all the world's a stage...
I'm a Computer Science undergraduate in my final year studying at Reading University. I like music, movies, photography, reading and if I can ever get around to it, writing. Also a fan of horror, sci-fi and fantasy so there's plenty of re/blogging on those areas.
I write gig/event reviews at From The Pit
Currently conducting my Serotonin Experiment in a last ditch attempt to hopefully alleviate the symptoms of CFS/ME.
Elsewhere on the web:
Many tweaks to this and web presence in general in the pipeline... when I get around to it.
Weekly Top Artists (via Last.fm):
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poor doctor
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Doctor Who Season 6: A Skit
#note: if you loved series 6 don’t watch it #you might get...
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friend: 10 people have asked to be my valentine
me: sometimes i meow at cats and they meow back -
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this will forever be one of my favourite lines that Ten ever said
that awkward moment when the doctor quotes...
Gamers in US and Canada have now enjoyed access to cloud gaming service OnLive for over a year. Just when we were feeling left out the service was launched here in the UK last Thursday, 22nd September.
Pros
- Play a game without having to install or download it first
- Easy to try new games: Demos are likewise playable instantly so no more downloading a game demo, installing it and then finding out that it’s rubbish
- Don’t need a high end machine to play the latest games, just a decent broadband connection
Cons
- Must be connected to the Internet with a reliable connection to play - with all the cons that this entails: there may be compromises with visual quality.
- OnLive library is limited - the UK site currently lists 145 titles
- No modding, as games are stored on OnLive servers
I tried it out earlier today and played a 30 minute demo of Pathologic and then 30 minutes of Warhammer 40k: Space Marine - an older game and the other a recent release. Was able to play both without problems. I haven’t played the download/disc version of Space Marine but I suspect the graphics may have taken a hit.
Overall I think it’s a wonderful idea. It’s great for breaking the upgrade cycle that comes with trying to keep up with increasing system requirements and assuming that particular game is in OnLive’s library, allows people to play a game that their computer might not otherwise be powerful enough to run. People on the move could play Deus Ex: Human Revolution on their netbook if they wanted to, assuming they had access to an suitable internet connection.
With everything streamed from OnLive servers, the service’s greatest strength is unfortunately also it’s greatest weakness. Internet connection going down means interruption of access or gameplay.
I think given a choice, most people will prefer to play a local copy of a game, installed on their own computer, but in cases where that’s not possible there’s now a serious alternative in the form of OnLive.
