Back in 2014, I wrote an opinion piece about OnLive, where I ultimately said that they were going to fail. This article got me quite a bit of hate over at the OnLive forums, and one of their high ranking administrators ended up falsely banning me, being under the assumption that I originally posted my article there in the hopes to self advertise, and stir up debate. In reality, one of OnLive’s users, and apparently one of my readers, decided to post my article, saying that it brought up some valid points. This user shared similar concerns toward OnLive’s future.
Unfortunately, it seems as though I was right. As of today, OnLive sold their assets to Sony, and will be closing down entirely at the end of the month.
Typically, I love being right. I love being able to rub my awesomeness into the faces of everyone that ever doubted me. But I just can’t find it within myself to brag, not this time. OnLive was a fantastic service, and they singlehandedly started the cloud gaming revolution. I’ve never been so supportive of a company before, and I’ve never been so saddened to see a company go out of business. Especially when this company had so much potential to be a true game changer, only to end up being a small ripple in a stagnant pond, rather than a tidal wave that reached the heavens.
If anyone at OnLive is reading this, I’d like to wish you guys the best of luck with whatever the future holds. No matter what you think of me, or whether you remember me as one of OnLive’s most loyal of fans, or darkest of critics… Just know that I stuck with you till the very end. OnLive changed my gaming life for the better, and introduced me to some wonderful individuals. I never once wished to see OnLive go out of business, which is why I was so very vocal. I wanted so desperately to see OnLive succeed. To see a small startup rule the world of gaming. To challenge the big guys, and come out on top.
So, while OnLive may forever remain in the past, I will never forget the day that they changed the future.