Sony America communications director Patrick Sybold has expressed some doubt that the on-demand PC gaming service OnLive will be a universal hit.

OnLive plans to offer a subscription-based PC gaming service to consumers using cloud-based rendering technology, eliminating the need for expensive PC components to run the titles. The service, launching this winter, will stream games in real-time over a standard internet connection, to either a computer or television display.

Though OnLive claims the monthly subscription will be low, the company has yet to announce a price for the server-based service, which has Seybold wondering whether the cost will be prohibitive.

"What will be the final cost to the consumer when you start adding up what [OnLive is] selling?" asked Seybold in an interview with Edge.

Seybold also questioned whether consumers could afford the household bandwidth required for OnLive. The system will need a 1.5mbps internet connection for standard definition streaming, with a 5.0mbps speed required for high definition.

Said Seybold: "What will be sacrificed when you [put OnLive] into a real world environment where multiple devices are plugged into one broadband connection?"

Edge notes that Sony recently filed a trademark for the term "PS Cloud," indicating that the PlayStation manufacturer might be looking into similar cloud-based technology.

For more on OnLive, check out our hands-on impressions from GDC.