OnLive: Embracing Cloud Computing

While there was a ton of talk about cloud computing at GamesBeat, OnLive is probably the first company to talk about in a tangible way. Today at the Game Developers Conference, the company founded by WebTV’s  Steve Perlman and former Eidos CEO Mike McGarvey revealed some of the details for this streaming game service that will deliver games to users in the blink of an eye.

The plan is to deliver AAA game titles from a variety of publishers including, Codemasters, Ubisoft, Take-Two, Warner Bros. Interactive, THQ, Epic Games, Eidos, Atari Interactive and others.

Users with a minimum broadband capability and an XP or Vista-capable PC or Mac can stream on-demand games right when they are released without too much lag depending on what their broadband connection is capable of. For example, a 1.5Mbps connection will be just fine for standard definition play, while 5Mbps will be best for high definition games.

Another interesting way in which users will be able to use the service is via TV - no great shock when you consider who the founder of the company is.. Users will be able to stream games directly to television using a small device you can easily plug in to your TV. To play these games, you’ll use a custom wireless controller and a voice-over-IP enabled headset. The service will launch with 16 games. That is expected to happen this winter.

The great thing about this service - at least according to its creators — is that the upgrades will take place on the service’s end and not on the player’s box or device. The only thing the user has to worry about on a PC or Mac is a small one time download to get things started.

It sounds fascinating and is probably the first example of how cloud computing will work. OnLive is in closed beta right now and will be open to the public in a beta test run this summer. Look for it to be ready for consumption this winter if all goes well.

Netflix Survey: Wii Streaming Service

A Netflix survey being present to some subscribers of the popular “by mail and Internet” DVD rental service may indicate some future plans of the service on platforms other than the Xbox 360, reports Joystiq. The survey asks participants to read a description of a Netflix product and to answer questions about it.

 That product consist of “Netflix Instant Streaming Disc” that users would put into their Wii, enabling them to stream an entertainment selection from its library of 12,000 titles. The disc would apparently have to be inserted in the Wii to use the service, but all the functionalities associated with Netflix streaming solution would apply: rewind, pause, fast forward, etc.

If nothing else the survey proves that Netflix would love to be able to break into the lucrative Wii space, but it doesn’t mean that the idea is a lock either… and if Netflix “is” considering streaming content via the Wii, what of the PS3? Wouldn’t that be an easier platform to get into to? We think yes, but there’s no survey for that.

There’s one other thing the survey proves: The Xbox 360 deal Netflix has going has certainly kept the company in the black in the early part of 2009. More deals mean more money.