UK gamers get OnLive

Cloud-based gaming service Onlive has gone live in the UK with its promise of powerful games on demand, says The Inquirer.

The service is already available in the US, but its release in the UK, with partner BT, has been a while coming. The service comes with some introductory offers, such as a £1 game, and what its CEO describes as “amazing new game play possibilities”.

According to the BBC, because the system uses video streaming, and players effectively remote control their games, bandwidth is a crucial issue.

OnLive's CEO, Steve Perlman, said the project had overcome numerous hurdles during its decade-long development.

"The first thing we had to do was come up with a new form of video compression," says Perlman.

Gamers who sign up for OnLive's services have several offers available to them, notes The Guardian.

First-time buyers can purchase their OnLive PlayPass Game for just £1. OnLive has also revealed a strategic launch partnership with retailer, Game, which will introduce the OnLive Game Service to UK consumers via its e-commerce sites later this year.