Cloud-based gaming service to hit networks in June

There’s been lots of talk recently about how network infrastructure, particularly in the mobile sector, is creaking under the weight of data traffic. Come June, traffic may increase significantly with the launch of a service that promises to revolutionise the gaming experience.

After eight years in development, OnLive will launch services in the US on June 17, during the E3 entertainment exposition in Los Angeles.

OnLive is proposing to make well known video games available over the internet, pretty much regardless of the hardware capabilities of the client device – a direct attack on the console and PC gaming hardware market.

The company’s proposition comes from the cloud, and relies on low latency, high compression streaming technology, which it claims will allow consumers to play high end games almost immediately without the need to download. The initial offering will be pitched at PCs and Macs via a browser plugin, then later in the year the company will introduce a hardware TV adapter as well as a proposition for mobile phone usage.

This week the company also revealed its pricing strategy – a monthly service fee of $14.95, which does not include the purchase or rental of ‘competitively priced’ games. The proposition is sure to cause a kerfuffle among the net neutrality debaters and also hints at how innovative cloud-based services will be responsible for putting more strain on the global network infrastructure.

Tight squeeze
Read the recent feature on what the surge in mobile data and broadband traffic means for network operators

Investors in the firm include AT&T Media Holdings, Lauder Partners, Warner Bros., Autodesk and Maverick Capital.