OnLive, the online streaming game platform that has dominated that niche, will be coming to Google TV here very soon. If you’re not familiar with how it works, it’s very simple. You buy the console for $99.99 which hooks up to your TV and Internet and allows you to play games that stream through the Internet. You can either buy games or rent games, or just pay $9.99/month which gives access to just about every title.
Of course, those who just want to play on their computer can do so without any additional hardware. The service has been doing very well and announced at E3, the first Google TV to get OnLive will be the LG Smart TV G2 Series . Yeah, quite a mouthful. As long as you have a fast Internet connection (at least 5mbps), the TV will support up to 4 controllers which means you’ll be able to play with multiple friends.
Currently, OnLive has over 200 titles and gives you the chance to demo a game for 30 minutes so you can decide whether to buy or rent it. With faster data speeds and improved technology, the potential with online game streaming is pretty big. Now, our TVs also double as a computer essentially. You can surf the web, watch videos on Youtube, even update Facebook or Twitter.
Since the TV is already there in the living room, the integration with OnLive is a no brainer. No extra hardware or cables, just setup an account and you’re good to go. Maybe one day Microsoft will make their own TV with Xbox embedded. That would be pretty cool (and probably unlikely).