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OnLive

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Joined: June 2006 (via Rearden LLC) Role: TBD Status: Shut down (2015) What it did: Cloud gaming / game streaming

Overview

OnLive was a cloud gaming service that streamed video games from remote servers to users' devices — eliminating the need for powerful local hardware. Ted joined Rearden LLC in June 2006 as VP Product Marketing & Business Development, where he co-developed the business plan for OnLive and worked on the Mova Contour facial motion capture system launch. Left January 2007.

OnLive was visionary but ahead of its time. The bandwidth and latency requirements for real-time game streaming were beyond what most internet connections could handle in the mid-2000s. The company eventually shut down in 2015. The concept was later validated by Google Stadia (2019, also shut down) and more successfully by NVIDIA GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Significance

Another "right idea, wrong time" entry in Ted's career — a pattern shared with EO (pen computing) and When.com (online calendars). Ted seems drawn to correct visions that the infrastructure isn't ready for.

Open Questions

  • What was Ted's role?
  • How long did he stay?
  • What was his experience of watching the technology struggle to meet the vision?

See Also