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    • Where’s Onlive for iOS? (updated)

    Written By: Nigel Wood
    December 11, 2011

    On thursday we revealed that OnLive’s cloud gaming service was coming to iPad and iOS… so where is it?

    We got hands-on with the service running on an iPad on Monday at OnLive’s offices in London, and we even have a build of the app on our iPads, along with a bluetooth wireless controller, so we know it exists. Yet, as of now the app is not on the AppStore, despite having been released on the Android marketplace on Thursday, which was when it was due to go live in the UK and US on the AppStore too. All that we’ve heard is that the app is still in approval with Apple. Some bloggers believe that it was never intended to be coming out this week on iPad, with all the press releases only mentioning the words tablet or smartphone and not specifically mentioning the iPad itself. This is partly true, however, during our hands-on on Monday we were predominantly shown the service running on an iPad, with the Android and Kindle Fire builds playing second fiddle.

    It is odd that they would launch the service while the app was still in approval, but it’s possible that they were confident it would pass with no problems, in time for launch. It is clear that the app has failed to pass through Apple’s strict in-app-purchase/subscription rules, which explicitly states that if you are to purchase a product (in this case a game) within the app, then it must allow for Apple to take their cut. This would not work with OnLive, this is because the whole service runs in the cloud, with no purchases living or running on the device itself, instead it is all streamed as video data to your screen… like an on-demand video service or Sling box.

    During my time this week with the app running on my iPad, I have not been able to directly purchase a game, so instead must do that either using the app on my Mac/PC, or via the OnLive micro console. Once purchased, the game is immediately playable on any OnLive client – including the iPad – allowing me to play games such as Batman Arkham City, Saints Row the Third and Assassin’s Creed Revelations with the wireless controller, or Dirt 3, Lego Batman and Virtua Tennis 2009 with V-pad touch controls.

    So, do i think that Apple will approve the app? Well, yes. But I don’t see them approving it if you can purchase games directly through the app itself. There is of course a possibility that Apple will see this as a threat to the AppStore ecosystem, however if OnLive resubmit the app and follow the rules it would be unfair of Apple to pull it on that basis.

    We’ll update you on the app’s progress. In the meantime I’ll just have to enjoy the fact that I’m one of a few who do have it on my iPad! ;)

    UPDATE: We have just received word directly from OnLive that the OnLive app for iPad will not allow for in-app purchases at all. Based on that fact I expect the app to go live any day now, and that the hold up is merely a result of a Christmas rush to approve apps.

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    • ENDWARO7

      Ive haven’t had a problem with the app store until this! If they don’t allow onlive they are full of BS! This is great and if they don’t approve it than android will have something that iOS truly doesn’t! Dang just 2 know that apple didn’t approve it pisses me off!

    • ZarieoZ

      “meantime I’ll just have to enjoy the fact that I’m one of a few who do have it on my iPad!”
      Thanks alot dude

    • http://Touchgen.com Nigel Wood

      Sorry ZarieoZ, I couldn’t resist rubbing it in :)

    • Niko360

      That great news but is it still coming out on the iPhone you didn’t mention it?

    • Ryan

      Nigel Wood please upload your onlive app as a ipa file on the internet so we can download!!!

    • ENDWARO7

      Yeah!!! Is it still coming out for iPhone?

    • http://Touchgen.com Nigel Wood

      eventually it wil come to iphone, yes. not sure when though.

    • lukwtwz

      It’s likely they knew the iOS version of Onlive would not get approved due to the Apple-side compensation issue mentioned in this article, but decided to submit the app anyway knowing that any momentum gained by imitation gaming platforms as a result of the delay could be rightly blamed on policy itself.

    • Kreeate

      To be honest I’ve lost interest in Onlive altogether. Most likely one of the current gaming industry giants will rip off the concept and do a much better job of marketing and producing the means to make it accessable on multiple platforms. It’s a great concept, but it’s way too early and Onlive is way too inexperienced, for me to get exited about it yet. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

    • Mike

      Did anyone besides me not understand a single sentence from lukwtwz?

    • Kreeate

      I’m kind of with you on that one Mike. It’s probably because that paragraph consists of only one sentence. Fifty-three words and only one comma. It makes for difficult reading. A case of a complex thought and not enough space to express it in perhaps. Who knows? Either way… Onlive for iOS is dead to me. RIP.

    • TMB

      What I understood from lukwtwz’s comment was that he (she?) believes that it was OnLive’s strategy from the beginning to submit the app to Apple, knowing full well that it may possibly be held up in the approval process potentially because of in-app purchasing. However, if the Android platform’s version gains a significant momentum during the delay caused by Apple’s approval process, then OnLive could always claim that the delay is entirely because of Apple’s App store policy as the reason.

      Although the update in the article indicates that there is no in-app purchasing in the app anyway.

      Of course, I could be completely wrong in my interpretation, but it sounds close enough to me.

    • lukwtwz

      TMB-

      My comment was pure speculation – influenced to some degree by the fact that several iOS reviewers in possession of preview builds had been reporting generally positive experience with the service itself – that perhaps Onlive realized that feedback from those using the service on competing tablets stood to impact Apple’s interpretation of its own policies while the initial approval process was still underway. The delay (if, indeed, the app is officially delayed) might well have nothing to do with Apple’s cut of subscriptions and/or Online title purchases.

    • Jt31982

      Is there any word on when, or even if, this app will be fully functional? Is it just because apple wants a cut off the game sales? Seems like theyre shooting them self in the foot, I see a lot of people buying a different tablet over the iPad because of behaviour like this.

    • nigelwood

       I’ve had word but all it was is that it’s still in review.

    • K1NG

      Who’s choosing another tablet over the iPad because of the hold up on Onlive? This is what happened with Netflix. It took apple FOREVER to release it, but none-the-less they did. Don’t worry about it, it’ll be released and if not it’s still ok. Don’t sweat it guy.

    • Roski84

       exactly what i was thinking. I wanted to buy an ipad3 but issues like flash and no onlives service, iam buying a transformers prime instead.. Apple are just way to restrictive with their products for my taste…

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