Microsoft Shows Interest in Fired OnLive Staff

[Timothy Chang]

Microsoft Shows Interest in Fired OnLive Staff

Microsoft is holding a networking mixer to wine and dine OnLive staff into a potential job offer.


OnLive may still be alive and kicking, and it is still business as usual for the game-streaming company as far as it is concerned. The company insists that rumors of its demise have been "remain as "non-hired" entities [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/119144-Update-OnLive-Transitions-Into-New-Company]. OnLive is still planning on rehiring workers lost in the shuffle once the company can secure additional funds, but Microsoft appears to be looking to capitalize on the free pool of cloud gaming talent by holding a networking mixer for former OnLive employees.

The event details [http://iebandonlive.eventbrite.com/] specifically call out for "individuals and teams affected by the OnLive transition" to give them the chance to mingle and socialize with the company's hiring managers. The event claims to have employment positions open in Redmond, WA and Mountain View, CA for anyone willing to take up the offer. "There are big projects in the pipeline for the rest of 2012 and beyond, and the team is growing rapidly to support the work ahead," the advertisement promises. "We'd love to have YOU be part of our team!"

Given that Sony recently purchased Gaikai [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/118212-Sony-Buys-Gaikai-Cloud-Gaming-Service] for a cool $380 million, it sounds like Microsoft wants to accelerate its attempts to cut out a bigger slice of the cloud-gaming pie. Microsoft previously considered OnLive as a potential target for acquisition, claiming that the game-streaming technology could be considered a threat against Microsoft's upcoming next-gen console, but it wasn't prepared to pull the trigger on a deal. It's certainly more cost-effective to make offers to workers who are in between jobs rather than pay for the use of patented tech, and now it seems that Microsoft has its chance.

Source: Eventbrite [http://iebandonlive.eventbrite.com/]

Permalink

 

[Covarr]

You know why Sony bought Gaikai? Because it's a smoother, more reliable service than OnLive. Even if the core concept is the same, Gaikai is generally the better of the two. MS looks to be hiring the people who, even in a market they created themselves, were only able to achieve second best. This sort of "me too" attitude is rarely good for anything.

P.S. Thanks

 

[Shinsei-J]

Well politics aside I'm happy these guy are getting some jobs ether way.

 

[Baldr]

I wish people would quit making assumptions. MS's XBL part on Azure is still under wraps, until they are ready to unveil it with the new system.

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

It's certainly more cost-effective to make offers to workers who are in between jobs rather than pay for the use of patented tech, and now it seems that Microsoft has its chance.

It's not like rewriting the same thing would magically make it not patented anymore unless they create something substantially different in the process, and anyone high enough up to have been doing or have created anything particularly interesting probably had a non-compete clause in their contract. It's not that they won't potentially be able to get some skilled people out of this (if there's anything MS is good at, it's getting talented engineers and researchers to work for them, even if the business and marketing people end up ruining half of their output with their wacky demands), but it won't be some secret super-shortcut to achieving their goals.