The Ouya Scam

[Johnny Novgorod]

Considering this might be a money-laundering scam centered around a shitty product...

...can anybody say Springtime for Ouya?​

 

[Racecarlock]

Well, at least I can play GBA games without having to have good lighting. And there's some free games on it.

 

[cookyy2k]

Ouya is pretty amazing. Even if it doesn't work out. All most people did is invest less than 200$ to try to will a new kind of device into existence. It's proof that that could work. And it seems to be working for the Oculus Rift.

Yup, that's exactly the attitude I had when investing my monies.

Could it have been better (for the money)? I don't know as I don't work in the industry
Could it have been worse? Hell yeah!

I kicked in my investment to see what would come of it and I got roughly what I expected, not revolutionary but good enough to keep me entertained when I boot it up.

 

[Dante dynamite]

You should check out their facebook page its hilarious but that's because I am a horrible person. You see all types of butt hurt there from haters and fanboys but you should have seen it a couple of months ago it was wayyyyyy worse.

Well it must be serious then, you never see hyperbolic butthurt on facebook unless it's really super serious! /sarcasm

This is the internet, a place where a very small amount of butthurt individuals can make a stupid amount of noise. I doubt your claim of "many thousands".

I'm sorry you seem to have misinterpreted what i said I don't think it's a scam nor do i think it's serious otherwise why would i find it so funny, but I guess I should have mentioned that first, my fault. Though it was a big misstep by the OUYA team and I mentioned the facebook page because its worse than the kickstarter comments and infinitely funnier

My point was that it is bigger than most people think maybe not thousands that's just what I heard but i can tell you its not just a small group of people because i would spend hours just reading the comments I don't know why it entertains me so but there are also 3 guys white knighting the crap out of the comments. This one guy is Matt Potts he is writing a guide for the OUYA so it was hilarious to see his white knighting fanboyism try to combat the mass amount of haters and trolls which ended in posting links to the support page or saying how many unresolved tickets they had. good times XD
P.S wasn't a backer

 

[Schadrach]

Ok, everyone who is thinking that the title is "provocative", give me a minute.

I want you to go to Ouya's kickstarter page and go to the comments section (im sure everyone here is internet-navigationable.) You can have the damnation out of the mouths of the backers themselves, you don't need it from a smart person like me.

Now I want to start a discussion of the media hype surrounding the ouya on "journalist" sites, not excluding the one I'm posting this topic on. I saw nothing but caramelized rectum kisses for Julie Uhrman and her posse when the project began, and even now.

I don't see any major gaming median outlets warning people about this obvious scam. When backers are still without product as of August 22, 2013, when the retailers received theirs in June, that is a sure sign of a scam the same way a 460 lb isosceles triangle of ice wedged between your ilium and pubis is a sure sign you will be paralyzed from the waist down.

As someone who has backed a *lot* of Kickstarters, the first thing Kickstarter should tell you (and put it in large friendly letters on the main page) is that "estimated delivery dates" are educated guesses at *best* and quite possibly created by the "charts" from the Margaritaville South Park episode.

That said, they are required by the TOS to meet whatever pledge rewards they promise (which may or may not be dependent on the success of the project), though the estimated delivery date is entirely irrelevant. If they will not or cannot, they are obligated to offer a refund.

As for OUYA specifically, I got mine, but not until shortly after retail launch (I stopped following how shipping was going after that, I'm actually kind of shocked if people still don't have theirs). I probably need to cash in that code for 13.37 if they are still available. Probably all I'll spend on their store for the foreseeable future, though it's a decent retro-gaming emulator box.

Also they shipped through DHL. DHL is the most bullshit for shipping I have ever dealt with, and I've done a fair share of shipping. DHL - Deliveries Handled Later.

Today, the thing is failing, people are angry, and all I can think is: WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU (backers) EVEN EXPECTING??? What the the fuck were you ever expecting, for that matter? IT'S A SMARTPHONE IN A BOX! IT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE JUST A(n outdated) SMARTPHONE IN A BOX!

Anyone who looked at the specs would come to that conclusion. You know what I saw when I looked at it? "HEY THIS WOULD BE PERFECT FOR DOING RETRO GAMING! I BET IT'LL RUN 8-BIT, 16-BIT, AND ARCADE EMULATORS ON A BIG SCREEN WITH REAL CONTROLLERS WHILE BEING TINY AND TRANSPORTABLE!" I was not disappointed, but then my standards apparently weren't as high as some people's. But I was comparing it favorably to Roku rather than trying to compare it to the PS3.

 

[Laughing Man]

It's not a scam though is it, it's an investment and to be fair it is a bloody safe investment sure most traditional investments usually pay off by at least giving you more back than you invested, in this case you invest and you get a new 'fun' gaming console to play on but unlike traditional investments if things go tits up you will at a minimum at least get your cash back.

If you really want to hammer the 'scam' angle try the way the system was original shown to the public. It was marketed as an uber cheap open source console that would attract developers to using Android to create much bigger Android based games than what we have currently come to expect on the smart phone app market and what we ended up getting were either remakes of older classic games, emulation of older games, direct access to a host of android games that already existed on the play market maybe one or two genuinely new half decent titles and a whole load of crap can anyone say that a truly new and original android based triple AAA title has been released or for that matter is even in production for this console? Because that was pretty much the way they marketed the console.

Of course doing it under the Kickstarter banner means that the big shit pie it turned out to be, and I like many predicted it would be at least means that no one can moan or say they were mis lead.

 

[Schadrach]

But I was comparing it favorably to Roku rather than trying to compare it to the PS3.

That's what I was getting at with the despicable "ad" they made, which was just like many of the comments I read when the Kickstarter was making the news. Personally, I don't give a fuck about retro (or any) console gaming whatsoever, but most people weren't making that connection anyway and OUYA's kickstarter sure as shit wasn't... So, many people kept/keep comparing it to current consoles! "It's gonna be so much better than current consoles and call of duty hurrrr! Finally something fresh and original and interesting durrrrr!"

Who is serious about emulating older games that's not already doing it on their PC or doesn't already have a laptop/netbook with HDMI out and a controller? Even for those who do, sure, the OUYA brings convenience at a good price, but it was never made for that. Hell, not only does the kickstarter page not even mention that, it's got "Console Revolution" all over it!
They're just milking that "better than The Man's consoles" angle for all it's worth... They really brought that on themselves.

That's like the review that gave my car a 6/10 primarily because it wasn't as sporty as the body design and advertising might suggest. It's a subcompact hatchback with a comparatively small engine and good gas mileage, and a cursory reading of the car's specs by even someone who doesn't know much about cars could have told you that it's not as sporty as the advertising might suggest. The OUYA is much the same -- they can advertise as hard as they want, and people who didn't give the specs even a cursory glance can be as ignorant of what it is as they'd like -- it doesn't make it any better or worse compared to other things that are actually in it's class. When you start looking at consoles around the $100 mark, what do you see? Roku.

Complaining that advertising for a thing and people ignorant of what that thing is make it sound better than it really is is frankly kind of silly.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

And why, oh why would you ever want that?

I don't proclaim to know any of that, I just know it is a hell of a lot more than 20.5 mm to develop a legitimate console. What doesn't take a lot to develop for is a plastic box with a wifi reciever and an old phone gpu. You say it isn't just a generic gpu, but I don't really see what you mean beyond the (very) basic interface. Not to mention the interface places all kinds of restrictions on you, intended (DRM, touted as an OPEN platform mind you) and unintended (buggy controls, freezes etc..)[/quote] Just because the chunk of silicon doing the grunt work exists doesn't mean the job of designing the thing is finished. You still have to design the board that hosts it all - a task that includes various and sundry considerations. Once you have it designed, you also have to pay for all of these parts to be assembled. It isn't as though the Ouya just existed in ready state on a shelf somewhere waiting to be put into that silly box.

How do i know they have money? They just started a 1mm developer "fund", presumably in escrow. The product is crap jim, and to be honest I wouldn't be able to tell if it was a $10mm turd or a $20.5mm turd. And that is the whole point, there is no transparency so we don't know for sure if this was all a semi-elaborate scam cooked up to squeeze money out of gullible people on the internet, or if the leadership over there are victims of their own childish naivete. I'm gonna go with scam.

So you openly admit you don't know if they have money or how they spent said money but simultaneously indirectly say that they were disingenuous. They asked for money to build a think. They built that thing. Some people have gotten the thing they helped pay to build; others have not. That's not a scam - at worst, that's the result of people making a bad bet on a product that was a long shot.

They are still discussing OUYA 2, making the raping an annually recurring thing.

It's hard to call it a "reaping" if you can't demonstrate the form or fashion of reaping. Also, to keep your metaphor going, what are they going to reap when they have literally nothing left to sow?

 

[Hazy]

Did you really, honestly, think that a 'console' that was being billed as esentially a smart phone that can play games but without all the unnecessary crap like making calls, viewing the internet, or even with a halfway decent vibration function as being good?

it's a console, who's main selling point is smart phone games.


a console, that plays smart phone games.


I'm surprised it even got funded at all, goes to show just how stupid people can be.

Hit the nail on the head. They deserve everything they got.

[sub]Just like people who supported Sarkeesian.[/sub]

 

[wulf3n]

What's interesting is people are filing complaints with the LA Department of Consumer Affairs and are being issued refunds by Ouya... I guess maybe they purchased not kickstarted, but if not what's that going to mean for kickstarter?

 

[gavinmcinns]

Just because the chunk of silicon doing the grunt work exists doesn't mean the job of designing the thing is finished. You still have to design the board that hosts it all - a task that includes various and sundry considerations. Once you have it designed, you also have to pay for all of these parts to be assembled. It isn't as though the Ouya just existed in ready state on a shelf somewhere waiting to be put into that silly box.


So you openly admit you don't know if they have money or how they spent said money but simultaneously indirectly say that they were disingenuous. They asked for money to build a think. They built that thing. Some people have gotten the thing they helped pay to build; others have not. That's not a scam - at worst, that's the result of people making a bad bet on a product that was a long shot.

It's hard to call it a "reaping" if you can't demonstrate the form or fashion of reaping. Also, to keep your metaphor going, what are they going to reap when they have literally nothing left to sow?

Designing and manufacturing hardware like the ps4 takes a lot of time and money, it's true. A ps4 has well over a thousand different doodads and thing a ma jiggers.

OUYA has 3. The tegra 3 chip loaded with OUYA interface, a wifi reciever, and the plastic box it comes in. As far as manufacturing challenges go, this is baby's first supply chain management project. If it weren't such a simple product, they never would have been able to ship to retailers in the time frame they did.

The controller is slightly more complicated... I'm willing to bet that at least 75% of the manufacturing costs came from the controller.

You keep trying to "catch me" with the whole finance angle, it's not a secret that they aren't disclosing this stuff to us. But obviously they are still in operation, like I said, they just started a developer "fund", and have released an advertisement yesterday. This points to the fact that they still have some of that money, they obviously didn't blow it all on the doorstop.

And I also think you're projecting a little bit; you keep saying "we don't know their financial situation", yet you say things like "they have nothing left to sow." AFAIK, they are going ahead with the next ouya and if it sees the light of day itll be a riot.

Admittedly the reaping metaphor is a poor one, it's more like a raking

 

[gavinmcinns]

First, if the Ouya creators don't say anything, there's not much for the media to report. Aside from the occasional headline "Some Ouya backers still don't have consoles. Many angry." there's not a lot to write. Investigative journalism should play a part? Maybe. That doesn't reeeeally happen in this industry. And maybe that's a fault: that journalists just absorb PR and give it to the rest of us, but there we go. I don't know if I blame them, most of the big players in the industry are tight lipped at the best of times, and silent at the worst.

Not "maybe", that's definitely a fault. Journalism is about finding the truth, not being an industry PR shill.

If the Ouya creators don't say anything, then actual journalists would include the omission of statement from them in their report, and they would know there was an omission of statement because they would *ask them for a statement* and not receive a reply. That's the way to obtain an omission of statement.

Journalism is about three things - determining what's important, determining the truth of that important matter, and then publicizing that truth. Anyone not doing this is not a journalist. Typical industry shills become corrupt on steps 1 and 2, taking "what's important" to be whatever maximizes the profit of the capitalists in the industry, and then publicize the shit out of the industry propaganda.

Being an actual journalist requires both bravery and integrity. Just ask Edward Snowden, Bradley Manning, and Julian Assange, or the lesser known Paul Jay or Edward R. Murrow.

Industry PR shills hide behind their "enthusiasm for the medium" in order to evade the self-realization that they are frauds.

Exactly.

It's sad when you compare present day journalism to journalism 50 years ago. Nowadays, the media is one big schmoozefest with corporations and the government. It's also sad that people seem to be thinking less independently everyday. Case in point, some guy responded to your comment saying that Snowden and Manning are traitors, because it's been fried into his cortex through repeated exposure to cnn and fox channel.

Any free thinking individual would never believe those lies. He is essentially saying "The government is always right, trust the government" when in reality, the government has given us absolutely no reason to trust them. It's cause for endless frustration. Imagine how different the world would be if everyone had the courage to question things that are being force fed to them. Gaming and movies too.

 

[Elvis Starburst]

Not a scam, but a very very flawed idea. There are so many more devices that can do better than the OUYA, and with Tegra 3, it's even more flawed. Unfortunate too, I though it'd be a good idea until I did some more digging

 

[NiPah]

Kotaku reported it, the Escapist reported it, Cnet reported it, a google search of "ouya backers not getting consoles" comes up with hit after hit proving your point wrong.

I saw nothing but caramelized rectum kisses for Julie Uhrman and her posse when the project began

You base your investment choices off the opinions of gaming editors who are excited for a new piece of kit and you're going to get burned, if you think The Escapist has enough man power to fully investigate the background of a company's CEO and then offer sound investment device you're going to be disappointed.
And for what? From what I've heard the company has had issues with shipping backing up and even compensated for those who did not receive their goods, this isn't Enron it's just a small start up company running into issues.

It's sad when you compare present day journalism to journalism 50 years ago. Nowadays, the media is one big schmoozefest with corporations and the government. It's also sad that people seem to be thinking less independently everyday. Case in point, some guy responded to your comment saying that Snowden and Manning are traitors, because it's been fried into his cortex through repeated exposure to cnn and fox channel.

Any free thinking individual would never believe those lies. He is essentially saying "The government is always right, trust the government" when in reality, the government has given us absolutely no reason to trust them. It's cause for endless frustration. Imagine how different the world would be if everyone had the courage to question things that are being force fed to them. Gaming and movies too.

Comparing journalism of today to journalism 50 years ago eh? About how bad the Russians were and how Vietnam was the stepping stone for Communism?s spread throughout the world? If anything it was more controlled by the government, now it just pays better to be against the government.
He?s not a free thinking individual? But I?m guessing you think you are, I hate the be the bearer of bad news but we?re all just products of the constant exchange between society and the media. The only reason you think cnn and fox channels are not for ?free thinkers? is because that?s what your clique make you think, unless you?ve actually investigated it yourself? pfft.

 

[gavinmcinns]

Kotaku reported it, the Escapist reported it, Cnet reported it, a google search of "ouya backers not getting consoles" comes up with hit after hit proving your point wrong.

You base your investment choices off the opinions of gaming editors who are excited for a new piece of kit and you're going to get burned, if you think The Escapist has enough man power to fully investigate the background of a company's CEO and then offer sound investment device you're going to be disappointed.
And for what? From what I've heard the company has had issues with shipping backing up and even compensated for those who did not receive their goods, this isn't Enron it's just a small start up company running into issues.

Comparing journalism of today to journalism 50 years ago eh? About how bad the Russians were and how Vietnam was the stepping stone for Communism?s spread throughout the world? If anything it was more controlled by the government, now it just pays better to be against the government.
He?s not a free thinking individual? But I?m guessing you think you are, I hate the be the bearer of bad news but we?re all just products of the constant exchange between society and the media. The only reason you think cnn and fox channels are not for ?free thinkers? is because that?s what your clique make you think, unless you?ve actually investigated it yourself? pfft.

If you've paid attention to the news for as long as I have, it just becomes common sense. Fox plays to the extreme right, Msnbc and cnn are squarely pro-establishment, anyone who questions the establishment is unreasonable. Same with washington post (although that buyout will be interesting) and the NY Times (with a splash of liberal).

No one did any investigative journalism for years because they would get shut out of washington, and it's the worst it's ever been today. It took snowden to finally inform the US People about what the government was doing behind the scenes with all of our information. I don't understand how you could see that as treason. It's supposed to be OUR government, they should be accountable to us, we are their owners according to the constitution, but they've got politicians and journalists schmoozing around and giving people a pro--establishment tilt to the news the put out there. The Michael hasting crash is a great example of this, twisting the conversation and making it extremely dangerous to ask the wrong questions.

 

[V8 Ninja]

I saw nothing but caramelized rectum kisses...

I found this phrase funny. I'm also really, really tired.

A Bit More OT: Yeah, the OUYA situation seems pretty bad on all fronts. UI issues, low sales, and stupid promotional strategies have really turned "The Little Console That Could" into "The Little Console That Is Crashing And Burning".

 

[BoredRolePlayer]

Why do gamers expect hard hitting news in gaming? People only report what info they are given from PR firms. They don't go out hunting for that hot new scoop. Also I heard nothing good about the Ouya since the back version came out, so I don't know this thought that no one is reporting how the Ouya is bombing.