OnLive US launch set for June
Remember OnLive, the cloud gaming service that promises to handle all the computational power of video gaming at their servers, requiring only a browser plug-in (Windows & Mac) or MicroConsole? Yesterday OnLive announced that the service will officially launch for US consumers (well, the 48 contiguous States) starting June 17th during the E3 2010 show.
Access to the service is $14.95 a month, although that’s on top of game rentals or purchases. There will also be lower prices if you sign up for multi-month plans, though details haven’t been announced yet. This may be fairly steep, though a potential offset is that a player will be able to access their games from anywhere there’s a browser, and a reasonably decent computer. There are a number of services included in the monthly fee, including access to demo games instanly, multiplayer and a ‘social video network’. Since the only real hardware requirements are a decent internet connection a the ability to handle 720p video, this can mitigate the need for a high end laptop for the seasoned road warrior. No word yet on whether they ship you physical media for any games you’ve purchased if you decide to leave the service.
More importantly, no word yet as to whether they plan on expanding to Canada.