OnLive respawns with new services and streaming MMOs

After more than a year of relative silence OnLive has respawned with a new way of thinking about cloud gaming and the ability to stream MMOs to your Android device, or a number of other devices.

OnLive’s new service, called CloudLift, combines the promise of streaming PC games with all the benefits of actually playing those games on a high-end PC. The new service lets your download and play PC games locally on a gaming PC using Steam, then stream those games from OnLive’s servers to other devices like your Android tablet when away from the PC. Of course, save data will transfer between the local PC games and the cloud streaming games.

There is a catch to CloudLift, though. The service requires a $15 a month fee on top of retail cost of each individual game. Essentially you’re paying $15 a month to play your PC games on your mobile device.

OnLive CloudLift is now available, though it only supports a few titles including Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, Saints Row IV, Scribblenauts Unlimited, and LEGO Lord of The Rings.

Those who don’t want to pay to play their games on a PC using Steam can sign up for the PlayPack, which costs $10 a month and gives access to a small selection of games. The difference is the PlayPack only steams games, regardless of device.

In addition to CloudLife OnLive announced is new OnLive Go. OnLive Go is a service that lets anyone stream MMOs to their smartphone, tablet, PC, or anything else that supports OnLive. The feature will start off with just two MMOs: Second Life and WarThunder. While WarThunder isn’t the biggest free-to-play MMO at the moment, it’s inclusion makes sense in a way. It’s hard to see why Second Life is included, though.

Still, if you’re one of the dedicated few still playing Second Life, OnLive Go gives you another way to play your MMO of choice. I’ll be over here waiting for the day I can play Elder Scrolls Online or Finally Fantasy XIV on my tablet.

Will you try either of OnLive’s new cloud gaming options?