business model darling. "Free-to-play games can't be high quality," Comte said. "The business model for smaller, easier titles is making an expectation to consumers that is whittling away at AAA development." He went on to stress that larger companies have to think long-term, and he opined that the proliferation of cheap games is going to be problematic for the industry if the trend continues.
Gaikai coming to LG TVs, playable OnLive coming to GoogleTVs
If you're someone whose hatred of physical media and cluttered entertainment systems is rivaled only by your passion for contemporary gaming and universal controllers, your next television purchase may have just become as conflicted as your eccentric little heart of hearts. Gaikai and LG have announced plans to place Gaikai's cloud-based game-streaming services inside of LG's upcoming 2012 line of Cinema 3D TVs. The service will use Gaikai's middleware to power an LG-branded gaming portal within the company's existing Smart TV app ecosystem. No information has yet been given regarding how these games will actually be played, but we're hopeful it will involve a controller of some kind, rather than creative use of the TV's remote. OnLive has also announced further integration of its cloud-based game-streaming service into Google's GoogleTV platform, by way of Vizio's "next generation" of "Internet Apps Plus" devices. Vizio TVs equipped with Internet Apps Plus and GoogleTV 2.0 will allow users to connect their Universal Controller and stream games normally. This is a big leap from OnLive's current GoogleTV presence, which is currently limited to a "Player" app that allows GoogleTV users to spectate OnLive games happening on other devices. No word on whether full OnLive functionality will come to other devices running GoogleTV 2.0.
OnLive now fully supports the Xperia Play, virtual thumbsticks and external controllers need not apply
Earlier this month, the good folks at OnLive released apps for both iOS and Android, granting mobile access to its cloud gaming service. However, its implementation was incomplete -- there was no support for the Xperia Play's slide-out controls. The company didn't leave owners out in the cold for long, however, as it has updated the Android app to fully support all of the handset's hardware just in time for the holidays. So, you're no longer constrained by the vagaries of touchscreen controls or forced to fork over your recently received Christmas dough for OnLive's wireless controller to get your tactile gaming on. Get all the good news in the PR below.
OnLive intros apps for iOS and Android, refreshes its wireless controller, we go hands-on (video)
Look, games like Fruit Ninja can be addicting and all, but we've many times pondered what playing a proper title -- the kind intended for the latest consoles and PCs -- would be like on a tablet or smartphone. Of course, we've seen some fantastic results from Tegra 3 and been notably impressed by Infinity Blade 2 on iOS, but starting today, OnLive is set to one-up the limitations of locally run mobile games with its new app. Whether you're using an Android, iOS device or even a Kindle Fire, you'll now be able to play games from the OnLive ecosystem while you're on the move over 3G, LTE or WiFi, rather than merely spectating in OnLive Viewer. Better yet, the OnLive app itself is completely free and any games purchased can be used across devices, and currently, 25 titles have been optimized for touch-based controls, including a tweaked version of L.A. Noire. However, if you're more inclined to use tactile controls you'll be pleased to know that the company also has a soon to be released, revised version of its wireless controller. Outwardly, the updated controller is looks identical to the outgoing MicroConsole pack-in model, but this one connects to Macs, PCs and just about any mobile device thanks to new "adaptive wireless" technology. Those seeking extra low latency can use its bundled USB dongle to link up to four of the controllers and a single Bluetooth headset for voice chat with one PC. The gamepad's media controls can also navigate iTunes in addition to playback of Brag Clips within OnLive. When it debuts, you can expect to pick one up for about $50 (£39.99 in the UK). OnLive CEO Steve Perlman was kind enough to walk us through using this new bit of kit, so head on past the break for our full impressions and to see the controller in action. %Gallery-141278%
Google Chrome will add native gamepad support, more video and audio hooks
Google's Paul Kinlan spoke at Develop Liverpool last week, and revealed that Google is aiming to add some more plug-and-play hardware support to its Chrome browser, including gamepad support. The update will also add connections to webcams and microphones, which means that Chrome could, after these updates, directly use those accessories for games and other services. It should probably be noted that Firefox's API already allows for gamepad support, so Chrome here is just filling out the alternative. Google is also planning to cook in native support for WebRTC, an open source video chat initiative that it has helped run in the past. At this point, developers are basically just lining up APIs to work together, but setting up these built-in solutions could eventually help bring cloud gaming services right into a native Internet browser.
Microsoft: Cloud gaming the 'distant future,' cloud services coming to Xbox
Speaking at GDC China, as reported by Gamasutra, Microsoft's Brian Prince discussed the possibilities of cloud gaming. Prince believes that services like OnLive and Gaikai are the "distant future of gaming in the cloud," though currently they suffer from "limitations." Such limitations include a reliance on "AAA" games and the need for a high speed internet connection, which most of America still doesn't have, according to Prince. Prince had good things to say regarding cloud features for the "Xbox platform," though he was reluctant to share specifics. He promised "cloud-specific" features, saying, "I'm already doing it, it's really exciting, but I can't tell you about it or else I'll get fired." It's unclear if Prince was referring to the current Xbox or a future iteration, but we're assuming he's talking about more than just cloud storage. [Image Credit: Flickr user turtlemom4bacon]
MMObility: OnLive might just be perfect for MMOs
I sat in my bed last night, wanting to play something. I had already been playing my staple of browser-based MMOs. I had already crafted a bunch of arrows to grind on in RuneScape, ensured something was being built in Illyriad, and made note to try some of the new content in a few more of my favorites. I wanted to try something single-player, though, but my desktop was in the other room. It was chilly, and my dogs had weighed down the covers. So I pulled up my laptop and actually plugged it into my router instead of going wireless. I fired up OnLive, the miracle service that streams games to your device. Within a few minutes, I was shooting, exploring, and leveling in games that my little laptop would probably have had a very hard time running on its own. This got me thinking about OnLive's recent announcement about working with MMOs to stream them to players all over the world. Would it work? How would it work? Click past the cut and let's discuss it!
Onlive launches in UK, offers cheap games and other deals
As promised, OnLive has brought its brand of cloud gaming to the UK as of today. If you're interested in checking it out, the service is offering some worthwhile deals. If you use BT's broadband service, you'll be able to subscribe to the "PlayPack," a monthly program that gives you unlimited access to over 100 games, for 3 months at no cost. That offer through BT can be found here. Oh, and OnLive play won't count toward your BT usage limit from now until January 2, 2012. It may start accruing after that, unless BT offers any other usage deals. Additionally, if you visit OnLive at the Eurogamer Expo, you can get a free MicroConsole, and all new UK OnLive users can get their first game for £1. Regular prices for those services are £6.99 a month for the PlayPack and £39.99 per purchased game, should you like it enough to use it again.
THQ CEO talks up cloud gaming, plans 40 weeks of Saints Row 3 DLC
THQ CEO Brian Farrell spoke highly of cloud gaming yesterday, which should come as no surprise to anyone who's seen THQ's frequent OnLive deals, or to anyone who knew that he happened to be speaking at the Cloud Gaming USA conference. Farrell predicted that a move to discless, all-digital game distribution "will result in a lower cost for the hardware manufacturer, which will result in a lower cost to consumers and therefore a lower entry point, thus driving more mass market adoption." It's something he sees not just PC-based services, but consoles doing as well -- though he didn't really specify "cloud" there vs. just downloading games. And speaking of downloading content, Saints Row: The Third is going to have some -- a lot, actually. Farrell said that the game would be followed by roughly 40 weeks of DLC. "We totally change how we keep consumer engaged for a very long time," Farrell said. "We intend to create an online digital ecosystem that keeps them interested for a year or more." It's the same kind of approach THQ tried with MX vs. ATV Alive, except without the base game having reduced content to start -- or a reduced price. "What we found was unlike free to play, $39.99 [the budget-level price of MX vs. ATV] just wasn't low enough to drive a big enough install base to push the level of DLC we had initially hoped for." It will be interesting to see if that kind of strategy works with a game that is more complete, and fully priced.
OnLive's Deus Ex pack-in code is 'Cloud game meets physical media 1.0'
People buying new PC copies of Deus Ex: Human Revolution this week have likely been delighted to find codes for the OnLive version of the game in the box (unless they bought those copies from GameStop). But you can't play the same save file between the PC and OnLive versions, making the offer more of a cool novelty than something immediately useful to players. OnLive CEO Steve Perlman told Joystiq that this offer, the "first of many," is just a tentative step by OnLive. "You can think of this as cloud game meets physical media 1.0," he said. "This first version doesn't have cross-pollination between your local PC and the cloud." The main issue preventing this from being done right now -- preventing, say, OnLive cloud saving for retail games -- might surprise you: mods. Perlman said that since OnLive uses slightly different versions of the game than the retail PC, if any kind of alteration is done to the base game, it could cause compatibility issues between the versions. Cloud saving on OnLive "can be done," he said. "It requires more thought than printing a code." He affirmed that OnLive will do that, but "that'll probably be like 2.0." OnLive is planning not only to solve that issue, but to allow for mods in the streaming versions of games. "I think if everyone wants to do multiplayer where everyone has auto-aim, that's fine, but you don't want to mix games, you know?" He describes setting up rooms in which people can choose to play with mods. "This is all work that was done many months ago," Perlman noted about the pack-in code, slyly contrasting the lead time required for a retail product with OnLive's instant-on nature. He then laughed. "Oh, my god!"
