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OnLive service to launch with 23 titles

When the streaming video game service launches June 17, it will have titles from a wide selection of publishers, including Electronic Arts, Take-Two, Square Enix, THQ, Ubisoft, and more.

Daniel Terdiman Former Senior Writer / News
Daniel Terdiman is a senior writer at CNET News covering Twitter, Net culture, and everything in between.
Daniel Terdiman
2 min read

LOS ANGELES--Streaming video game service OnLive, which will launch June 17 on Tuesday announced its initial lineup of 23 games here at E3.

Among those titles--from publishers including Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Take-Two, THQ, and Square Enix--but not Activision, notably--are hit games like Assassin's Creed, NBA 2K10, Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect 2, Borderlands, and others.

The initial list of publisher partners also includes Sega, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and 2K Sports.

OnLive promises its users console-like speeds over broadband, as long as they have a fast enough Internet connection and are within a limited distance from a hub. The minimum speed for standard quality is 1.5Mbps, and for high-definition, users will need broadband Internet with a minimum of 5Mbps. They will also need to be within 1,000 miles of an OnLive data center.

To date, OnLive has marketed itself as a potential console killer, though many people are skeptical of its ability to truly deliver the smooth gameplay that would make gamers feel comfortable ditching their Microsoft Xboxes, Sony PlayStations, or Nintendo Wiis. Also, it would need to offer a much larger selection of games to truly compete.

As part of its Tuesday announcement, OnLive also said it has partnered with AT&T to offer early adopters--those who sign up between June 15 and July 15--the first year of service for free and the second year at $5 a month. OnLive said the offer was available to "qualified users," but didn't define what those qualifications are.

On June 24, CNET News reporter Daniel Terdiman and his Geek Gestalt blog will kick off Road Trip 2010. After driving more than 18,000 miles in the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Northwest, the Southwest and the Southeast over the last four years, I'll be looking for the best in technology, science, military, nature, aviation and more throughout the American northeast. If you have a suggestion for someplace to visit, drop me a line. In the meantime, you can follow my preparations for the project on Twitter @GreeterDan and @RoadTrip.