June 17, 2010 will see the availability of the first cloud gaming service in the U.S., courtesy of OnLive, Inc., a pioneer in on-demand, instant-play video gaming.

Announced Wednesday on the company’s website, The OnLive Game Service is billed as a revolutionary, on-demand video game platform capable of delivering the latest and most advanced games instantly via a broadband connection. Best of all, the service will be available on almost any Mac or PC, courtesy of a small browser plug-in, or even on an HDTV via OnLive’s MicroConsole TV adapter.

"This marks a huge milestone for both OnLive and the interactive entertainment landscape as a whole, changing the way that video games are developed, marketed, accessed and played," said Steve Perlman, Founder and CEO of OnLive. "We are opening the door to incredible experiences for gamers and enormous opportunities for developers and publishers."

The OnLive Game Service will offer instant access to purchase or rent new release games, with early registrants in the 48 contiguous United States getting first crack at the service when it launches on June 17, perfectly timed during the annual E3 show this year. A $14.95 monthly service fee will provide access to an expanding library of high-end, new release, instant-play game content -- with no expensive console system necessary. A short list of anticipated titles includes Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age Origins, Assassin’s Creed II, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, Borderlands and Metro 2033.

Better yet, the first 25,000 qualified registrants will have the $14.95 monthly service fee waived for the first three months of service. During the introductory 90-day trial, full versions of games will be available for purchase or rental on an à la carte basis.

"The OnLive Game Service creates a new opportunity for consumers to play the latest games without spending hundreds of dollars on a hardware system to make it happen," said Mike McGarvey, COO of OnLive. "As a Mac user myself, I'm excited about the opportunity to help bring high-end gaming to this new and significant market."

Finally, those worried that The OnLive Game Service will be a limited experience should fret no more: Standard online game service features will include gamer tags, user profiles, friends and chat. An “evolving slate” of exclusive features will also include state-of-the-art 3D graphics performance, instant-play free game demos, multiplayer across PC, Mac or TV platforms, Brag Clips video capture & posting, massive spectating, always-updated games and even cloud-saved games, which let you pause and instantly resume from anywhere, even between platforms. Let’s see your Xbox or PS3 do that!

Interested gamers can pre-register at the OnLive website right now to have first crack the new service when it debuts on June 17, 2010.