Gamers Don't Get to Keep OnLive Purchases

Logan Westbrook

Transform, Roll Out, Etc
Feb 21, 2008
17,672
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Gamers Don't Get to Keep OnLive Purchases

Think you're buying that game on OnLive? Think again.

OnLive launched yesterday, but you might want to think twice before buying any content on the service. OnLive gives subscribers the choice of either renting a game for a few dollars, or paying a little more - up to $60 for AAA titles - for unlimited access. While playing games on the service requires an active subscription, an account can be suspended by the user at any time and for any reason. Should an account remain suspended for 12 months, however, OnLive will automatically close it, resulting in the loss of all content.

Sections 12 and 13 of the OnLive Terms of Service [http://www.onlive.com/legal/termsofservice] state: "OnLive will close your Account if it not resumed within twelve (12) months of the last suspension ... Closing your Account will immediately and permanently terminate your access to the Service using the closed Account; immediately and permanently terminate your access to all content, messages ... or anything that may be of value directly or indirectly associated with the Account, if any, whether purchased or not."

There's plenty to be excited about with OnLive, but unless you're willing to pay for the service forever, I'd think long and hard before buying anything on it. You might decide that some games are worth your cash - and not all games will cost $60 - as long as you aren't under any illusions that your purchases are yours to keep.

Source: Dvice [http://dvice.com/archives/2010/06/even-the-games.php]


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Jared

The British Paladin
Jul 14, 2009
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I still dont like the idea of it...I prefer my media to be tangiable..
 

craddoke

New member
Mar 18, 2010
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This is going to become more and more common - with everything from video games to ebooks now that the subscription model is the new norm. I hope it's just a phase, but there's the nagging feeling that this is the beginning of the end for personal ownership of electronic media.
 

SniperWolf427

New member
Jun 27, 2008
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Hmm, interesting. Though it is sort of a given that you'd be unable to access your content once your account was suspended, I never actually thought that they would delete your account.

I'll still sign up, though I'll be wary of what I buy.

Thanks for the heads up.
 
Feb 4, 2010
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I don't see a place for this service. The only way it would be worth it is if you could buy games at an extreme discount. As it is you're paying just as much as you would for a console, you need to be connected to the internet to get and use your content, and you can't keep what you buy. It's worse than a console in nearly every conceivable way.

The one advantage it has is that you can play some PC games without needing a high-end rig but 1. everyone who would use this already has a computer 2. Mid-range gaming rigs are just one or two hundred dollars more than a bargain PC. Playing games at less than top specs might not be ideal but I think a vast portion of the consumer base would take the advantages of a full blown PC over what On-Live offers.

I'm glad to see someone experimenting with this technology and I'm hopeful something might come of it down the road but I really don't expect much from On-Live.
 

uppitycracker

New member
Oct 9, 2008
864
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Ya know, I have an account, got the free year for this thing... but every time I sign in, it brings me to a screen saying that the service is launching June 17th.... and I can't click on anything else. I go back to the home screen, and I'm logged out. Not sure wtf is going on with that, but I'd kinda like to give my free year a go....
 

Feriluce

New member
Apr 1, 2010
377
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The Admiral said:
It's shit like this why digital distribution won't work.
So digital distribution isn't working? I'm pretty sure steam would disagree with you. So would my 152 games on there.
 

Simalacrum

Resident Juggler
Apr 17, 2008
5,204
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Soooomething tells me this is gona fail miserably...

They simply haven't advertised it enough, nobody knows of it or remembers of it =\

Also, this legal stuff has further discouraged me from using the system... doesn't that mean that, in the case that it shuts down due to unpopularity, you lose all your games with no refund?
 

Destal

New member
Jul 8, 2009
522
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The Admiral said:
It's shit like this why digital distribution won't work.
I'm pretty sure Steam is pretty successful digital sales. As far as losing your content, it doesn't seem any different than losing a character in an MMO when you get banned.
 

Jack and Calumon

Digimon are cool.
Dec 29, 2008
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3165431031463133234765313433.116541067636766754879526887546658

If you can see the point in this series of numbers then I hope you can see the point in the choices that the makers of ONLive is making.

Sometimes, we take breaks from gaming. I haven't played my PC much at times, and sometimes, for a year. No this isn't worth it.

Calumon: Could be worse, does the internet have to be always on? Oh right... Okay then.
 

Grey_Focks

New member
Jan 12, 2010
1,969
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Didn't I first hear about this two years ago, then haven't heard ANYTHING about it before now? Good advertising.

When I first heard about this I liked the sound of it. Now, the more I read into it...I'm gonna pass. I'm just not a fan of having to rent my games, and that's really all this is.

Also this-
Simalacrum said:
Also, this legal stuff has further discouraged me from using the system... doesn't that mean that, in the case that it shuts down due to unpopularity, you lose all your games with no refund?
 

Ridgemo

New member
Feb 2, 2010
205
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Destal said:
The Admiral said:
It's shit like this why digital distribution won't work.
As far as losing your content, it doesn't seem any different than losing a character in an MMO when you get banned.
Maybe, but you don't pay 40 quid for the character on top of the subscription.
 

Delusibeta

Reachin' out...
Mar 7, 2010
2,594
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Hmm... The only real niche I can see OnLive fitting is as a PC game rental service, and even then I think it'll be too expensive (subscription + rental fees = a bit much), especially compared to something like Steam and its sales.
 

Keava

New member
Mar 1, 2010
2,010
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Well as i understand the full 60$ price tag is for actually unlimited access to the game. I suppose most of the customers of such service will rather rent a game every now and then to play it when they actually want/have time for it instead clogging their account with thousands of games they lost interest in or found lacking.

The 'hardcore' crowd has their consoles/PCs anyway to be bothered with such novelties.