OnLive gaming service to switch off after Sony deal

 

Video game streaming pioneer OnLive is to shut down after selling several of its patents to Sony.

The California-based firm had allowed PC and tablet owners to play console titles, which were run on its computer servers but controlled and viewed in the gamer's home.
Sony is expected to use the 140 patents it has acquired to support its own PlayStation Now streaming service.
OnLive was once valued at $1.8bn (£1.2bn).

 
The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
It brings to an end a troubled five years of service.
In 2012, many of OnLive's staff lost their jobs when the company was sold to a venture capital firm after running up about $40m in debt.
Several of the biggest publishers had refused to support it, although the business had proven that gaming was possible without too much delay between a user pressing a gamepad button and their character responding.
Interest was also limited by the fact users needed a relatively fast broadband connection.
In addition, many PC owners seemed to prefer buying games from Steam and other online marketplaces, rather than paying a monthly subscription fee for a Netflix-like "all-you-can-eat" experience.
In March 2014, the company announced a new direction with the launch of CloudLift, a facility that let gamers stream and play select titles they had bought from Steam on mobile devices, TVs and other computers.