OnLive's Perlman would rather stay out of the hardware business

The logistics of dealing with hardware may be quite difficult, but that would boost the device's success. Many think of PC gaming as being stuck in a chair where it can also be played on a TV and controller just as a console. I get sick of playing all the time on a desk myself.

A set-top box would help to fuel things in that regard.

My childish ADD mind just keeps thinking (after seeing Perlman) "This Perlman (said, in my mind, with "loser" undertone) ain't as cool as Ron Perlman" and completely skip over whatever he has to say :p "There can be only one Perlman." Oh, there my mind goes again.

The epitome of off-topic, I know, and I apologize.

Anybody else read it as RonLive Pearlman at first glance?

If they get their iphone/ipad app working with some passable control scheme, I could see more people signing up. Even though the buttonless controls would be less than ideal, being able to continue a game you started at home on your phone, with the exact same graphics, & gameplay would be pretty sweet.

Steve Perlman: WE HATE OUR PRODUCT!

Well thats nice.

So, in all seriousness, what are everyone's thoughts on OnLive?

I'm in the beta, this serive doesn't really do it for me. I have a very nice PC and prefer to own my games. I do, however, see this working for players for who have average PC's. More gaming is good.

Let me just say that Onlive works and works well.

People say "It costs $15 a month and you still have to buy the games." This is true of WOW and people pay. The have to buy the game and pay monthly.

People say "If I quit paying I can't play my games." Again true of WOW, and Xbox games to a lesser extent, as you can't play any online only games or the online component to games.

Everyone talks about the cons, but here are some pros:

You can rent PC games on demand, and you don't have to pay monthly to get access to rentals.

You can easily play PC games on your TV.

You can easily play PC games on a Mac.

You can play graphic intensive games on a standard laptop or netbook.

The games will play without having to download or install the games, so you can show a friend your games at their house without having to install them on their computer.

They claim that the Onlive hardware will be upgraded every 6 months. You may have a great computer right now, but are you going to upgrade it every 6 months?

You wont lose your game saves if your hard drive crashes.

If this becomes popular more high-end PC games will be developed because a wider audience will be able to buy them, and thus a larger market for those high-end games. This is good for you even if you have a $3000 gaming rig.

If Onlive takes off, computer graphics could again begin to rapidly out pace consoles, again because for the larger market.

If it works well now (and it does), the technology is only going to improve over the next few years. It will not be long before you will not be able to tell Onlive games from the highest end gaming PCs, and they will look better than anything on a game console.

No patching your games, updating your drivers, or trying to figure out why some game seems to work on every computer in the world but yours.

Games on your computer that you can just buy an play hassle free.

If it does well you can have a huge library games available anyplace that you have a computer or TV and a good internet connection. Very portable.

There are probably more pros, but these are the reasons I will be paying $15 a month for Onlive.

Yeah, it works really well. The games on the service don't even come close to comparing how they look when actually running on my PC, but like I said before, I have a fairly beefy rig. It does what it says and it should allow many people to play games that they may not have otherwise been able to play. The games do not run at the highest settings, but they do look good are and very playable.

What the hell is wrong with so many commenters? Just because he points out the good side of things does NOT MAKE HIM AN EMPLOYEE! Yes it's possible to see the good points to a new upcoming service without working for them. I mean jesus people, how can so many of you be so completely jaded as to not be excited AT ALL by the potential for some actual real damn terminal computing? How can that not excite you in the least? My only guess is that someone would have to be so completely in love with buying, installing, and troubleshooting PC hardware that anything coming along that might in any small way diminish that simply MUST be demonized and belittled, no matter how freaking insane the work that went into it is. Honestly people, grow the hell up already.

"...especially considering OnLive is unique in that it 'demands the connection to be exactly what it's spec'd to be.'"

Does anyone get the network speeds promised from their ISP, consistently?

As a beta tester I just don't know what I am allowed to say. I will say that they do test the online multi player. I have Comcast internet in Washington state, and I have not had lag issues. I don't want to go into specifics as I like being in the beta.