Arcana Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 OUYA is an Android-based console that costs $99 and is meant to open up gaming to the world, getting around expensive dev kits and licensing fees associated with some of the big players in the living room. OUYA wants to bust down console gaming's walled gardens Oh yeah! Ouya receives over 1 million in crowdfunding in less than 8 hours http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ouya/ouya-a-new-kind-of-video-game-console The game console is meant to be open for people to hack for and build for. The games are intended to be low cost (free, even) and it's meant to be a way to help indie gamers develop for a TV-based console. As the headlines imply, this project was funded on Kickstarter and met its $1 000 000 goal in under 8 hours, and as of today (Friday July 13) there's $2 829 000 in the fund which makes it the largest Kickstarter ever so far. There are many implications of gaming that this has. Some people might compare this to Steam (and imply that it'll fail), others might see this as a great opportunity to get a $99 set-top box for installing XBMC and not care much about the gaming implications. In any case, this is one of the biggest Kickstarters ever and thus it's gained a lot of media attention. Is this box poised to change living room gaming? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omni-Psyence Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 1 GB of RAM makes me vary cautious about all of this. I sincerely hope they can pull this off. I doubt it will be able to run many current AAA titles, much less those about to come out in the near future. Otherwise it's a really cool idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollgagh Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I doubt it will be able to run many current AAA titles yeah, that's really not the idea behind it at all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omni-Psyence Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I understand the design philosophy but inevitably there are going to be those who would like to see games with a higher production value on this console. The creators themselves even claim "OUYA could change AAA game development, too. Forget about licensing fees, retail fees, and publishing fees." So they clearly have some sort of expectation for their console to perform in the AAA market. I hope that it can! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcana Posted July 13, 2012 Author Share Posted July 13, 2012 I understand the design philosophy but inevitably there are going to be those who would like to see games with a higher production value on this console. The creators themselves even claim "OUYA could change AAA game development, too. Forget about licensing fees, retail fees, and publishing fees." So they clearly have some sort of expectation for their console to perform in the AAA market. I hope that it can! I think the idea is that the existence of a console without high licensing fees might change the way that AAA game publishers do business, rather than competing with them directly. It's kind of like how Steam made game distribution on the PC viable and helped to revitalize PC gaming (and made Valve rich in the process). If nothing else OUYA has the potential to depress the prices of games from $60 downward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omni-Psyence Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Understandable, if that's the case. I just don't want to see a scenario in which many of the backers of this Kickstarter find themselves disappointed with something that they thought they were getting, but did not receive. I know the specs are plain for everyone to see, but you know how these sort of things go. Would love to see this be a success and not blow up in their face over any backlash like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocre Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Not trying to rain on any parades but this editorial may offer some considerations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omni-Psyence Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Yeah I actually caught that article yesterday, I'm remaining cautiously optimistic about this project. IMO, however, I think a Valve "Steambox" or whatever they'd decide to call it would have a better shot at this concept. I don't even know if they are planning on doing that still or not, but they've already got the infrastructure for it. Still, this Ouya could be a very refreshing change of pace for the console market either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Level 99 Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I'm behind this in every way. Also, if you want AAA games, just get something like Gametap or Onlive on there and BAM, AAA development. As I talked about on OCAD previously, the future of gaming and the deprecation of the traditional idea of consoles is kind of embodied in this device. At least the first steps of it are, anyway. It encourages people to work with a platform that's not meant to wring every single cent from developers and consumers. It seems like a pretty even trade to be able to develop for it for free, and sell it for free and then OUYA takes something like 30% from all in-game sales. Seems VERY fair to me if they end up offering a community service similar to the features of steam (chat, multiplayer, etc.). It is getting people to work with limited hardware, which I believe spurs creativity similarly to how hardware restrictions in the early console ages did the same thing. Integrating streaming video and the like and you have a on-the-cheap all in one box that, with the right titles and support, can really change how people approach a system's features and lifecycle. Current gen hardware is being stretched for as long as possible because the amount of time, money, and effort spent in R&D for them was astronomical. This was to the point that they're inventing peripherals in order to superficially extend the lifespan and relevance of the systems beyond what has been experienced in the past. Hardware is getting harder and harder to create in order to rationalize that jump to another system (unless you're nintendo, that does the gimmicks at the forefront and stays generally behind in the hardware power race). It's also very expensive. Even compensating for inflation, this is still on average the most expensive gaming generation so far. How expensive will it be to make an even more powerful machine (that isn't just high end PC hardware) and ship it to possibly be tepidly received, and take massive hits at the system level with hopeful compensation in game sales to offset the cost? It makes increasingly more sense, both logically and financially, to focus on the backend processing and utilizing high-speed connections to deliver content on devices that are much simpler, and basically act as a VNC to a gaming system. This was the game companies can a) utilize hardware upgrades more efficiently, and without a shipping cost control the purchasing and re-selling of digital games and DLC and c) control system access all around. The OUYA box could foster a service like that, while also giving the indie and casual crowd something to work with. Call me overly optimistic, but I'm really excited about this. I backed it right after the first 1000 sold out, and I'm very excited to get it, play on it, and potentially make a game on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calpis Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I already donated to the Kickstarter. My thinking is that (given that it does release), even if it fails, I still have a fairly powerful Android console that hooks into my TV that I can play emulated games on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceansAndrew Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I think it sounds pretty bad actually, and everything it is offering is available elsewhere. Working with limited hardware? You get the Wii. Develop for Free? PC is what you want. Xbox indie games is an option too to get your game out there with I think pretty reasonable costs. No hate to the people supporting it, but I think it'll be a pretty big flop, or delayed ad infinitum like the Phantom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big giant circles Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Not trying to rain on any parades but this editorial may offer some considerations. You know, I was kind of like "eh, I'll wait and see" at first. Then I saw how many people were supporting it. So I jumped on the bandwagon and threw some money at it. Then I read that article. That is an amazingly well written article, piecing together all the facts that I lacked the energy/capacity to figure out on my own. Seeing as they're now approaching $4.5 million, it looks like they have plenty of funding to figure stuff out. But in the meanwhile, they don't really have enough promising current benchmarks on the hardware/controller/software etc. And Kuchera is right, a March 2013 deadline would be tough even for a company like Microsoft or Sony, who have waaaaaay more money at their disposal. Taking all the information that report gave into consideration, and since they're highly overfunded as is, I went ahead and withdrew my pledge. $100 isn't a lot, so if and when it sees the light of day, I'll happily throw down my money. But in the meanwhile, I think I'll wait until things look a little bit more certain for them. I will say, that I'll remain cautiously optimistic for them to deliver, as I think it's a great idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dhsu Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 (edited) I think it sounds pretty bad actually, and everything it is offering is available elsewhere. Working with limited hardware? You get the Wii. Develop for Free? PC is what you want. Xbox indie games is an option too to get your game out there with I think pretty reasonable costs. For developers maybe, but for consumers no console, PC, tablet, or phone on the market has HD output for $100. That said, I'm in the same boat as Jimmy...I'll buy it if it ever comes out, but until then I'm not tying up $100 I could be spending on a Wii. Edited July 13, 2012 by Dhsu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcana Posted July 13, 2012 Author Share Posted July 13, 2012 I'm cautiously optimistic as well. I'd be willing to purchase this from a store shelf for $150 but I'm not sure yet if I will back this for $99. I think that piracy will be a big huge deal. I also think that the company's deadline is overly ambitious and that the only way that it'll make a March 2013 date is if it's done extremely poorly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitty Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I think it sounds pretty bad actually, and everything it is offering is available elsewhere. Working with limited hardware? You get the Wii. Develop for Free? PC is what you want. Xbox indie games is an option too to get your game out there with I think pretty reasonable costs.No hate to the people supporting it, but I think it'll be a pretty big flop, or delayed ad infinitum like the Phantom. Your argument appears to ignore the fact that you can get all those things in one place given that Ouya delivers what it promises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceansAndrew Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Your argument appears to ignore the fact that you can get all those things in one place given that Ouya delivers what it promises. It's not out yet; as of right now no promises have been fulfilled, just made. No games have been confirmed for it, and generally the games for the wii indie channel and xbox indie games have had a few gems and a lot of dross. I think it'd take a very specific gamer to want to get this, and (CAUTION: ANECDOTAL/EDUCATED GUESS INCOMING) I feel most of the people early adopting this already have an existing console that can do what they want. Cool factor and reasonable price point? Sure. Follows through on it's claims? We'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 I'm highly skeptical - there's a lot of questions still left to be answered. How much will games cost? Many games by indie devs end up selling on the cheap side - is that enough to sustain the company & allow it to expand? Piracy - Android can facilitate it through rooting relatively easily. Funding - sure there's some hype because a subset of gamers want an alternative, but the amount raised so far is small relatively speaking. Is the amount raised enough to manufacture a quality product en masse? I don't believe so. That also does not even broach the subject of paying its own employees and any investors - their team likely has some skilled professionals that can command a nice salary at other companies. Marketing - can they control the message? What makes the platform much more attractive than the iOS platform or anything else out there that much of its target audience has and can use to do similar things? I just don't see them solving these problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitty Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 It's not out yet; as of right now no promises have been fulfilled, just made. No games have been confirmed for it, and generally the games for the wii indie channel and xbox indie games have had a few gems and a lot of dross. I think it'd take a very specific gamer to want to get this, and (CAUTION: ANECDOTAL/EDUCATED GUESS INCOMING) I feel most of the people early adopting this already have an existing console that can do what they want. Cool factor and reasonable price point? Sure. Follows through on it's claims? We'll see. Why does it matter if I can get those features elsewhere? I don't want nor should I need to grab three different devices totaling over $700 to do those things. Also, by saying "it's not out yet" isn't really valid. We're not evaluating a finished product. We're evaluating a product that is in the design phase. Through your line of reasoning, we should have considered the original Xbox a ludicrous idea as soon as it was announced due to its features "being available elsewhere" or the fact that there was an "existing console that can do what they want." Of course we have to wait and see if promises are fulfilled to make our final decisions, but investors and consumers alike ought to evaluate products, services, and companies with the limited data that they have on hand in order to make informed decisions later. And in this case, I believe the numbers speak for themselves. With the amount of money raised in this Kickstarter, we see a lot of consumer interest. Thus I think they have found their "very specific gamer" audience: the ones donating money to the development of a product that isn't out yet. I am not saying we should not be cautious with the hype and expect all promised features to be included but are just hoping for the best. As previously mentioned, we are discussing the idea as it is presented, not a manufactured product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperiorX Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 I'm cautiously optimistic that this thing will pan out. If done right I think it may have the chance to revolutionize console gaming, but we'll see. I'm not going to contribute money to the kickstarter though, I'd rather see how it goes and read more about it first post-launch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dhsu Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Funding - sure there's some hype because a subset of gamers want an alternative, but the amount raised so far is small relatively speaking. Is the amount raised enough to manufacture a quality product en masse? I don't believe so. That also does not even broach the subject of paying its own employees and any investors - their team likely has some skilled professionals that can command a nice salary at other companies. A Kickstarter is most often just that -- it's for kickstarting a product, not for completely funding it beginning to end. They most likely have other investors and sources of funds as well, some that might have been dependent on how well the Kickstarter did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gario Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Why does it matter if I can get those features elsewhere? I don't want nor should I need to grab three different devices totaling over $700 to do those things. This, so much this. I haven't been able to afford a console since the Gamecube, and have to be completely honest felt completely locked out of gaming because of it since mid-2000's. While the criticisms are perfectly valid against the system (not as powerful as other systems, features have already been done elsewhere, very aggressive timetable, etc.), the big, big draw for me is the complete gaming package at this price. PC gaming, if you want it to be any good, costs far and above this price tag and isn't nearly as reliable as a console (even games that are relatively small can run at less than optimal speeds, if your computer is full of other... things... [inb4pornjoke]), and other consoles are easy to compare against (even the cheapest current-gen console is still at least double the price of this). I'm a little skeptical on the developer's end (the potential to drive away developers due to the open & F2P market is a very valid concern), but otherwise I'm all for getting into console gaming again. That's why I backed it - perhaps I'm being a little too hopeful, but I feel that it could really go places, if people give this support at this stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big giant circles Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Also, by saying "it's not out yet" isn't really valid. Well, if you read that Penny Arcade report article, it kind of is though. Again, let me just restate that I'm for the idea, but I withdrew my pre-purchase until I see that it's more probable that they can deliver the idea as well as they can pitch it. Still crossing my fingers in their favor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Power Smoothie Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Another article critical about the pitch. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2407046,00.asp They don't think the console will ever get made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 A Kickstarter is most often just that -- it's for kickstarting a product, not for completely funding it beginning to end. They most likely have other investors and sources of funds as well, some that might have been dependent on how well the Kickstarter did. I'm fully aware that they likely have some angel investors and/or VCs investing in it. I'm still skeptical they have the amount that will allow them to bring this to fruition with a high enough margin to be successful as a company, which is important for a device like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaMonz Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 I think this project is extremely awesome. Why is that? It puts indie gaming on the forefront on a console. Sure PC is cool for indie devs, but to think that one of my games might end up on this console, and might even be a launch title if I work hard enough? That's priceless. Before I heard of this project, I couldn't even dream that any of the games I'll make with my friends would end up on consoles. Now, I'm certain it'll happen with this beautiful piece of innovation. Please don't hate, guys! I'm sure this console will add a great deal of variety in console gaming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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