Today saw the launch of the highly anticipated new OnLive gaming system in the United States. OnLive is one of the most ambitious cloud computing projects to date and aims to bring top quality gaming to the masses, without them actually having to purchase a PC or console.

 

OnLive allows users running both Microsoft and Apple operating systems to connect to the internet and play games totally online. Think of it in the same way as a YouTube video that’s being streamed, instead this time it’s not a video, but an entire game.

 

This means you can play Crysis with full graphics on your mid-ranged office laptop for example, according to OnLive. As long as you have a fast and stable internet connection the OnLive data centres will take care of all the rest.

 

When you’re signed up for the OnLive system you can simply connect your PC or laptop to the internet as usual, open the OnLive client and start playing. No installs or requirement issues to deal with. 

 

At launch OnLive sports an impressive 23 titles to choose from, including big hitters such as Assassins Creed 2, Batman Arkham Asylum, Mass Effect 2. The system even saves your progress in games, allowing access from any location.

 

OnLive is also expected to launch a micro-console which will connect to your TV and the internet and give you the ability to play top-of-the-range games from your TV without actually owning an HD console. The micro console will be roughly the size of a deck of cards and will also feature wireless connectivity with game controllers.

 

Currently the service is only available in the continental United States, but if it’s successful enough we’ll surely soon be seeing data centres set up in Europe and other locations. Such a service may also be extended to South African users at some point in the future, provided that local broadband connections are capable of handling the heavy data load.