Much like reviewing an MMO, I didn't really feel comfortable "reviewing" OnLive and I don't know that I ever will. I can (and will) make a handful of declarative statements about my feelings on the service as it stands right now, but, like an MMO, sweeping changes could occur tomorrow that obliviate all previous statements. That said, as of right now, OnLive works.
In my experience with the service -- on both coasts and three major US cities -- it was quick, responsive, and relatively free of bugs (though I did encounter a couple). And demos are available for almost every game, so I put at least a bit of time in with nearly every title currently playable. Dirt 2 with DirectX 11 running on my 10-month-old (Apple!) laptop? Speeds along without a hitch. Unreal Tournament 3? No issues (well, other than not finding anyone to play against outside of bots). I was also able to hook up a wired Xbox 360 controller without any additional installation and it worked flawlessly -- the Xbox guide button even brought up the OnLive guide and auto-paused games (madness!). And though I probably wouldn't suggest OnLIve for hardcore, twitch gamers -- and neither would the company itself -- I would absolutely recommend it to everyone else.
#legal
Codemasters, the studio behind racing games like Dirt and the upcoming F1 2010, is taking another developer to court, accusing it of "poaching staff". More »
A portion of an NWR review…
Dirt 2 is as vanilla a racer as you’re going to find on Wii. There are some unlockable videos and vehicle skins, but this is a very generic package that feels like it was phoned in.
A portion of an N-Sider review…
The Wii version, while it had its moments of passing entertainment, just didn’t compel me at all to want to return to it. Firebrand’s great DS version, though, swept me up so thoroughly that it not only sucked up hours of my time, but got me into the cheap copy [...]
