OnLive announced a major update to its cloud gaming service as well as a new business line, which brings the benefits of cloud gaming to MMOs and virtual worlds.
For more information visit: www.onlive.com
Unedited press release follows:
OnLive Launches CloudLift and New Line of Business, OnLive Go
New CloudLift Subscription Delivers Anywhere-Access to Digital Download Games; New Strategies, Service and Technology Upgrade Expand Possibilities for Cloud Gaming
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA–(Mar 5, 2014) – OnLive, the leader in cloud gaming, today announces several exciting new innovations. As part of a major update to the OnLive® Game Service, the company is launching the new CloudLift™ subscription, which brings the freedom and convenience of cloud gaming to the PC download gaming space. Also OnLive Go debuts, a new business line that brings the benefits of cloud gaming such as instant launch and mobile compatibility to MMOs and virtual world experiences. In addition the company is delivering technology and performance upgrades and a new user interface.
OnLive’s new CloudLift subscription works by linking the player’s game library with his or her OnLive account and syncing cloud saves automatically. Players can play games locally on their gaming PC when they’re at home, or sign into OnLive on any device when on the go, and continue the same game right where they left off, no matter where they are. This gives gamers instant access to the full game experience on multiple platforms, even those on which the game is not normally supported, such as tablets, lightweight laptops, Macs, TVs with the OnLive Game System or the VIZIO® Co-Star, or on the LG Google TV. The CloudLift subscription works with supported games purchased from any digital download retailer and fully supports multiplayer gaming, so even titles without cloud saves benefit. To complement the CloudLift service, OnLive will also sell download codes. Purchase of a download code from OnLive will include a 7-day free trial of CloudLift, which makes OnLive the only digital download retailer that offers cloud play as an added benefit to game purchase.
“We’ve listened to our players. They want the convenience of instant access to their games wherever they are, but they also want to own the game and be able to play it locally on their home PC. With this new offering, we’re continuing to expand on the compatibility, freedom and instant access our users enjoy, with the added flexibility of owning a local copy of their games,” said Mark Jung, OnLive’s Executive Chairman.
CloudLift is a win for publishers and developers, who view it as a complement to their existing digital distribution channels. Gamers can now access their games on a wider range of devices, effectively expanding the addressable market and giving gamers a way to check in on a game or develop their character throughout their day.
OnLive CloudLift is launching with an exciting lineup of games, including the recently released Batman®: Arkham Origins, the highly praised Saints Row IV™ and the acclaimed indie Type:Rider. OnLive has dozens more planned, including highly rated titles such as Europa Universalis IV®, F1™ 2013, The official game of the 2013 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™ and more. Subscriptions are available for just $14.99 USD (£9.99 GBP)/month, with a free 7-day trial. OnLive will also continue to offer the ever-popular PlayPack subscription ($9.99 USD/£6.99 GBP/month), which delivers instant access to more than 250 games, streamed to any OnLive compatible device, anytime. Both subscriptions are accessible through a completely new user-friendly interface, which brings unique cloud capabilities such as Brag Clip™ recording and real-time Spectating to the foreground.
“OnLive has continued to innovate in its technology and its business models,” said Gary Lauder, OnLive’s lead investor. “With our new CloudLift service, and other exciting offerings in the works, we have created a win for all parties: gamers, publishers, digital distributors and OnLive. We’re defining a roadmap that keeps OnLive at the forefront of cloud gaming and cloud computing.”
Also launched is the new OnLive Go business line, bringing the benefits of cloud gaming — such as instant launch and mobile compatibility — to MMOs and virtual world experiences. By providing an instant-start option at registration or including the title in PlayPack, OnLive Go can offer consumers immediate access to a game, eliminating hours of download time, getting players into the game on the spot and improving conversion rates. OnLive Go also adds mobility to graphics-rich applications that require a powerful computer, enabling users to enjoy a high-quality experience on lower-end laptops, Macs and tablets for Android™.
The first application to showcase OnLive Go is currently in open Beta. SL(r) Go, a mobile viewer for Linden Lab’s Second Life(r) virtual world, extends the player’s Second Life experience to Android tablets via a touch-enabled app, as well as to low-end or older laptops and OnLive’s TV platforms. OnLive is also partnering with Gaijin Entertainment, makers of the award-winning MMO War Thunder, named Best Simulation of Gamescom 2013.
“OnLive is offering gamers something no other company has: the ability to access complex games instantly across multiple platforms. We’re excited to use OnLive’s service to help bring potential War Thunder customers into the game more quickly and to provide greater access to our current customers,” said Anton Yudintsev, CEO of Gaijin Entertainment.
OnLive has also invested in significant technology upgrades within the last year, adding thousands of new servers using the latest available technology. To meet increasing demand for capacity, OnLive has opened data centers in Chicago and Seattle, and increased footprint in existing data centers in Virginia, the San Francisco Bay Area, Dallas and Luxembourg. OnLive’s servers have been upgraded with the latest gaming GPUs and CPUs to enhance OnLive’s already top-quality game streaming experience.
About OnLive
OnLive is the originator of cloud gaming, innovating the delivery of real-time interactive experiences and rich media over the Internet. With ground-breaking video compression technology, OnLive harnesses cloud computing to instantly deliver twitch-response, full-featured, media-rich applications anytime and anywhere, across a range of devices. The OnLive Game Service with its CloudLift (patent pending) and PlayPack subscriptions gives gamers the freedom and convenience to play their games on PCs, Macs, tablets, smartphones and HDTVs via the OnLive Game System, VIZIO Co-Star™ and the G3 Series of LG Google TVs. OnLive Go brings the benefits of cloud gaming to MMOs, virtual worlds and other graphics-rich interactive applications. Having pioneered powerful solutions for fast-twitch AAA games, the most technologically challenging segment of cloud computing, OnLive has hundreds of patents and patents pending that cover its innovations. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, California. More information is available at www.onlive.com and www.onlive.co.uk.