Vizio to Integrate OnLive in Future TVs, Tablets, and Phones

Following up yesterday’s announcement that it will offer Google Android phones and tablets, Vizio announced that it will embed the OnLive gaming service in its upcoming televisions, tablets, mobile phones, and Blu-ray players. Here’s a snippet from the press release and some quick analysis:

Following up yesterday’s announcement that it will offer Google Android phones and tablets, Vizio announced that it will embed the OnLive gaming service in its upcoming televisions, tablets, mobile phones, and Blu-ray players. Here’s a snippet from the press release and some quick analysis:

The partnership will incorporate the OnLive cloud gaming experience across the next generation of Vizio Internet Apps consumer electronics devices that share a unified, sophisticated and intuitive user interface for seamless access to high-end, interactive content.

With the integration of OnLive across the VIA Plus ecosystem of compatible Vizio devices, consumers can access the OnLive cloud gaming service directly through any VIA Plus HDTV, Tablet, Smart Phone or Blu-ray Player for instant gaming on any VIA Plus device — even seamlessly continuing gameplay from one device to the next — without the need for a game console.

Integrating OnLive in HDTVs and Blu-ray players is a sharp, sharp move that will appeal to casual gamers. Consumers that buy those products will have access to a sizable library of games without having to buy a console. Well played Vizio.

OnLive’s success on Vizio VIA phones and tablets will depend on the controls. OnLive claims that a large portion of the games will be retrofitted for touch controls. In my head, I see that being a rough and awkward experience, but that’s pure conjecture on my part. Of course this opens up the market for third-party controllers that will make OnLive on Android a more traditional videogame experience.

What do you think of OnLive and Vizio getting jiggy? Does an HDTV with integrated OnLive appeal to you? Do you think adding touch controls to old games that weren’t meant for them will work? Out of curiosity, do any of you own standalone Blu-ray players?

Author: RPadTV

https://rpad.tv

12 thoughts on “Vizio to Integrate OnLive in Future TVs, Tablets, and Phones”

  1. I have this App for my iPad. It crashes a lot. I'm not sure if you can even play games with it, I think it's just a viewer.

    1. Originally the iOS version was just a viewer. I haven't kept up with it, but I imagine it will be updated in a similar fashion when these products kick off.

  2. This news has me really excited. I think this move is huge for Vizio but even more monumental for Onlive. I liken this to Crackdown with the Halo 3 demo, almost everyone knows Vizio products but not nearly the same amount of people know of Onlive.

  3. I only own my PS3s, no standalone Blu-Ray player. My mom bought one on Black Friday though for $99.

    I hate playing old school games with anything but their original controller. I have tried Snesoid and other Emulators on my phone it just loses a lot of the game without the controller.

    I don't care too much about OnLive. They do need to market it better. I know that no a person I know has ever even heard of it and if anyone asked me how to get it I am clueless besides a Google search.

    Also without checking first, is it even available yet? I mean I heard about it was about to come out a while back but I never heard if they had started it. Maybe I just glaze over when I here about OnLive.

  4. So I just looked up OnLive. WOW I really don't care about it now. That is stupid expensive. I have to continue paying the monthly charge in order to continue to play the gmaes I "bought" for full retail price. NO THANKS.

  5. I think they dropped their service fee. It's strictly a rental model or purchase model now.

    I think purchasing is a bad move since if this company tanks, they aren't going to mail you a disc.

    1. … and there's a good chance they will.

      You know, I've always thought that the next logical evolution of the three major gaming consoles would be a "game rental plan". If you could pay a small fee (either monthly or per game) to rent a full game straight from your console, it would effectively put GameFly out of business.

      Think about it; XBL (and PSN, I think) allows you to buy games, play game demos, buy movies, and rent movies. Why not allow customers to rent games as well?

      -M

      1. @iceman

        that is something we came up with in a presentation for a grad school project on Gamestop and the evolution of the industry. Allowing customers to rent for specified times that are more generous than brick and mortar while at the same time charging a bit more. It would eliminate the 2nd hand market but also garner consumer interest and acceptance seeing as how you aren't gouging them.

        For hardware OEMs this eliminates large local storage. It could be sold separately if customers wanted to download full titles to play offline or play the rentals offline. Let's not forget the exclusion of an optical drive. The hardware just becomes cheaper, and much smaller. Think AppleTV.

        It really is a win win. It would take at least a year into a generation before it would be viable though.

      2. Whoa. That's a bit more details than I came up with, but then again, you did a whole project on it… plus you are an accounting guy.

        But, hey, great minds think alike… which is why I'm desperately trying to find something I have in common with Stephen Hawking aside from the fact that we both drool way too much.

        -M

      3. @iceman

        Yeah our professor actually told us we set the bar for the presentations with that one. Felt pretty bad for the other group who went after us. They also had Gamestop. It also didn't hurt that my group was given two companies in two sectors I love. Gamestop and Verizon.

Comments are closed.