OnLive, Inc. today emerged from seven years of stealth development within the Rearden incubator to unveil The OnLive Game Service and OnLive MicroConsole at the 2009 Game Developers Conference.

OnLive is an "on demand" video game platform delivering the latest games instantly, on any TV via an inexpensive MicroConsole, or on almost any PC or Mac. The company said its service will allow users to play games on any TV and nearly any personal computer -- even stripped-down netbooks and PCs without graphics processors.

A console slightly larger than an iPhone connects TVs and broadband connections to the OnLive service, and is operated via a wireless controller. OnLive delivers games run on servers in the "cloud," rather than locally on a PC or a console.



OnLive is supported by many of the top names in the video games industry including Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive Software, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, THQ Inc., Epic Games, Eidos, Atari Interactive and Codemasters.

"OnLive is the most powerful game system in the world. No high-end hardware, no upgrades, no endless downloads, no discs, no recalls, no obsolescence," said Steve Perlman, Founder and CEO of OnLive.

Designed for gamers of all skills and ages, the OnLive Game Service is easy to use. The OnLive MicroConsole connects any TV and home broadband connection to the OnLive Game Service and is operated by an OnLive wireless controller. Gamers can enjoy the same experience on almost any Internet-connected PC or Mac via a small browser plug-in from OnLive.com?even entry-level computers will play the highest performance games. Whether on TV, PC or Mac, OnLive provides instant access to the most advanced games in the world, solo and multiplayer.

A user interface allows video game fans to watch live games in action, join in at any point, share their exploits with friends through social networking tools, or make Brag Clips that showcase their skills. With OnLive, gamers have immediate access to demos and can instantly try, buy and play top-tier games, whether playing solo or with friends.

OnLive also offers benefits to publishers and developers. It costs far less to develop a game for OnLive, and the economics are far more efficient than retail or download distribution models. It typically only takes a few weeks to extend an existing version of a game to work on the OnLive service, so there is little cost incurred by developers and publishers to support the OnLive platform.

Through a partnership with Epic Games, a developer of triple-A games and cross-platform game engine technology, the award-winning Unreal Engine 3 is compatible with the OnLive platform. Games leveraging the cutting-edge technology and versatility of the Unreal Engine will easily run on the OnLive service.

OnLive will be showing 16 great titles playable during the 2009 Game Developer?s Conference in San Francisco at the OnLive Booth, North Hall #5128.

The OnLive Game Service will be offered through a monthly subscription in Winter 2009. OnLive will be available in a variety of different pricing packages and tiers, competitively priced to retail, the company said. Although OnLive did not release details on pricing, it will follow a subscription model and Perlman said it will be "significantly" cheaper than consoles.

Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 consoles can cost anywhere from $200 to $400.