The player

CIARA O'BRIENassesses a new device that allows gamers to play live on their TVs

IN THE past 10 years, I've been the proud owner of a PlayStation, a GameCube, an Xbox, an Xbox 360, a Wii and a PS3. Not to mention the brief encounters with a Gameboy Advance, Nintendo DS Lite, the PSP and a PC powerful enough to run games.

Being a gamer isn't cheap, and that's just taking the hardware into account.

But what if you could play videogames on your TV without having to invest in pricey hardware? That's what OnLive is offering.

The company has unveiled a new device that will turn your TV into a platform for streaming games. The OnLive Games System is a micro-console that brings the streaming service directly to any HD television, and costs $99 - a fraction of the cost of standard games consoles.

It's been a relatively quick journey to here. Only a few years ago, people had to buy actual physical games, with discs, boxes and cover art cluttering up the place.

Then came online services for consoles and, with them, downloadable content, extras and games. Xbox launched its Arcade distribution network on its original console at the end of 2004. The Playstation Network went online in the latter stages of 2006.

And OnLive isn't the only service to stream games. Steam has a loyal following for franchises such as Call Of Duty and Counter Strike.

Buying downloadable games for consoles is now the norm. You don't even have to leave the house, or wait longer than the time it takes to download it from an online service.

Instant game gratification. But with services such as OnLive, you don't even have to wait 20 minutes for it to download to your hard drive, or take up vital space on it.

The main problem with downloadable content is that it's much harder to share a download with friends. Good news for the games companies, particularly when it translates into more sales and there are high development costs to take into account.

The fact that OnLive Games System is so portable could go in its favour.

All you need is the system and a decent internet connection - which of course could prove a stumbling block for some people, depending on their location.

Is OnLive the future? It may be hard to persuade gamers away from their console and on to a purely streaming service. But given the popularity of download services in music and the move towards cloud-based services in other areas, it might gain a foothold.