OnLive, Online Gaming Sytem

     It's time we stop having to  go to the store to buy that new computer game. It's time we stop trying to remember where we put that disk. It's time we do something different with our gaming. OnLive is an attempt at just that.

     OnLive is an online gaming system which streams games right to your Mac or PC. You can play when you want, without having to remember where you put that disk. 

     It's a free service, and you only pay for the games. There are a few ways to purchase the games. You can buy a 3 day pass, a 5 day pass, or full access to the game anytime, although not all games are available with all three forms of purchase. Prices range from  $6 to $50,depending on which game you want and for how long.
     Besides just playing games, With OnLive you can watch others play games in real-time, play trial versions of games, and more.

OnLive on iPad

     One may run into a few issues when trying OnLive. Firstly, internet connection speed is a very important factor, and without a sufficient speed, OnLive won't even start. Another issue is th range of titles. When looking through the game library, there were only a few titles that I recognized. These include Assassin's Creed II, Major League Baseball 2K10, and Far Cry 2. Although I am not an avid gamer, the selection did not seem very wide.
     Also, besides for playing on th PC or Mac, OnLive has an iPad app, and now, a new TV connected gaming system.
    This system, which comes with the actual device and a XBOX-like controller, is available for $99. The actual device, since everything it does is through the internet, is about the size of an average smart phone. It does what the OnLive for Mac and PC does, but on your TV.

The OnLive System for TVs

          So is OnLive better than buying an XBOX 360 or PS3? You'll have to decide for yourself. Look at the  game library, and do some more research on the service. If you have a blazing fast internet connection (Ethernet, not WiFi), then maybe this might be good for you. If your internet connection takes a while to load the following video, then it's probably not a good choice.