OnLive today announced that its MicroConsole for TVs is on track to ship in December, just in time for the big holiday shopping rush. The price is right ($99), and the size is right (about MicroConsole is about the size of a deck of cards), but what will the games be like?
Pretty darned good, actually.
The OnLive service is a cloud-based system a la “the cloud” that Microsoft is touting so heavily in its Windows 7 ad campaign, and it’s actually been available for a while now on PCs and Macs. Using the so-called cloud, players can stream games onto their computers and, soon, onto their TVs, via the Internet. On the OnLive MicroConsole, owners must have a wired broadband connection to the device to get the games to stream.
So far, game publishers including 2K Games, Ubisoft and Warner Bros. Interactive have games available through OnLive. Other megapublishers such as Electronic Arts, THQ and Take-Two Interactive have liked the idea but have not yet posted games to the system. Perhaps that will change when the MicroConsole ships on December 2.
Games can be purchased through an online web store. Currently available are Borderlands, NBA 2K11, Splinter Cell: Conviction and Batman: Arkham Asylum.
In addition to the console itself, the OnLive MicroConsole will ship with a wireless controller and an HDMI cable
If you’d like to learn more about OnLive or pre-order a MicroConsole system, you can do so here.
