Onlive - Dead

wayne040576

So according to the twitters, Onlive is gone. They laid off all of their staff apparently with a new company to follow.
Where does this leave people who bought games through the service?

This could be the first real experience of what happens when one of these companies fail.

Genghiz Cohen

Onlive disagrees.

“We don’t respond to rumors but of course not.

The exciting news is that the first VIZIO Co-Stars (Google TV stream players) with the OnLive app built-in have just arrived in customer homes, and our second of three ‘Indie Giveaway Weekends’ is going on now. OnLive users can get a free copy of the award-winning games Space Pirates and Zombies and SpaceChem (more details on our blog here: blog.onlive.com).]”

wayne040576

OK so the news is not quite clear on it

http://mobile.theverge.com/gaming/2012/8/17/3250066/onlive-cloud-gaming-service-closing-staff-laid-off

ShadowHearth

Looks like it could be true.

I am not saying that I am not surprised, but it was really unexpected right now.

Thought it could be just a management change? Sony already bought gaikai. So maybe some other big company decided to have cloud gaming too?

gizmo

This is really weird and stinks to high bloody heaven if the rumours of current staff not being paid are true.

We can now confirm that the assets of OnLive, Inc. have been acquired into a newly-formed company and is backed by substantial funding, and which will continue to operate the OnLive Game and Desktop services, as well as support all of OnLive's apps and devices, as well as game, productivity and enterprise partnerships.
The new company is hiring a large percentage of OnLive, Inc.'s staff across all departments and plans to continue to hire substantially more people, including additional OnLive employees. All previously announced products and services, including those in the works, will continue and there is no expected interruption of any OnLive services. We apologize that we were unable to comment on this transaction until it completed, and were limited to reporting on news related to OnLive's businesses. Now that the transaction is complete, we are able to make this statement.

Source

Retr0gamer

Welcome to the future where you don't own anything you pay for.

Retr0gamer

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Welcome to the future where you don't own anything you pay for.

Did I read somewhere that OnLive didn't really own anything either and some of the publishers were pretty pissed with them?

Grumpypants

I cant log on it tells me my firewall settings are causing a problem will try again in the morning when ive more time.

J_E

Let this be a warning that cloud-based gaming is not the way to go. Most cloud-based services in general.

Cydoniac

Cydoniac wrote: »

Let this be a warning that cloud-based gaming is not the way to go. Most cloud-based services in general.

Absolutely. They can pry my harddrives from my cold, dead hands. Nothing important or paid-for of mine will end up in "the cloud".

Grumpypants

this was always in the cards the guy behind onlive builds companies to sell them.

onlive has just been sold to another company everything will stay the same and the majority of the staff will move to the new company happens all the time.

I don't own many games on onlive I normally use it for the 30 mins demo to test games out without having to download it from psn or live.

Genghiz Cohen

Cydoniac wrote: »

Let this be a warning that cloud-based gaming is not the way to go. Most cloud-based services in general.

Well.
I wouldn't go that far.

K.O.Kiki

Re: cloud computing

How Apple and Amazon Security Flaws Led to My Epic Hacking

Mat Honan: How I Resurrected My Digital Life After an Epic Hacking

wayne040576

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

Re: cloud computing

How Apple and Amazon Security Flaws Led to My Epic Hacking

Mat Honan: How I Resurrected My Digital Life After an Epic Hacking

To be honest, it's not just cloud based services that are venerable to social engineering hacks. All online services are.

When your data's security is left in the hands of a customer support person who probably doesn't like their job then you have a problem. These companies are kind of stuck. They have to make it difficult to get at the data but if they make it too difficult, people complain.

At the end of the day, you should only use cloud services as one type of backup. Everything should also be backed up on an external drive.
I wouldn't buy anything from a service like onlive. I'd only rent or stream like netflix.

Mr E

3 years later, OnLive is officially dead (or will be in 26 days). Sony has acquired the "important parts" of the service, so they are completely shutting down on April 30th.

There were doubters, but I think they were ahead of their time with the technology and will be remembered for their contribution to cloud-based gaming.

http://www.talkandroid.com/244065-onlive-announces-its-shutdown-after-sony-acquires-important-parts/

Retr0gamer

Yep, I'd put money on the PS5 being built around PS Now and a Netflix style system. In another way Microsoft were a bit ahead of their times as well Sony on the other hand are stealthily doing so with the likes of PS Plus.

aphex™

Shame, they launched it in UK/Ireland last year. Am a subscriber for 2 months using it for a few Steam games :mad:

Glad I didn't actually buy games on their own site.:eek:

witnessmenow

Deleted User wrote: »

Absolutely. They can pry my harddrives from my cold, dead hands. Nothing important or paid-for of mine will end up in "the cloud".

Do you own games on steam? What happens if they ever shut off?

Myrddin

witnessmenow wrote: »

Do you own games on steam? What happens if they ever shut off?

I think I read somewhere (somewhere on boards actually) that Steam will release the DRM on all bought games in that situation?

aphex™

It's a pity Steam didn't buy Onlive actually.

The_Valeyard

Myrddin wrote: »

I think I read somewhere (somewhere on boards actually) that Steam will release the DRM on all bought games in that situation?

They better, or I would turn into a pirate king and never legally download again.!!!

Varik

The_Valeyard wrote: »

They better, or I would turn into a pirate king and never legally download again.!!!

If steam goes, that's either an aliens invasion or nuclear war.

Retr0gamer

Myrddin wrote: »

I think I read somewhere (somewhere on boards actually) that Steam will release the DRM on all bought games in that situation?

Valve dont have any obligation to do so and you can bet third party publishers would not allow it.

Nollog

witnessmenow wrote: »

Do you own games on steam? What happens if they ever shut off?

Gaben said a long, long time ago that they'd allow us to download all our games while they could, and then just accept any login. I think

witnessmenow

/\/ollog wrote: »

Gaben said a long, long time ago that they'd allow us to download all our games while they could, and then just accept any login. I think

I don't think steam is going to shut down anytime soon, but you are relying on the company that is shutting down to release something to make the games playable. This is wishful thinking I would say.

My original point remains though, even if services are not "in the cloud", if you need to authenticate to a service to use it may as well be

Myrddin

witnessmenow wrote: »

I don't think steam is going to shut down anytime soon, but you are relying on the company that is shutting down to release something to make the games playable. This is wishful thinking I would say.

My original point remains though, even if services are not "in the cloud", if you need to authenticate to a service to use it may as well be

Without knowing much about the workings of Steam DRM...could the client itself not be patched to cease licence checks, or spoof a date for the next check for the year 2500 or something?

shruikan2553

Myrddin wrote: »

Without knowing much about the workings of Steam DRM...could the client itself not be patched to cease licence checks, or spoof a date for the next check for the year 2500 or something?

Probably but that assumes they get a chance and the publishers don't try to stop it.

Myrddin

shruikan2553 wrote: »

Probably but that assumes they get a chance and the publishers don't try to stop it.

What is the problem on the publisher side? (serious question, I'm not being disingenuous). The games have all been bought & paid for...

Zillah

witnessmenow wrote: »

Do you own games on steam? What happens if they ever shut off?

I'd bet good money that Steam will outlive us all.

shruikan2553

Myrddin wrote: »

What is the problem on the publisher side? (serious question, I'm not being disingenuous). The games have all been bought & paid for...

I would imagine it would make it easier to pirate the games. Im not sure how exactly the authentication works but if it opens up piracy to some of their games there would be complaints.

Could be wrong but I doubt the system would require connecting to the servers unless it was necessary.