OnLive Cloud Gaming Offers Free Console With Game Pre-Order

OnLive is trying a new tactic that could prove to be pretty smart. The company is offering a deal right now where if you pre-order THQ's Homefront game from February 25th to March 14th you'll get a free version of its OnLive gaming system. The system normally retails for $99, but by giving it away free they may be able to get the system into a lot more hands than otherwise.

OnLive lets gamers stream games to their MicroConsole and play games off the "cloud" that is OnLive's servers. It gives gamers the ability to play games at 60 fps on either their computer or HDTV. Homefront is a futuristic first-person shooter where North Korea has invaded and occupied the U.S. The gamer then has to fight back the occupying forces. It is one of THQ's marquee games this year. You can use OnLive's system to stream the game to your computer or use the MicroConsole and stream the game to your television.

"This is a watershed event: It's the first time a game system has ever been given away with a purchase of a game, "said OnLive Chief Executive Steve Perlman. "Homefront is one of the biggest games out this quarter, and we wanted gamers to see just how incredible is to have the hottest title playable with the instant-play, massive spectating audience on their HDTV that is only possible through OnLive."

OnLive currently has more than 70 games in its games library at the moment and if the company can add to that, it could start to be a serious competitor in the industry. The small MicroConsole is only about an inch high and is much more portable than other high-end video gaming systems. OnLive has been working on its server based gaming for more than eight years and recently inked a deal raising $40 million from HTC with the entire deal totaling around $1.8 billion

[via VentureBeat]