OnLive MicroConsole Priced & Dated, Optional 'Unlimited Access' Subscription Announced

Streaming video games service OnLive has announced that its standalone set-top box the MicroConsole will begin shipping on December 12, priced at $99 with one free game.

Plugged directly into a display and hooked up to a broadband connection, the MicroConsole allows players to play games from OnLive's library as if it were a regular games console. OnLive, if you're not in the loop, allows users to play demanding games on low-spec hardware by actually running the game on a remote server, transmitting video back to the player over the Internet.

Your $99 will net you the MicroConsole TV adapter, a wireless controller with media controls, one full game of your choice, batteries and HDMI, Ethernet and USB cables.

OnLive also announced plans to launch a flat-rate subscription with unlimited access to "a growing library of big studio games and indie titles" later this year, though newer releases will only be available to users who outright purchase the full version. It's yet to be revealed how much this subscription will cost and how limited the library will be.

Last month, OnLive revealed that it no longer intended to charge a monthly subscription simply to use the service--though no user had been charged yet, as the sub was waived for the first year. This would have left it relying purely on full game purchases, so an optional flat-rate subscription service makes good sense for both OnLive and its users.