OnLive Reveals Per-Game Pricing Model

Cloud-based game service OnLive, which offers PC games rendered remotely and streamed over the internet to players, has begun to roll out initial memberships and has revealed its tiered pricing system, which offers the option to effectively buy or rent games for various periods of time at prices ranging from $3.99 to $59.99. Currently, the only subscription model OnLive provides is the AT&T-sponsored Founding Members Program, which includes a free year of membership, with the option to continue at $4.95 per month in the second year. That program is being offered by way of a waiting list while OnLive ramps up its initial member count. When users are acccepted into that program, they have access to a list of games currently numbering 19, almost all of which have free demos available. Nearly every game can be "purchased" flat out, meaning players can access them for as long as they maintain an active OnLive subscription. While the company says "we expect to keep all games supported for as long as people continue to play them," it notes that it only guarantees that "at a minimum, all current games will be supported for 3 years after their release on the OnLive Service," which is likely based on the initial publisher licensing agreement. The purchase prices for full games range from $4.99 for Brain Challenge or $8.99 for Shatter up to $59.99 for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction. Conviction is the only game priced above $50, and most games are priced between $9.99 and $39.99. Alternatively, players can rent select games for three or five days at lower price points. For example, Batman: Arkham Asylum, World of Goo, and Unreal Tournament III are all individually offered for three days at $4.99 and for five days at $6.99. Some games, like AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! – A Reckless Disregard for Gravity, are offered only for long-term purchase, in that game's case for $9.99. The full list of currently-offered OnLive titles is as follows, although the company advertises more coming soon on its official site: AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! – A Reckless Disregard for Gravity, Assassin's Creed II, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Borderlands, Brain Challenge, Colin McRae: DiRT 2 (demo only), Defense Grid Gold, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, Just Cause 2, LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Madballs in Babo: Invasion, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, Puzzle Chronicles, Red Faction: Guerrilla, Shatter, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction, Trine (demo only), Unreal Tournament III: Titan Pack, World of Goo.