Games on demand service OnLive is now free and free from now on, according to the company's founder, who brings word that the streaming game service has dropped plans for monthly subscription fees.
Steve Perlman, founder and CEO of OnLive, says today that the previously pricey ($14.95 USD per month) subscription plans have been scrapped, letting anyone and everyone try the platform for free. That means free demos, free spectating, free Brag Clip videos, messaging and friends lists, according to Perlman. Oh, sure, you still have to pay for the games you want to buy, but you probably knew that.
"Although we wish we could have confirmed no monthly fee from the get-go, pioneering a major new video game paradigm is hard," writes Perlman on the OnLive Blog. "We had to first grow to a large base of regular users before we could understand usage patterns and operating costs. Now that we've reached that stage, we can confidently say a monthly fee is not needed..."
The streaming version of OnLive for PCs is now ripe for the demoing. The long-promised MicroConsole TV adapter, for those who would prefer to use the OnLive service with a dedicated piece of hardware, and the OnLive Game Pad Controllers are "in manufacturing now," Perlman says. "Stay tuned for some exciting announcements coming this holiday season."
OnLive: Just Play For Free! [OnLive Blog]