The onlive

OnLive, a pioneering cloud-based gaming service available for the Mac and Windows, launched its long-anticipated standalone game system. OnLive's new MicroConsole TV Adapter and wireless controllerGame System expands the OnLive brand, effectively turning any television set into an instant, on-demand gaming device. The home console market is one of the fiercest industries to break into, butOnLive's impressive price tag, $100 including a free game pass, and its strong array of titles may see it make a splash this holiday season.

For those who are unfamiliar with the OnLive name, OnLive isa cloud-based gaming service that lets you stream games to your Mac, Windows PC and thanks to the new Game System, your TV as well. But OnLive's biggest marketing problem is that the average consumerhas no idea why it's cool. I know this because trying to explain why it's important to a room of technology enthusiasts will only get blank stares.

So, a history lesson. A decade ago, few gamerswould have dreamed that we could play high-end, graphically intensive titles without physically buying the discs and the box first. Then came pirating, as well as Steam and other game services thateffectively allowed players to never have to leave their home to enjoy games. Game discs and box art began to be phased out, being replaced by downloadable content. Earlier this year, OnLive proved thatgamers don't need discs, high-end machines or even to download large game files in order to enjoy premiere titles.

In a decade, we went from gamers having to go to stores, buying a specific consoleor a gaming computer and then the games they wanted to play, to where OnLive takes us now: using virtually any TV, Windows or Mac computer can be used as a gaming platform. While we're not there yet,OnLive is exciting because it foretells a new future where gamers don't need to shell out thousands of dollars on high-end machines or hundreds of dollars on specific consoles. OnLive can become the...