The Ouya

[CeeKay]

'a $99 hackable Android game console designed by Yves Behar, plus some other notable backers:

As we alluded to earlier, though, it's not just Jawbone Jambox and One Laptop Per Child designer Yves Behar who's on board. The project's advisors also include Ed Fries of Xbox fame, Amol Sarva of Peek, Peter Pham of Color, and counts Julie Uhrman of IGN as its founder and CEO. There's also a gentleman named Muffi Ghadiali, who appears to be leaving Amazon's Lab126 where he helped ship Kindle. At $99, the Ouya would be playing in the same space as Google TV boxes like Vizio's Co-Star, but we're eager to see what games Ouya might attract. We're on the lookout for more details and hope to have them for you soon.

hackable?  hopefully that doesn't mean MP hacking would be easier should this take off an gain a decent following.

[CeeKay]

and the Kickstarter campaign starts up.  $568,669 pledged of $950,000 goal already, with 29 days left.

[WorkingMike]

I backed it for 95 bucks in order to get the console. That's cheap enough that I won't really be dissappointed if it falls apart. I really dig where crowd funding and open source, DRM free gaming is going and i'm excited to see what comes out of all this.

I'd kind of like to see the magic some back to gaming a little and 100 bucks is a small price to pay for that chance

[farley2k]

I pitched in.  What the heck it looks like a pretty good idea.

[EngineNo9]

Well, looks like they've made their target of $950k already, with 29 days to go...  

[TiLT]

A console that indie developers will love, established publishers will ignore, and which is likely to die a slow death in a small niche of the market? What could possibly go wrong?

[Laner]

I liked it better when it was called the Phantom. Or the Pandora.  Or the Evo.

I appreciate that they're trying to do something in the console space, but if it gains anything more than a niche audience, I'll be very surprised.  Though I am interested in it's potential as a HTPC/emulator box.

[Bullwinkle]

I chipped in, too, even though it looks like a lot of mobile games rehashed, there's potential.

I'd like it to succeed.

[Azhag]

I'll wait for it to actually materialize. Need to be convinced there would be enough games and that it'll have enough power to show them in a format I desire when it's competing with xbox 720...

[metallicorphan]

CVG

Support for the Android-based Ouya games console is smashing expectations, as its Kickstarter fund continues to demonstrate.

Its makers were hoping to raise $950,000 in a month. It passed that amount within a few hours and hit $2 million in the first day. Now, before two days have passed, the fund sits at $3,389,905, and there are still 28 days to go.

"Do you realize what you've done? You proved consoles aren't dead. You shocked the world. And us," said founder and CEO Julie Uhrman - and that was at the $2 million mark.

"We are blown away by your support," she added. "Now we want to blow you away. The biggest thing for us right now: we are working on our stretch goals, what we can do if we raise more money. It might take us a few days to figure that out, and we want your help."

The team is taking suggestions for ideas via the email [email protected], and poles for games you want to see on the console via an online survey.

According to the concept plans, Ouya will be a "hackable" Android-basic console on which any developer will be able to publish games, and every customer who buys a retail box will receive their own dev kit.

Just under 4 million ATM with 27 days to go

[TiLT]

"Do you realize what you've done? You proved consoles aren't dead. You shocked the world. And us," said founder and CEO Julie Uhrman

What the hell is he talking about? Consoles aren't dead or even dying!

This whole thing is irking me. I feel like a lot of the people pledging for this thing don't really know what they're paying for. This isn't going to be a competitor to the 360 and PS3. It'll be more like a tablet experience on the TV.

[metallicorphan]

"Do you realize what you've done? You proved consoles aren't dead. You shocked the world. And us," said founder and CEO Julie Uhrman

What the hell is he talking about? Consoles aren't dead or even dying!

This whole thing is irking me. I feel like a lot of the people pledging for this thing don't really know what they're paying for. This isn't going to be a competitor to the 360 and PS3. It'll be more like a tablet experience on the TV.

Ahem....SHE   


I can't comment at all on it,this is the first day i have even heard of a Ouya(which keeps on making me think of Ouija..as in Ouija Board)

There is an interview with her here

[metallicorphan]

This whole thing is irking me. I feel like a lot of the people pledging for this thing don't really know what they're paying for. This isn't going to be a competitor to the 360 and PS3. It'll be more like a tablet experience on the TV.

here you go TiLT
CVG

Ouya release survey for "most wanted" game ports

Skyrim,Need for Speed,Battlefield,Terraria,League of Legends,Super Meat Boy,FIFA,Final Fantasy,Mass Effect

Call of Duty,Assassin's Creed,Battletoads,Grand Theft Auto,Limbo,Minecraft,Torchlight,Fez

Timesplitter,Bastion,Dungeon Defenders

Although they do add this at the end

There's no guarantee the "winner" will be ported to the platform: the survey's purpose is simply to measure interest in the titles.

[CeeKay]

Ahem....SHE   

honest mistake 

[TiLT]

This whole thing is irking me. I feel like a lot of the people pledging for this thing don't really know what they're paying for. This isn't going to be a competitor to the 360 and PS3. It'll be more like a tablet experience on the TV.

here you go TiLT
CVG

Ouya release survey for "most wanted" game ports

Skyrim,Need for Speed,Battlefield,Terraria,League of Legends,Super Meat Boy,FIFA,Final Fantasy,Mass Effect

Call of Duty,Assassin's Creed,Battletoads,Grand Theft Auto,Limbo,Minecraft,Torchlight,Fez

Timesplitter,Bastion,Dungeon Defenders

Although they do add this at the end

There's no guarantee the "winner" will be ported to the platform: the survey's purpose is simply to measure interest in the titles.

That just reinforces what I said: People have the entirely wrong expectations. I'm going to be very surprised if we see more than a handful of those games on the Ouya ever, and then most likely only the indie games. Not to mention that I seriously doubt the Ouya will be able to match the hardware and software necessary to even run some of those games properly.

As for the he/she thing, I didn't even look at the name and made a quick assumption. Does that say more about me or about the games industry?

[TiLT]

PA Report chimes in. That article should be a splash of cold water for anyone who thinks this console is going to succeed. You know what this thing reminds me of? The Gizmondo.

You know how we've been waiting for the first big Kickstarter fiasco that would seriously hurt people's enthusiasm for the concept of crowd funding? I'm going to go on the record here and state that the Ouya is going to be the big failure we've been waiting for.

[Bullwinkle]

I'm not sure why this thing is jammed so far into your craw, TiLT. 

It's not like we're all seeing this as the second coming or anything.  I don't even see it as competition for the big consoles. 

But it seems like a cool idea and I hope it succeeds.  If it doesn't, it won't be a spectacular failure.  It'll just be something that didn't quite work and we'll move on.

It reminds me more of the OnLive console which I also paid about $100 for.  That was an even cooler idea.  It didn't take off, so eventually I just moved it to the basement and forgot about it.

[TiLT]

If it doesn't, it won't be a spectacular failure.

Not a spectacular failure? The most funded project on Kickstarter ever, and its inevitable failure isn't spectacular? You've really raised the bar high.

This thing irks me for a multitude of reasons, not least that people are blindly buying into a vague, unfinished console with an not only unrealistic, but frankly impossible timeline, with no announced games (they even lie about Minecraft to compensate). When this project fails, it'll make people more jaded towards crowd funding and will make it harder for better projects to succeed.

[CeeKay]

first exclusive game announced:

Well here it is: OUYA gamers will get FIRST access to the ravaged world of his post-zombie-apocalyptic game, Human Element.

Robotoki is the first studio to commit to building a game exclusively for OUYA: an episodic prequel that will set the stage for his eventual release of Human Element in 2015.

[MonkeyFinger]

I decided to take a 'wait and see' approach to this, once it all shakes out I may buy into it but right now it's the first KS project that I've... "unbacked". 

[Ridah]

If it doesn't, it won't be a spectacular failure.

Not a spectacular failure? The most funded project on Kickstarter ever, and its inevitable failure isn't spectacular? You've really raised the bar high.

This thing irks me for a multitude of reasons, not least that people are blindly buying into a vague, unfinished console with an not only unrealistic, but frankly impossible timeline, with no announced games (they even lie about Minecraft to compensate). When this project fails, it'll make people more jaded towards crowd funding and will make it harder for better projects to succeed.

Actually, people are buying into it because the people behind its development are highly experienced and capable.

[Bullwinkle]

If it doesn't, it won't be a spectacular failure.

Not a spectacular failure? The most funded project on Kickstarter ever, and its inevitable failure isn't spectacular? You've really raised the bar high.

This thing irks me for a multitude of reasons, not least that people are blindly buying into a vague, unfinished console with an not only unrealistic, but frankly impossible timeline, with no announced games (they even lie about Minecraft to compensate). When this project fails, it'll make people more jaded towards crowd funding and will make it harder for better projects to succeed.

Actually, people are buying into it because the people behind its development are highly experienced and capable.

It is like a superteam.

[metallicorphan]

This could be interesting

CVG Sources:Ouya and OnLive to form Partnership

Cloud gaming service OnLive is set be revealed as one of the very first high profile services to run on Ouya, well-placed sources have told CVG.

Our sources understand the partnership between the companies has already been signed and specifics of the deal could be revealed in the next 24 hours.
CVG spoke to OnLive's general manager Bruce Grove yesterday about the Kickstarter-funded console and although he wouldn't confirm or deny the legitimacy of our sources' claims, he had plenty of good things to say about the Android-powered console.

"If you give people an easy way to connect, essentially bring connected TVs together, then that's another content outlet," Grove said of Ouya.

"If Ouya comes along and connects to your TV and suddenly puts games in front of people in an easy way and makes it low friction, that's going to attract a new market."

"The industry has exploded and now there are far more people out there who are playing games than we might consider to be gamers," he continued.

"Give someone a $99 box, tell them to plug it into their TV, give them a whole load of games, at $99 [Ouya] are going to do pretty well."

[CeeKay]

update about the already mentioned On-Live and some more concept designs.  10 days left in the Kickstarter.

[metallicorphan]

Square Enix supports Final Fantasy 3 Ouya Launch

Classic role-player Final Fantasy 3 will be released for the Android-based Ouya console, publisher Square Enix has confirmed.

Final Fantasy 3 will be ready to play at the Ouya's launch and will be "fully optimised" for the platform. A free demo will also be available to download.

More content for Ouya is also in the works, , Square Enix Japan explained (translated by Square Portal).
A version of Final Fantasy 3 is already available for Android devices - a port of the 2006 DS remake that later found its way to PSP and mobile platforms.

Still, the announcement marks Square Enix as the first major third-party publisher to support the Kickstarter-backed console.
Cloud gaming service OnLive last week announced its own partnership with Ouya, meaning hundreds of games from more than 80 publishers will be available to play on demand at launch.

Ouya's Kickstarter campaign is still ongoing. It has now raised a staggering $5.8 million of its initial $950,000 goal, with eight days still to go.

Just for the record,i have that FF3 for the DS and its great

[CeeKay]

only 34 hours left.

[CeeKay]

Kickstarter is over ($8,596,475!), so now they're taking non-Kickstarter pre-orders.

[CeeKay]

Gamestop is interested.

[Bullwinkle]

166 Prototype Games developed for Ouya.

Watch some videos for them.

Since that's a mind-numbing number, Gamezebo has a few recommendations.  Of course, one of those is just running down a red hallway with screechy music...

[Bullwinkle]

Just got an email that the Ouya is going to be sold in stores.

Amazon, Gamestop, Target and BestBuy all have it for pre-order.

It will be available from 6/25.  Kickstarted backers will get it earlier.

[CeeKay]

I think I'll wait for impressions.  another thing is that I don't have any open HDMI connections left on my TV (Wii U, 360, blu ray and DVR), and I hate switching out cables.

[Azhag]

I have too many current gen games I still haven't played and can get for $10 to be tempted by this.

[Bullwinkle]

New Ouya to be Released Annually   

[CeeKay]

so, like an iphone or ipad, just cheaper?

[EngineNo9]

Yeah, I guess with as fast as mobile technology moves it doesn't really make sense for them to let their "console" fall far behind other tablets on the market.  But it does sort of negate the idea of a console being a closed ecosystem where you can play any game released on it even years later.  Now you'll have to have version compatibility, etc.

[Lordnine]

New Ouya to be Released Annually   

If the hardware is good and it only costs $100, is that really so much to pay every year?  At $8 a month I don’t think you can complain that much.

[Bullwinkle]

I would pay to upgrade it, if such a policy existed, but to announce even before the console is out that it's going to be obsolete in a year's time is ridiculous and a little offensive.

I know the iPhone does this, too (and at a much higher price), but even they don't announce that a next one is coming until your current phone has had enough time to let the luster wear off.  And it's not like iPhone/iPad users are happy about it.  After Jobs, they've been pushing this too far, too.

And for the phones, most people just suck it up and know they're going to live with the lame one until they're current contract is up.  The promise of a console is that it's a focused gaming machine and will do things better because of it.  There's also the promise of some level of permanence, as a result.

This move makes it feel like the console itself is IAP.

[CeeKay]

backers will start getting their systems shipped starting March 28th.

in other words, the open beta is starting

[Bullwinkle]

New batch of games announced, too: http://www.gamezebo.com/news/2013/02/28/new-batch-games-announced-ouya

The highly anticipated release of android-based gaming console OUYA is almost upon us, with the first batch of units shipping out to Kickstarter backers on March 28, and the full commercial release still on track for June. And what better way to celebrate this news than by announcing a whole new batch of games that you’ll be able to play once you get your hands on the console?
First up, we have an exclusive new OUYA title by Kim Swift and Airtight Games, who brought us the Portal-esque first-person puzzler Quantum Conundrum last summer (she also worked on Portal!). There’s also a fun new adventure puzzler from Papo & Yo developer Minority Media that’s set for an OUYA release this the fall. Tripwire Interactive is bringing a FPS puzzle game called The Ball that’s in the vein of shooters like Killing Floor and Red Orchestra 2, in addition to a second OUYA-exclusive title. As if that wasn’t enough to entice you, the OUYA team is also working with nWay to bring their action-RPG game ChronoBlade to the OUYA big screen.
But wait, that’s not all! Yup, we’ve possibly saved the best news for last, as Kellee Santiago has joined the OUYA team to lead developer relations. You might know Santiago as the co-founder of thatgamecompany, which brought us a little indie game called Journey last year. Santiago is excited about what she can bring to the OUYA table, and says: “This is the first console company that really understands how important it is to remove the barriers of development. By freeing up the development process, OUYA is opening up new doors in console gaming.”
That sounds good to me. Will you be picking up an OUYA over the next several months? Be sure to let us know in the replies!

[CeeKay]

no friends list, online chat or achievements until later this year.