Play New Games On Your Old Computer

If you are reading this article, you have probably experienced the agony that comes along with realizing your computer doesn't meet the minimum specs to run a game you've been thinking about for days. It hurts so much worse when you have already purchased the game and put it in your machine oh-so-hopefully, only for your computer to report that you just wasted your money. If that's the case, then I have some good news and some bad news. The good news first; you can play new games on your underpowered computer. Tons of games are available for streaming instantly to your computer. Notice that I said streaming, not downloading. That will be important later. Games like Homefront, F.E.A.R. 3, Braid, Dirt 3 and many more are available in full functionality, legally, and quickly via a cloud based service called Onlive. Onlive is a free service that gives you a very small file to download and install. This is the only hard drive space used by this program and all of the games within. You are then free to look into the marketplace of games, watch other users play games, and watch "Brag Clips" of in-game accomplishments uploaded by other players. Almost all of the games in the marketplace have a free trial available, which is a 30 minute demo period that normally has no other restrictions and can be played as many times as you want. This means that you can jump in to a multiplayer match in Homefront for free, play for 30 minutes, then start the trial again as many times as you like. Of course, your progress is erased each time the demo ends, which may motivate you finally spend a few dollars. Price is another reason to use Onlive. If you are sick of free trials, each game is available for rental for a 3, or a 5 day period. If you want something more permanent you can either purchase a game for a reasonable price, or sign up for Playpass, a $10 monthly charge which gives you full access to most of the games available in the marketplace. Considering how many games you get for the price and the fact that there are really no specs for you computer to live up to, it's a pretty awesome deal. All of this content is available instantly, and with no additional downloads. That means that from the time you finish reading this article, you could realistically be playing these great games in around 5 minutes. So how can your computer suddenly handle games that it never could have dreamed of running before? The secret lies in the way that the games are delivered. These games are never stored on your hard drive, and they don't rely on your RAM or your video card. The games are stored online, and are instantly streamed to you when you start it. Despite the complete reliance on an internet connection, there is no lag with the controls (whether you're using a keyboard and mouse, or a gamepad like the fully compatible XBox 360 controller) and there is rarely a drop in frame rate. All of this means that fantastic games can be experienced even on underpowered machines. Now the bad news. The service is still young, so the catalog of games available is missing some of the bigger names in the industry. Call of Duty is missing, but Homefront and F.E.A.R. 3 are great for multiplayer. Need for Speed isn't here, but Dirt 2 and 3 are. It doesn't have everything, but it has plenty to justify the monthly Playpass fee. Another problem is that the entire gaming experience relies on your internet connection. If your connection falters, your gaming experience is going to be affected. In order to keep the frame rate up and the game at a playable speed, poor internet connections are mostly reflected in the graphics. This doesn't really affect the gameplay, but it is worth noting. If you are still reading this, then the idea of playing new games is appealing to you, and if that's the case then you should really give Onlive a try. Check out Onlive.com for the measly specs, make an account, and get gaming!DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION:The Contributor has no connection to nor was paid by the brand or product described in this content. By D Grandahl -

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