Tag Archives: CloudGaming

OnLive was reportedly sold for roughly $5 million to venture capital firm

Posted on by

OnLive was reportedly sold for roughly $5 million to venture capital firm

Even though weeks have passed since that well-documented OnLive kerfuffle took place, where unfortunate layoffs and the formation of a "new company" were at the forefront of it all, previously unknown details are still coming out of the woodwork. According to Mercury News, the once-promising cloud gaming outfit was purchased by a venture capital group for a mere $4.8 million, which appears to be a relatively small amount of cash for an outfit once valued upwards of $1.8 billion -- not to mention when compared to, say, rival Gaikai's $380 million sale to Sony. Still, this is said to have been due to the bad shape OnLive was in at the time, with the Palo Alto-based company reportedly owing more than $18 million in debt, leaving it with no choice but to take "the best that it could get."

Filed under: ,

OnLive was reportedly sold for roughly $5 million to venture capital firm originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 21:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceMercury News  | Email this | Comments

Cable, IPTV providers reportedly testing cloud-based HD gaming for launch next year

Posted on by

Cable, IPTV providers reportedly testing cloudbased HD gaming for launch next year

The next generation of consoles from Sony and Microsoft haven't even been announced yet but their best competition may be from your cable TV / internet provider, according to a report from Bloomberg. The only-too-eager-to-talk people familiar with the matter named AT&T U-Verse, Verizon FiOS and Time Warner Cable as services preparing tests before the end of the year with general availability planned for 2013. Comcast and Cox were also name dropped as potential candidates to bring console-quality HD games directly to customers, based on tech from startups like Playcast, CiiNOW and Agawi. Of course, while we've seen this sort of setup before (as seen above, check out an awesomely 90s Sega Channel ad after the break) and recently from OnLive and Gaikai, cloud gaming has yet to catch on in a major way. Whether this potential approach is all smoke or will actually turn into reality has yet to be seen, but after TV Everywhere we wouldn't be surprised to see providers toss in gaming as another incentive for subscribers not to cut the cord.

[Image credit: Sega Retro]

Continue reading Cable, IPTV providers reportedly testing cloud-based HD gaming for launch next year

Filed under: , ,

Cable, IPTV providers reportedly testing cloud-based HD gaming for launch next year originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 07:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBloomberg  | Email this | Comments

Agawi cloud game streaming headed to Windows 8, focused on ‘mid-core and hardcore’ games

Posted on by

Agawi cloudbased game streaming headed to Windows 8, focused on 'midcore and hardcore titles'

Cloud streaming provider Agawi (formerly "iSwifter") is making a second major push with its cloud-based game streaming service alongside Windows 8 this October. Beyond the social content it already brings to the iPad -- "more than 12,000" Facebook games -- Agawi's second run at streaming is more focused on what it calls "mid-core" and "hardcore" games. But what does that mean? Executive chairman Peter Relan says "mid-core" means "web-based MMOs with a PC download," versus PC downloads representing the "hardcore." The example video (below the break) shows Agawi working with a variety of games, though none of the titles in the video confirm potential content partners for the service (Relan teases a fourth quarter reveal of more news). And today, Agawi announced its collaboration with Microsoft Azure, resulting in cloud game streaming across the world of Windows 8 -- tablets, PCs, and even its phones.

"Popular AAA games will be made available in the coming months for instant play on Windows 8 devices with no additional work required by developers," the launch PR promises. Input methods for games vary dramatically by platform, and we've already seen what happens when you shove tablet-based touch controls onto a console/PC game (it ain't pretty). "That's a publisher decision," Relan says. "We support the idea of d-pads on the tablet itself. We support pure touch gesture on the tablet. We support point-and-click on the screen -- touch and tap. We support swipe for scrolling. We support a full controller, like an Xbox console controller," he adds.

Continue reading Agawi cloud game streaming headed to Windows 8, focused on 'mid-core and hardcore' games

Filed under: , , , ,

Agawi cloud game streaming headed to Windows 8, focused on 'mid-core and hardcore' games originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

More OnLive management moves: Perlman out, as investor Lauder settles for Chairman

Posted on by

More OnLive management moves, Perlman out as investor Lauder settles for Chairman

As the OnLive storm continues to ride itself out, details of who the winners and losers are (mainly losers) keep washing up on the shore. Today's casualty seems to be CEO Steve Perlman himself, who -- just days after the firm reinventing itself -- is "departing to work on his myriad of other projects." In his place the former COO, Charlie Jablonski, is temporarily taking the reins, as well as continuing his role as head of operations in the new organization. Finally, completing this wave of announcements, is the news that chief investor, Gary lauder, will officially take the title of Chairman. So, as the new incarnation settles into its new structure, we'll just have to sit tight, waiting to see what the next chapter in the OnLive story is.

Continue reading More OnLive management moves: Perlman out, as investor Lauder settles for Chairman

Filed under: ,

More OnLive management moves: Perlman out, as investor Lauder settles for Chairman originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 08:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq  |   | Email this | Comments

HTC to lose its $40 million investment from OnLive’s financial restructuring

Posted on by

HTC to lose its $40 million investment from OnLive's financial restructuring

As cloud-based gaming service OnLive struggles to reform itself and cope with its pricey infrastructure, HTC's $40 million investment made last year will disappear completely, according to a recent filing to the Taiwan Stock exchange. OnLive began streaming its gaming selection to Android smartphones and tablets at the end of the same year but we never saw any exclusive features for HTC hardware. Following some tough financial results, it packed up its Korean office and recently returned half its stake in Beats, although its involvement with OnLive had never resulted in the same degree of publicity.

Filed under: , ,

HTC to lose its $40 million investment from OnLive's financial restructuring originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 03:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourcePCWorld  | Email this | Comments

OnLive officially announces asset acquisition, notes that its newly formed company will keep OnLive name

Posted on by

OnLive officially announces asset transfer, notes that its newly formed company will keep OnLive name

Amid the rumors, sourced reports and statements, it was easy to lose track of the facts surrounding OnLive's recent restructuring efforts. No surprise then, that the newly formed outfit has issued a press release and FAQ (after the break) in hopes will clear things up. First and foremost, the firm reiterates that the streaming game service will continue operating uninterrupted, and that the "newly formed company" that acquired the firm's assets will continue to do business under the OnLive name. The announcement also mentions the Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors (ABC) process OnLive used to settle its debts, noting that "an affiliate" of Lauder Partners, a technology investment firm, was the new OnLive's first investor. Finally, the firm laments the necessity of laying off its staff, stating that "neither OnLive, Inc. shares nor OnLive staff could transfer under this type of transaction," confirming that nearly half of the previous staff had been offered positions at the new company, and optimistically projecting future hires culled from both previous and new employees. The new OnLive calls the asset acquisition "a heartbreaking transition for everyone involved," but looks optimistically to a future of "transforming the OnLive vision into reality." Check out OnLive's full, official word on the matter below.

Continue reading OnLive officially announces asset acquisition, notes that its newly formed company will keep OnLive name

OnLive officially announces asset acquisition, notes that its newly formed company will keep OnLive name originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Aug 2012 22:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

OnLive hits reset after being dragged down by expensive servers, confirms service will continue

Posted on by

OnLive has finally issued an official statement after rumors of mass layoffs first leaked out earlier today, confirming that its assets have been acquired into a newly-formed company with what it claims is "substantial" financial backing. The big news for users is that the OnLive Game and Desktop services will remain operational and continue to be supported. The release also claims a "large percentage" of OnLive staff is being hired into the new company with plans to hire more over time, while PR informs us the leadership team remains intact. Check the words straight from the source after the break.

We've heard from some of the people present for the meeting where the new plan was revealed today, confirming the company is going through a process known as Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors (ABC). A faster alternative to bankruptcy that doesn't involve the courts, it allows OnLive to deal with some of the issues it was facing, most notably an oversupply of servers for the number of users it had signed up. The ABC process allows OnLive to be unshackled from the expensive server contracts and bring in a new source of venture capital. Oh and that other major cost, the employees? Not all of the information is known yet, but beyond the loss of jobs, it turns out the stock they owned was in a company that no longer exists. We're hearing their benefits will end after August, however there are offers of contracts to answer questions about important topics like "where things are," in exchange for special form stock in the new venture.

Update: Joystiq has more information from a former employee, who estimated the average number of peak concurrent OnLive users at around 1,800 or so, and the amount of retained staff in the range of 20 percent. One other tidbit? The source expects OnLive to go after recent Sony acquisition Gaikai for infringement of a game streaming patent, so stay tuned.

Continue reading OnLive hits reset after being dragged down by expensive servers, confirms service will continue

Filed under: ,

OnLive hits reset after being dragged down by expensive servers, confirms service will continue originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 20:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Source: OnLive undergoing buyout in wake of dire financials, laying off ‘at least 50 percent’ of staff

Posted on by

After a lot of back and forth from the rumor mill and official OnLive channels, we now have what we believe to be a far clearer view of precisely what is happening right now at OnLive headquarters in Palo Alto. We've spoken with a (now former) employee of the gaming service who ran down today's events for us. According to the account, a meeting was held at OnLive's offices at 10AM this morning, wherein the company's CEO announced a massive staff layoff -- at least 50 percent of the staff, according to our source's numbers. The layoffs come as part of across the board cuts to the company, and all those out of a job will have their key cards deactivated as of 4PM local time today. The source was understandably baffled by the abruptness of the news, along with the added blow that no severance will be offered and stock holdings are essentially worth nothing.

The move apparently comes as OnLive is being purchased by an unknown party. Those being kept on have reportedly received offer letters from the new company. Why the sudden move? The source believes it may have something to do with the company's massive operating costs, which we're told are around $5 million a month. Certainly those concerns line up with a story dug up by Kotaku highlighting the company's plans to file for Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors as a result of the company's troubled financial situation. We're still gathering information as to the nature of the buyout.

Update: According to our source, the writing wasn't on the wall at the company per se, but OnLive had reportedly been entertaining acquisition offers ahead of the news from companies including HP.

Update 2: Our source has offered up some additional information on the matter, putting the average concurrent user number for the service at 1,100 to 1,500, peaking at around 1,800 on a given day -- not exceptional by any means in the face of reported $5 million a month operating costs. The number of layoffs, meanwhile, may well be greater than originally suggested, with our source putting the number of employees staying on board at around 10 to 20 percent.

Filed under:

Source: OnLive undergoing buyout in wake of dire financials, laying off 'at least 50 percent' of staff originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 17:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Big Fish Unlimited lets gamers resume play on mobile, PC and TV, stay distracted at all times (update: HTML5 explained)

Posted on by

Big Fish Unlimited lets gamers pick up where they left off on mobile, PC and TV, stay distracted at all times video

The perpetual crisis of casual gaming is that need for just one... more... turn. After all, those 29 levels of progress aren't coming with you to the office, are they? Big Fish Games wants to ease our consciences (or at least our egos) with Big Fish Unlimited. By using HTML5 to constantly save progress, the cloud service remembers exactly where a player was and ports it to the next device: it's possible to hop from a Android tablet, to a Roku box, to a Windows PC's browser without having to replay anything. The nature of the streaming games themselves won't give OnLive players second thoughts, but their lighter footprint won't demand as much from an internet connection, either. Most of the intended audience will appreciate the price -- the now active service costs $8 a month for access to more than 100 games from the full catalog, and free play is on tap for 20 of the games as long as you can endure periodic ads. Whether or not coworkers can endure another round of your hidden object games is another matter.

Update: We've since talked to the company directly, and it turns out that the HTML5 is more for the cross-platform support; it's the server that tracks progress whenever you quit a given app.

Continue reading Big Fish Unlimited lets gamers resume play on mobile, PC and TV, stay distracted at all times (update: HTML5 explained)

Filed under: ,

Big Fish Unlimited lets gamers resume play on mobile, PC and TV, stay distracted at all times (update: HTML5 explained) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 03:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink GeekWire  |  sourceBig Fish Games  | Email this | Comments

OnLive says support for Universal Controller on Nexus 7 is coming ‘shortly’

Posted on by

OnLive says support for Universal Controller on Nexus 7 is coming 'shortly'

Those of you who are proud owners of one of Big G's Nexus 7 -- and are frequent users of OnLive's Android offering -- may have noticed the lack of support for the gaming outfit's Universal Controller on the Jelly Bean slate at launch. Fret not, though, as that might be changing soon. Speaking to GottaBeMobile, the cloud company said that while there's no Nexus 7 compatibility at the moment, it does "hope to have it shortly." OnLive wasn't quite clear about what "shortly" really means, but according to the aforementioned site, the Universal Controller's had a tendency to work with some titles before "the official support was announced" -- so a few of you could get lucky ahead of time. Either way, we'll let you know as soon as OnLive intros a more formal solution.

Filed under: ,

OnLive says support for Universal Controller on Nexus 7 is coming 'shortly' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Community  |  sourceGottaBeMobile  | Email this | Comments