Update: Open Source Android Console Fully Funded with $1 Million

[dreadedcandiru99]

This thing sounds amazing. I'm seriously considering getting one just to spite the big three and their money grubbing ways.

Also, I've been saying that every game released should be required to have a demo for some time now, so count me in on that.

Yeah, what the hell. I just threw ten dollars at it. And holy crap, they're nearly up to two million bucks now.

My one lingering concern now: the whole point of this console is that the barriers to entry are so low that anyone can make a game for it--but how do they keep the "Ouya Store" from being utterly flooded with, like, half-assed Mario clones and similar dreck? They'll have to have some sort of quality control...

 

[el_kabong]

While I'm not a supporter of the recent kick-start trend (no matter what the project), I will say that I would purchase one of these in a hot second once it's made.

 

[rbstewart7263]

This thing sounds amazing. I'm seriously considering getting one just to spite the big three and their money grubbing ways.

Also, I've been saying that every game released should be required to have a demo for some time now, so count me in on that.

Yeah, what the hell. I just threw ten dollars at it. And holy crap, they're nearly up to two million bucks now.

My one lingering concern now: the whole point of this console is that the barriers to entry are so low that anyone can make a game for it--but how do they keep the "Ouya Store" from being utterly flooded with, like, half-assed Mario clones and similar dreck? They'll have to have some sort of quality control...

I'm optomistic. But I share your concerns.

 

[dreadedcandiru99]

This thing sounds amazing. I'm seriously considering getting one just to spite the big three and their money grubbing ways.

Also, I've been saying that every game released should be required to have a demo for some time now, so count me in on that.

Yeah, what the hell. I just threw ten dollars at it. And holy crap, they're nearly up to two million bucks now.

My one lingering concern now: the whole point of this console is that the barriers to entry are so low that anyone can make a game for it--but how do they keep the "Ouya Store" from being utterly flooded with, like, half-assed Mario clones and similar dreck? They'll have to have some sort of quality control...

I'm optomistic. But I share your concerns.

I'm going with "cautiously optimistic" as well. I assume that they would've thought of that; hopefully they'll share with us at some point. In the meantime, anything that shakes up console gaming (and doesn't involve goddamned motion controls) is fine by me.

 

[rbstewart7263]

Those motion control's are indeed damned by god! Lol come to think of it I was this excited thinking of all the swordfights I would get into on the Wii an then again on the move.....Nah this times different!


Captcha fishy smell. Appropriate

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

We already have this. It is called a PC.

 

[GAunderrated]

To me this doesn't seem like a scam, but it doesn't hold a lot of confidence for me yet. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict the outcome of this situation. The Ouya will be released and have a long buggy road. Many people will say its a failure for its growing pains and someone else will take this concept, produce a more refined product, and do quite well with it.

I want this to succeed in at least getting lots of people to talk because it will show just how much untapped money and interest there is in this concept.

I'm also secretly hoping that if this succeeds, it will get the gaming industry to at least try and incorporate this concept or deconstruct some of their more draconian choices lately. Of course that is a lofty dream.

 

[bhulse7]

Its all because of Reddit.
I have been following this console for some time now.
But this morning i was looking on reddit, and there it was, someone linked it and it was on the second page. At that time there was about 2-3 thousand dollars away from the goal. Then I check it 2 min ago, and its at 2 Mil.

 

[tautologico]

This thing sounds amazing. I'm seriously considering getting one just to spite the big three and their money grubbing ways.

Also, I've been saying that every game released should be required to have a demo for some time now, so count me in on that.

Yeah, what the hell. I just threw ten dollars at it. And holy crap, they're nearly up to two million bucks now.

My one lingering concern now: the whole point of this console is that the barriers to entry are so low that anyone can make a game for it--but how do they keep the "Ouya Store" from being utterly flooded with, like, half-assed Mario clones and similar dreck? They'll have to have some sort of quality control...

They said somewhere that the default dashboard will be curated, so the games will be through a light screening process to feature there. The user will always be able to root the device and run whatever he/she wants on it, but the games shown in the default interface will be selected, yes.

 

[tautologico]

We already have this. It is called a PC.

Not really. The Ouya has:

1) Fixed hardware platform (very good for developers, users don't need to wonder about compatibility)
2) Default distribution channel out of the box (PC users still needs to install Steam to get games on Steam) and there's no question to the user if the hardware will play any game
3) Default display on TV with a gaming controller (of course, all possible with a PC, but you have to connect and configure it all, plus you can't control the whole system with a gamepad, so you have the hassle of having to use keyboard+mouse on a couch in the living room, which is not always easy).

If the Steam thing to play PC games on the TV (Big Picture mode I think) works well, this Ouya would be roughly equivalent to it, but still much cheaper and easier to setup than a gaming PC plus Steam. I love my gaming PC, but it's not the same thing. You may not care about this stuff, but there is people who do, and so there may be a market based on people who would prefer to use this console to a gaming PC.

 

[tautologico]

While I hope this is successful because more competition creates more innovation (and that's something the industry sorely needs), I don't know why people are so excited. Ultimately this is going to be used by people to play their android games at home on the big tv, or for relatively mediocre games that are good, but they're just cheap knock offs of true AAA games (Modern Combat anyone?).

Still, it has potential to help push the industry to innovation... I just don't know why people think it WILL. I think it will just be another place for sequels and stagnation, only this time with android games and the like.

No guarantee, but there are reasons to believe that, if this console is successful (still a big IF), there'll be greater potential for innovation than in the current situation. If you look at the production of AAA games one of the factors that prevent innovation is the insanely high costs to produce a title, which means investors aren't willing to risk so much money on something different.

With very low barriers to entry, and lower development costs (due to the hardware not being as powerful and other factors), it's conceivable that developers will be able to risk much more than what happens with current consoles. Of course there'll be sequels and cheap knock-offs, you can be sure Gameloft is already planning to port its library to the Ouya. But it's reasonable to expect titles that don't follow the trends.

This already happens somewhat in indie games, but a whole console open to it would be a great boon to developers.

 

[dreadedcandiru99]

We already have this. It is called a PC.

Not really. The Ouya has:

1) Fixed hardware platform (very good for developers, users don't need to wonder about compatibility)
2) Default distribution channel out of the box (PC users still needs to install Steam to get games on Steam) and there's no question to the user if the hardware will play any game
3) Default display on TV with a gaming controller (of course, all possible with a PC, but you have to connect and configure it all, plus you can't control the whole system with a gamepad, so you have the hassle of having to use keyboard+mouse on a couch in the living room, which is not always easy).

Also:

4) It's $99. Almost everybody (myself included) can afford a $99 console. Not everybody (myself included again) can drop however many hundreds of bucks it takes to build a decent gaming PC. So there's another perk.

My one lingering concern now: the whole point of this console is that the barriers to entry are so low that anyone can make a game for it--but how do they keep the "Ouya Store" from being utterly flooded with, like, half-assed Mario clones and similar dreck? They'll have to have some sort of quality control...

They said somewhere that the default dashboard will be curated, so the games will be through a light screening process to feature there. The user will always be able to root the device and run whatever he/she wants on it, but the games shown in the default interface will be selected, yes.

Oh, okay then. And now that I think of it, I guess the point of the free demos is so people can check out, downvote, and thus weed out, the crap. That should help too.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

Correction, free to TRY. Free to TRY. Not free to play.

 

[somonels]

"It's about time!" exclaimed Brian Fargo, of Interplay and inXile fame and creator of Hunted: The Demon's Forge."
Nominting this for the Kotaku backhanded quotes of the week. Out of everything the man has been involved with you lable him with Hunter: Demon's Forge.

The box better have VGA or HDMI support, no way am I buying a TV for this... and keyboard support.

 

[Andrew_C]

To the guys who are saying "Ooh, its already developed, this is just to get it into production", get real.

1 or 2 million dollars is what it takes to get something like the Beagleboard or Raspberry Pi into mass production. This is going to cost way more than that to get into production at a $99 price point, 5 to 10 million dollars IMHO.

That being said, I don't think this is a scam, I just think the developers are massively deluded. Either that or they are hoping to attract a venture capitalist with the publicity from the Kickstarter.

 

[rbstewart7263]

With all the ladies in gaming hubbub noone seems to notice its a bad ass ***** pioneering this??lol