Even after the relatively cheap, Android-based Ouya console proved a massive success on Kickstarter (the console was able to pull in nearly $8.6 million from investors despite having an initial goal of only $960,000), pundits and prospective owners of the new gaming machine loudly wondered how well it would be able to attract developers who would otherwise be making games for the Xbox 360, iPhone or PC. Assuming you believe official statements made by the people behind the Ouya console, there is nothing to worry about on that front.
“Over a thousand” developers have contacted the Ouya creators since the end of their Kickstarter campaign, according to a statement published as part of a recent announcement on who will be filling out the company’s leadership roles now that it is properly established. Likewise, the statement claims that “more than 50″ companies “from all around the world” have approached the people behind Ouya to distribute the console once it is ready for its consumer debut at some as-yet-undetermined point in 2013.
While this is undoubtedly good news for anyone who’s been crossing their fingers, hoping that the Ouya can make inroads into the normally insular world of console gaming, it should be noted that while these thousand-plus developers may have attempted to reach the Ouya’s creators, the company offers no solid figures on how many of them are officially committed to bringing games to the platform. That “over a thousand” figure means little if every last developer examined the terms of developing for the Ouya and quickly declined the opportunity in favor of more lucrative options. We have no official information on how these developer conversations actually went, so until we hear a more official assessment of how many gaming firms are solidly pledging support to the Ouya platform, we’ll continue to harbor a bit of cynicism over how successful this machine might possibly be.
As for the aforementioned personnel acquisitions, though they’re less impressive than the possibility that thousands of firms are already tentatively working on games for the Ouya, they should offer a bit more hope that the company making the console will remain stable, guided by people intimately familiar with the gaming biz. According to the announcement, Ouya has attracted former IGN president (and the first investor in the Ouya project) Roy Bahat to serve as chairman of the Ouya board. Additionally, the company has enlisted former EA development director and senior development director for Trion Worlds’ MMO Rift, Steve Chamberlin, to serve as the company’s head of engineering. Finally, Raffi Bagdasarian, former vice president of product development and operations at Sony Pictures Television has been tapped to lead Ouya’s platform service and software product development division. Though you may be unfamiliar with these three men, trust that they’ve all proven their chops as leaders in their respective gaming-centric fields.
Expect to hear more solid information on the Ouya and its games line up as we inch closer to its nebulous 2013 release. Hopefully for the system’s numerous potential buyers, that quip about the massive developer interest the console has attracted proves more tangible than not.
Hmmm..
Should be hype. Sure 1,000+ devs want in, but how many of them are legit dev shops? Seeing how it’s Android.
I $100 console that fits in your hand (as big as a Rubik’s Cube) and all games are free-to-play in some form. Great for easy travel and taking to a friend’s house. I am getting the Limited Edition one, but could easily see this as a gift for kids and teens… through it in your backpack and take it to grandma’s… Gamestop reportedly is considering carrying it in stores when it comes out.
I $100 console that fits in your hand (as big as a Rubik’s Cube) and all games are free-to-play in some form. Great for easy travel and taking to a friend’s house. I am getting the Limited Edition one, but could easily see this as a gift for kids and teens… through it in your backpack and take it to grandma’s… Gamestop reportedly is considering carrying it in stores when it comes out.
$100 gaming machine, Android 4.0, quad core processor, 1 gb ram, 8 gb static memory, sounds pretty cool to me. It also has wireless connectivity, a wireless controller, and has hdmi with 1080p output. I want one !
$100 gaming machine, Android 4.0, quad core processor, 1 gb ram, 8 gb static memory, sounds pretty cool to me. It also has wireless connectivity, a wireless controller, and has hdmi with 1080p output. I want one !
I dont know. A lot of these types of Indie games can already be played on Console and of course PC. I think it would sell more with Casual gamers who dont own a Console, or younger kids, than people that have Consoles or a PC already.
Could well be a hite! Or shite!
Could well be a hite! Or shite!
no.
Even I wanna make games for the Ouya!
I’m just loving this thing…
BUUUUUUT Then they partnered with OnLive, which frustrates me because my internet provider really sucks…
Besides, internet can go down, and that means you can’t play any games…
THIS IS WHY HARDWARE IS THE BEST, EVERYTHING physical that doesn’t require a subscription fee, or a constant internet connection, or a good internet connection, totally owns.
The city of Rochester has to use FrontierCommunications or Roadrunner/Timewarner, and even if you’re promised 10mbps, you’ll probably get 2mbps, because of all the jerks clogging the bandwidth…
And OnLive is in financial trouble right now, so WHAT THE FUCK. It’s so coincidental it seems almost paranormal, like god is so pissed or something, or some extraterrestrials were planning on getting an ouya aaaand then found out that they partnered with a cloud gaming service provider and all of a sudden got pissed and burnt half of OnLive’s makings or something…
Who knows why they’re in such big financial trouble…
But all I know is… not everyone even has internet, and not everyone even has good internet, and size isn’t really the problems with consoles to me, I personally just want them to be lighter. Why have metal parts in everything? I’d say use plastic but under such heat it could melt… maybe even twice.. who knows how..
But if you’re console has cooling problems and you know it then what the fuck, fix it, it’s like the RRoD Conspiracy in which microsoft purposely made their consoles self destruct, there was also that case where the console reportedly scratched the discs of games, I’m not sure everyone remembers that one…
The summary to this long-ass paragraph is “I was excited, until I heard OnLive… My internet connection isn’t real good..”
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Also I was excited about how developer-friendly it supposedly is…
And can someone reply back to me and tell me what coding languages Android supports? I was planning on using Javascript to develop software.
*hit common
no.
I dont know. A lot of these types of Indie games can already be played on Console and of course PC. I think it would sell more with Casual gamers who dont own a Console, or younger kids, than people that have Consoles or a PC already.
Hmmm..
Should be hype. Sure 1,000+ devs want in, but how many of them are legit dev shops? Seeing how it’s Android.
Time to Google what the hell Ouya is
Time to Google what the hell Ouya is
hmmmmm
hmmmmm
another game cube to be. xD
*hit common
Could well be a hite! Or shite!
Could well be a hite! Or shite!
another game cube to be. xD
*hit common
Its 99$ though and hackable/modded expanded who knows what people will be able to do with this thing i cant wait for mine i jumped on board as soon as i could
I just have to wonder what it will be like on the Ouya system and how it will compare to the current generation and the imminent next generation of consoles from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. As a gaming device it may be cool but if it loses functionality that is standard on other units it may have lack luster sales. However new systems could push the somewhat isolated power 3 to innovate which is always good.