OnLive's Gaming-on-Demand Service Demoed on an iPad

macrumors.com

3 points·paulitex··3 comments

It's interesting that when the guy demoing is asked if a publisher can block a game or platform from being available on OnLive, he responds by saying they can if they have a business deal that allows them to block it.

So does that mean OnLive will offer all new games on all platforms supported unless a publisher pays them money not to? I wonder what the licensing issues are there.

Who decided to have the virtual controls up there on the screen?

It seems A ) it would go against the normal way you would hold the ipad and B ) the controls / your hands block half the screen.

Would it've been too hard to have the controls lower (more natural position for hands) and semi transparent?

Having logged a few hours now in games with controls near the bottom of the screen (dual thumbsticks), I can say that your hands tire out pretty quickly because you have to hold the iPad so that gravity it prying out of your hands. Ideally, the right control would be in the lower right corner, and the left control would be in the upper left. This would give you a better, more comfortable hold on the device.

Also, surprisingly, games can still be pretty immersive when your hands are obscuring a portion of the screen. Translucent controls do aid in that.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com