OnLive is dead. Subscribers have until 30 April to play their games on the cloud service and then the shutters will come down. However, the experiment into cloud gaming has not been in vain as Sony has acquired a large percentage of the assets.

Sony has been running its own cloud gaming platform, PlayStation Now, in the US in beta form for a while and is soon to launch it in the UK. Its acquisition of various assets of the troubled OnLive, including a large patent portfolio as regards the streaming technologies involved, will invariably make that service better in future.

"These strategic purchases open up great opportunities for our gamers, and gives Sony a formidable patent portfolio in cloud gaming, said Philip Rosenberg, a vice president at Sony Computer Entertainment.

"It is yet another proof point that demonstrates our commitment to changing the way gamers experience the world of PlayStation."

READ: PlayStation Now comes to the UK: What is it, and how can you get it?

Existing OnLive subscribers will not be able to access their content from the end of the month, with any full games purchased no longer accessible after that date. Any subscriptions renewed or purchased after 28 March will be refunded.

Users who bought games through OnLive to stream through the CloudLift service will still have access to them on Steam, just not to play on OnLive.

The Sony buyout and subsequent closure of OnLive leaves PlayStation Now with just one rival in the cloud gaming space, Nvidia Grid, which is currently available for free to Nvidia Shield owners. It also marks the second time that OnLive has closed, although this time it is permanent.

READ: Nvidia Grid explained: Forget PlayStation Now, this could change gaming forever