Hey everyone, for the first time in a number of months we actually have something new in the gaming industry, and it’s attracting a lot of attention. The OUYA console has been praised and condemned across the internet, but the total pledge amount on Kickstarter keeps growing. So what is this console really about, and how can it stand a chance in the current gaming market?
In case people don’t know about Kickstarter, it is an online sponsorship site allowing creative entrepreneurs to reach potential investors, but not the standard big corporate investors. The interesting part about Kickstarter is that anybody can be an investor, pledging as little as one dollar, and getting some kind of benefit as they pledge more. Now there has to be some kind of guarantee of return, so Kickstarter requires groups to set a pledge goal for both the amount and deadline. If people pledge the goal amount or more by the deadline then the group gets the money, but it they fail to reach the goal then the account is nullified and all pledges are cancelled. One of my favourites right now is “Auror’s Tale” a fan-made web series with pretty good production values about a Harry Potter themed crime/supernatural drama set in New York.
So back to OUYA, which set an initial goal for $950,000, and as of writing this they have 25 days to go and have raised $4,673,201. This amazing number has actually been a very recent development, as I first heard about the OUYA about a week or two ago and they had not reached their goal at that point. As you move up the pledge levels you can get perks like reserving your username, pre-ordering an actual console, all the way up to the group flying you out for the console launch party. So what does OUYA actually involve? Basically, it is an Android based home gaming console, with the goal of making it cheap, accessible, easy to use and develop, while staying true to gaming roots, all selling for just $95. The OUYA currently has parts and specifications finalized, and there is apparently a single working prototype. Using the Android operating system would allow for existing Android based apps to be ported to the system with relative ease – boosting your smartphone apps from a 4 inch screen to your HD TV.
How far along is the actual project you might be asking (and if you weren’t asking then I’m just going to assume you did and tell you anyway)? Well, that is where things get a little sketchy, the final specs are finalized, but the actual form factor of the console is still under development, as are the user interface and online store. Really the only concrete proof of the console itself that you actually see on the Kickstarter page an image of half the controller, but even that is still being designed. So there is a single working prototype, the console hasn’t actually finished industrial design, nor has the controller, and the operating system is only in the planning stages – so you would think it will be a while till we see the actual console. Nope, it is supposed to be shipped out in March of 2013 – yep, about eight months away. They sure are optimistic.
So why are people so excited about the OUYA? This really comes down to the approachability of the console and development. The console is actually designed to be easy to root. The group even boasts that each console is effectively a development unit, allowing users to load their own programs and develop new code for the system. But is this really a benefit, or is this just going to lead to the undermining of their complete system when people just root the system to play games? The other big feature that the OUYA group is pushing is the controller I mentioned earlier, but this has its own issues. You know all those great controller based Android games people are playing? Oh wait, there aren’t any, they’re all touchscreen based. This could be a big problem, because even though the controller will have a touchpad built in there is still a push towards controller based games even though no one is developing them.
One of OUYA’s other big features is that all games will be free to play – in some form or another. This is based on the free-to-play model used on popular games like Team Fortress 2, where the base game is free for anyone to play but the developer makes money off of micro-transactions for in-game items. The way that the OUYA team can make the claim that ALL games will be free-to-play is kind of sideways, in that they are specifying that every game must have some component free, so most will have some kind of demo to play before purchasing a license or subscription.
I will admit that I seriously considered pledging the $95 to get a system at launch, but I don’t think this system is really going to succeed, and the reason is power and scale. The OUYA is supposed to use the Tegra 3 quad-core processor, and contain 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal flash memory, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a USB port. With the system using standard parts like the Tegra 3 there is very little way that the company will be able to produce this system with a controller for only $95, and it will basically be as powerful as a standard tablet or smartphone. While I think that mobile gaming is great, and I enjoy playing games on my smartphone, I really don’t think that blowing that game up on an HD TV is going to be great.
The Tegra 3 processor is good as well, but there is now way you are going to actually be able to compete with a console like the Xbox 360 or PS3 with that kind of tech. If OUYA wants to take over the home gaming market they are going to have to take on the big three, and I don’t think they can really do that. The basic Xbox 360 has a much better processor, graphics system, memory, and storage, for $199. Now of course that is double the price, but the install base is immensely larger. Microsoft has also tried entering the indie development market through the XNA system, and the Xbox Live Indie Gaming Channel. Why would you take the time and put in the resources to develop a game for the OUYA when you could just as easily develop a game for Xbox 360, or the PC for even cheaper. Digital distribution has eliminated many of the costs that indie developers had prohibiting them from breaking into the market, but the OUYA does not remove any other barriers.
While developers are praising the OUYA for its innovative ideas no one has actually pledged to make any games. The preview trailers and description talk about Minecraft quite a bit, but it isn’t guaranteed either – it is contingent on gamers showing that they want an OUYA version and the OUYA team proving that the system can handle it. As there is already an Android version of Minecraft this brings up serious questions about the ease of development for the system and the potential developer interest. If you can’t play the existing Android Minecraft app on the OUYA then how much does it cost to port it, and why would a developer go through the trouble of developing two versions of an Android app when one of them is for a relatively niche market? Wouldn’t it be more worthwhile to develop Android and iOS versions and target most of the mobile market (sorry Blackberry)?
The OUYA team definitely has enough money now to finance the project, but only time will tell if it will actually be successful. So keep a lookout, and try to avoid jumping on the bandwagon on unproven tech. Kickstarter is a great platform for entrepreneurs to reach market, but there could be some duds. Good luck with exams, and Keep on Gaming.
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