OnLive is launching its cloud gaming service in Belgium as part of its partnership with Belgacom, the largest telecommunications company in the European nation.
The move is the first foray onto the European continent for OnLive, following its launches in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Belgacom customers will get access to a month of bundled games for free on OnLive’s Belgian site. The OnLive PlayPack will be available with more than 200 games playable on just about any PC or Mac. Play on tablets, phones, and TVs is coming soon.
With OnLive, users don’t need a high-end console, gaming computer, or large downloads. They can play instantly by logging into OnLive’s web-connected data centers, where the games are stored and executed. Only video is sent down over a broadband connection to the user, so that the client machine only has to display the images.
OnLive has raised a lot of money from investors including HTC, Warner Bros., Autodesk, Maverick Capital, AT&T, British Telecommunications, and The Belgacom Group. Rival Gaikai has been purchased by Sony for $380 million.
The games from 60 publishers include titles like Saints Row: The Third, Pro Evolution Soccer 2012, Sid Meier’s Civilization V, Batman: Arkham City, Assassins Creed Revelations, and London 2012. Users can subscribe to the OnLive PlayPack for 9.99 euros a month or purchase three-day, five-day, or full-play passes for any game in the library. They can get 30-minute free trials. The games are in English but will be available soon in Dutch and French.