OnLive Is Hiring More Engineers For Linux Client

[madjr]

This is a terrible idea, and I highly recommend everyone boycott this service.

When you buy a game (or other piece of software), you should get a copy that you can install and use without further reliance on any 3rd party company. The idea of "buying" a game that only exists remotely on servers you don't control is insane. If the company goes out of business, or stops supporting your product, your purchase is gone.

Support companies that provide you with the ability to use what you purchased without having to ask for permission or rely on them being around.

you can rent the games.

and you are over reacting about "boycotting".

and competition is coming soon from microsoft, sony, etc. because this cloud gaming is becoming mainstream since the internet is getting faster and faster.

[madjr]

OnLive is too high latency for FPSes and hyper-RTSes (like Starcraft or HoN). It's only remotely viable (pun intentional) for WoW-like MMOs, and of course turn-based games. People who primarily play those types of games (over a very high-bandwidth landline such as FiOS or fast cable or dedicated 100Mbps) may enjoy the service. For everyone else, it'll be a waste.

OnLive is not a terrible idea, but for some game types it just won't work (ever) over the public Internet, and certain people who get shafted by ISPs (capped bandwidth, etc) will never be able to make full use of the service even if they want to just play turn-based strategy games in singleplayer with unlimited think time.

everybody using the service has about the same latency, so is not like you are going to find cheaters and in many cases is not even noticeable.

so if its working for many people and is getting ported to linux, it can only be a good thing

[curaga]

@TwistedLincoln

So buying from OnLive is no different than buying from Steam. Which a lot of people have no qualms doing.

[anbog]

This is a terrible idea, and I highly recommend everyone boycott this service.

When you buy a game (or other piece of software), you should get a copy that you can install and use without further reliance on any 3rd party company. The idea of "buying" a game that only exists remotely on servers you don't control is insane. If the company goes out of business, or stops supporting your product, your purchase is gone.

Support companies that provide you with the ability to use what you purchased without having to ask for permission or rely on them being around.

I see your point and I don't see myself using OnLive much either (I have Trine registered on there, from the Humble Bundle), but I still think they provide a good service - they don't sell products, but services. And if you want to play 3D games on your netbook, that service might fit you nicely.

[TwistedLincoln]

@TwistedLincoln

So buying from OnLive is no different than buying from Steam. Which a lot of people have no qualms doing.

Well yes, that's my point. I call for people to boycott Steam as well.

I don't have a problem with game rental services. But Steam and other similar cloud platforms aren't advertised that way. They provide the distinct impression that you are actually buying a product -- you can even buy Steam games in a retail store on physical media.

Such services that people are so ready to accept these days condition people/consumers that not owning things is no big deal, leading to more Steam-like services, and so on. Sooner or later the "cloud" will become the only option, leaving those of us who want to have physicial control over the things we buy no options. Hense my boycott.

If either OnLive or Steam was marketed as simply a game-rental service, I'd have a different view.