OUYA - A new $99 console powered by Android [Kickstarter ended, $8.5 million funded]
- Thread starter GK86
- Start date
Charoncaori
Member
That thing is too expensive and the form factor looks horrible.
I really would love the Ouya to be about the indie scene too but some of the expectations around the net just look ridiculous. I guess we'll see.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Do you actually not think Penny Arcade will follow through on it? I mean, "dubious" doesn't mean "I don't agree and it's not worth my money" in this case, "dubious" means "I don't think it's going to happen -- there isn't a real product -- it's not going to make any deadline they set." So the comparison to PA is pretty silly. It's pretty clear that if/when they make their target, they will do the thing they're committing to do. Certainly no one doubts their ability. Kuchera isn't calling out the merit of an independent game box, he's calling out the feasibility of the project. You're calling out the merit of Penny Arcade's project.
I'd argue that some of the more compelling experiences on android (or any mobile device) is designed with a touch interface in mind... meaning looking at something, touching it and interacting with it to make something happen. This experience is drastically different when the visual is detached from your touch. So while sure it can be patched to work with a controller, it won't necessarily work as well or be as fun.
I think a lot of devs would have to start from square one if they want to create compelling software for ouya, as opposed to just porting and patching existing software.
pcostabel
Gold Member
The controller has a touchpad, so it should be able to emulate touch controls. Does anyone know if the touchpad is multitouch?
yeah my point being that having the visuals detached from your touch alters the experience... for example, imagine trying to play cut the rope when you can't visualize where you're cutting. no controller patch can help make that as fun as playing it on a touchscreen.
Marty Chinn
Member
Ya but without a point of reference. Even if you put a cursor on the screen, it's not going to be nearly as good of an experience, intuitive, or playable as seeing your finger touch the object on a touch screen.
Interesting this to note an OUYA community manager (playouya) that's on reddit said this:
So the Tegra 3 will be Overclocked. Good to know.
[]Hanashimaru 3 points 2 hours ago
I think overclocking would be best in this situation. It would be easy as OUYA isn't depended on batteries and simple heatsink would cool it down quite a bit. Of course it would be possible to overclock even more and put fan too, but silent machine has more dignified feeling to it.
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[]playouya 3 points 1 hour ago
Best believe we will be overclocking.
http://www.reddit.com/r/ouya/commen..._complaining_about_the_hardware_specs/c5d5spx
So the Tegra 3 will be Overclocked. Good to know.
rohlfinator
Member
It seems kind of pointless to discuss the userbase when we have no idea what it's going to do. Sure, if it never grows past ~50,000 it'll be a pretty weak looking market. If it ends up selling a few million, I could see it being a pretty good option for some developers, depending on how well the userbase stays interested.
I fully expect a lot of the early games to be pretty straightforward ports from other platforms (like any console launch really, just on a smaller scale) with a few exclusives from developers who want to capitalize on the launch enthusiasm (again, like any launch). We'll see where it goes from there.
It's going to be down to the individual developer of course, but a few reasons off the top of my head:
-You want to make a game based on a sit-down console experience, especially local multiplayer
-You can probably get some easy buzz by making a notable game on this thing, as opposed to getting lost in the shuffle of an app store
-You have (at least at the beginning) a more engaged userbase than the typical mobile audience who favors cheap timewasters
-You have a mass-market mobile platform that it's trivial to port to/from, which can help mitigate some of the risk
Lol. You understand the difference between digital and physical? The physical rewards in DFA and Wasteland 2 were also not cheap.
Also read up the interview with Gabe Newell on Steam sales. The price point where you make the most money is not necessarily a higher one.
DiscoJer
Member
Eh, I won't exactly cry if I won't be able to get the full Cut the Rope experience with the Ouya. Indeed, that's the sort of game that gives Android (or mobile ) gaming a bad name.
The sort of Android games I'm interesting in are more things like Kairosoft, the various RPGs from Gamevil (Zenonia and so forth).
Probably half the Playstation Minis that have been released originally game from iOS or Android and in most cases, the controls ended up being just fine.
FieryBalrog
Member
This looks terrible. Good luck to the people 'pre-ordering' this, hopefully at the very least you'll get a toy you can 'hack'.
Also, who are the bobbins pledging at the first two tiers? $10 to reserve your username!!!! ?
Also, who are the bobbins pledging at the first two tiers? $10 to reserve your username!!!! ?
I don't understand all the people ponying up $99 for this thing either.
HoodWinked
Member
i remember when kickstarter was used when someone had an idea then using those funds to build something or continue to fund it.
instead it looks like the product is already built and in actuality is using kickstarter as a retail front. too bad people dont see it like this. this feels and seems like a smash and grab.
instead it looks like the product is already built and in actuality is using kickstarter as a retail front. too bad people dont see it like this. this feels and seems like a smash and grab.
element
Member
If they even end up getting the device.
HAHAHA!
name 10 that would actually work on a console. Judging from the 'wants' of the investors, they are expecting Dragon Age, Gears of War, Skyrim, and BioShock. Not Where's My Perry?, Where's My Water?, Cut the Rope, and Doodle Jump.
Because they are lying and contradict themselves in their own text and video. They show off Minecraft, Shadowgun, and other games, but they don't have those games. The fact that this is a ploy to generate more movement when it comes to VC and angel investment is fucking shady.
It's the price of two new games (or two years of Xbox Live, lol) for something that in the worst case can be used as a streaming/media box, in the best case could be an awesome open gaming platform with tons of indie games.
Unless you think this will outright fail (like any kickstarter can fail), $99 is not at all unreasonable for what is being promised.
FieryBalrog
Member
If a bunch of people are standing in a line, it must be worth standing in line for.
If a bunch of people are buying into it, it must be worth buying into.
Crowdsourcing.
If a bunch of people are buying into it, it must be worth buying into.
Crowdsourcing.
I paid $99 for an Onlive console to play around with. If I thought there was a good chance they could actually manufacture & ship a quality system for $99 I would get one. Unless they got $10MM in funding prior to this I don't know how they can make this happen. At this point I'd have almost as much faith in a Kickstarter for a machine that turns lead into gold.
rohlfinator
Member
I'm kind of skeptical too, but what viable alternatives do they have for Kickstarting a project of this scale? Put it on Kickstarter before they have any of the specifics nailed down, and try to raise the full multi-million dollar investment by asking thousands of people to drop $100+ on it with nothing but a general idea to go on? That just seems like a recipe for failure -- there are already tons of people skeptical of this idea even with a physical box and specs.
element
Member
1. they have made it clear that media is NOT what they want. In their own interviews they don't want it to stream media outside of Twitch.TV, which they probably made a deal with. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, won't be coming to this (outside of hacks).
This whole 'indie box' is a total pipe dream. As someone said before, why would an indie developer develop for this over the PC or iOS? Porting isn't this 'save as android with controller'. The indies you all dream about would rather be on steam, especially with the new greenlight system they are moving forward with.
Something of this scale really doesn't belong on Kickstarter IMO. This is a company wanting 'investors', not pre-orders. There is zero guarantee right now that this system will ever see the light of day. Considering that to market it appropriately, manufacture, and support they will need in the upwards of $100m. Normal people are venture capitalists. The people putting money into this aren't getting a percentage on investment, and that is what the company is going to do with these people money. They are going to take it, finish up the prototypes they needs, go to VC/Angel Investors, get another $50m or whatever. People need to better understand what they are doing here.
djplaeskool
Member
It's odd to me that they've blurred the line between venture capital and tangible product pre-ordering by continuously increasing the limit of unit slots, still knowing that there is a chance that this all falls through, and that pledging money is NOT a guarantee for products or services.
I was not aware of these interviews, where are they?
For the ones who want to use it as a media box and don't mind hacking, it should be easy as Ouya is claimed to be easily hackable. So even if they don't want to support media out of the box that probably doesn't stop the early adopters.
Because this is (AFAIK) the only platform where indie developers will have easy access to living room gaming.
Uhh, no I don't. That looks awful.
element
Member
Indie developers already have that ability via tons of methods, and that will probably be even more streamlined with future consoles.
If you have a good game, there are avenues to get it on Xbox Live Arcade and PSN. Also majority of these 'indie' developers that people would want are already developing for PC. Why would an indie developer do this over Steam?
So having a 'hackable' console is a good thing? What is to stop people from just stealing games? We already know that Android piracy rates insane (9:1 pirated/paid). Why would any developer want to support a system where the box developer use that as a SELLING point!!
rohlfinator
Member
Yeah, I do agree that they should be more upfront about their business model here.
Still not sure how I feel about the whole idea though. On one hand, it's a little deceptive, but on the other, it's encouraging to see them reaching out to the community in some sense. I imagine if something like this were just released into the wild, it would get the same kind of reception as all the other failed consoles (and from some people it still has). Even with venture capital, these guys are never going to be able to compete on a marketing level with Sony/MS/Nintendo, so going for a more grassroots-driven approach is the best chance they have at really getting some buzz.
Kickstarter is probably not the most appropriate venue for that, but it's likely the most visible.
Not without going through some sort of middle man / "curator". Which is still a pretty significant barrier for a lot of people.
element
Member
It is the easiest to scam IMO.
You are going to have middleman no matter what. They are pushing this 'no licensing fees', but who pays for the backend? who pays for the download bandwidth? who pays for the billing service? They will be taking a cut of sales, so they are a middleman.
Curation happens on XBLA to make sure the portfolio is balanced. PSN has a development fund dedicated to indies with the pubfund. If you have a quality game, you can get the proper attention.
Yep. Many of the top paid games on Android are console style controls with a virtual d-pad interface. Some include support for bluetooth/usb controllers (like Grand Theft Auto III, Sonic CD, and Shadowgun). But yeah, the people expecting Skyrim and Bioshock ports will be disappointed.
If this has console style games from the Google Play store, emulation, and the media streaming capabilities of a Roku, then it's worth the $99. I doubt they'll get people like Netflix to agree to have their app on this though since they're playing up people being able to hack the device..
Marty Chinn
Member
Well the argument was that there was a wealth of existing games that can easily be converted over which would help populate the game library early on. So the fact that a lot of those games won't convert well means that library shrinks dramatically. It's no longer a strong point in the argument in favor of this.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
I really don't think they could price it any higher and still have anyone interested.
Kairosoft games will not translate well to the Ouya. You have no cursor with the touchscreen interface, so it will be impossible to know what button in the GUI you're clicking.
Shining Sunshine
Banned
Now they are asking, which of the 20 games people want to see on Ouya the most in this survey.
Please vote Limbo, Bastion and TimeSplitters.
Haha oh wow.
I doubt even Battlefield 1942 will run on it.
HadesGigas
Member
Edmund McMillen just announced that the Ouya people contacted him about getting Binding of Isaac ported to Ouya. Apparently they are willing to port it from flash to android for him..
Did he say yes?
narcosis219
Member
Wait, they're going to ship each of these units with an over clocked processor?
Isn't that kind of bad for the expected life of the unit?
Isn't that kind of bad for the expected life of the unit?
HadesGigas
Member
Yeah. Sounded like he would not be surprised if this never ends up happening, though.
DiscoJer
Member
They could always add a cursor? I wasn't really expecting them to play as is, without some changes. And that of course is the catch with Ouya, getting developers to change the games, even minimally.
You really believe every Kickstarter game will see the light of day? You don't preorder on Kickstarter, you give money to a developer and when he manages to complete the game with that money he sends you a reward. But if he doesn't you lost your money and don't get anything. So how is this different?
But yeah, this screams scam like Unlimited Detail and Phantom. Anybody giving them money should expect to lose it all. A service like Kickstarter was sure to attract dubious offers. There are no strings attached, it's a very easy way to rob people. You don't even have to do it yourself, they're giving it to you freely after some nice words.
Hey, I'm inventing the holodeck. Give me 100 bucks and you'll get one when I finish it.
element
Member
I think most of the games that have been successful will come to market in some way. I guess the difference is most game developers don't take the money they are awarded from their Kickstarter campaign, then go to a publisher and say 'Hey, 100k people just gave us $4m dollars! Will you give us the other $10m so we can really make the game we want?'
If that were to happen the publisher would get a percentage based on their investment, while the investors from Kickstarter just get the game in the end.
I think the problem with this specific one is they are really using KS as an investment source similar to VC without parting with equity. This just scream snake oil salesman.
Adding a cursor would change the mode of interaction and require some kind of clickable surface (doesn't have to be "click"able. Could be similar to trackpads on notebooks).
If you don't mind me asking, source?
HadesGigas
Member
On his wife's TwitchTV stream. They have Tommy from Team Meat on there now too.
http://www.twitch.tv/danielleorama
I still don't see why people are so skeptical. The components in this thing are cheap.
I thought they have a trackpad on the controller?
trolling them as we speak, lol!
You are making me mad with this argument because that is what all kickstarters are. You always make an investment without asking for equity.
I don't disagree with the idea of kickstarter having a weakness for this very reason but no single venture should be singled out above the others when they all have the same flaw.
My response to this flaw is the same one I made when someone whined about the FGC contributing funds to Divekick. If you don't like what's going on stop bitching and start your own kickstarter. The goal of this kickstarter is for interested pledgers to have it held by a credible escrow firm with great accounting services.The escrow firm must send a contract to every pledger that if the Ouya team manufacturers enough units that matches the pledges they get the money. If they fail to create the units by their stated deadline the money goes back to you. In return for their services the escrow company takes like a 7% cut from pledges regardless of outcome.
For stretch your goal pledgers could even add additional money to this kickstarter so the escrow firm can audit Ouya's progress and provide reports on what is going on every three months .
Good luck with that.