Ouya Console Ships to Developers

[ForumsGroup]

Ouya announced Friday that 1,200 units of its Kickstarter-funded video game console are shipping to developers around the world.

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When Ouya launched its Kickstarter campaign, its goal was to re-ignite game development for TV, as opposed to tablets, smartphones and the Web. The company planned to achieve this goal by making it so that anyone who could develop an app for Android could also build a game for the Ouya console.

"These are the early versions of Ouya that developers will use to start making games. They're on their way to developers around the globe -- by land, air and sea," the Ouya staff wrote in a blog post.

The developer's console package includes an Ouya dev console, micro-USB port, two controllers, HDMI cable and power adapter.

Ouya ended its one-month Kickstarter campaign with $8.5 million -- well over its original $950,000 goal. With 63,416 backers, the Android-based video game console is gearing up for developers to create games. The console is scheduled go on sale to the general public in March.

Kickstarter works by letting anyone propose a project on the site, setting a monetary goal. If the goal is met, the project gets funded. Everything from independent films to garden projects has been funding from Kickstarter campaigns.

The company's founders released a video to demonstrate an un-boxing of the package that is being sent out to game developers worldwide. Watch a video below.

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[ramtastic05]

Great looking system.

I hope it succeeds.
Like all the other android type gaming consoles coming out, the price will be the determining factor of its success.

Also, what happens to all the extra money that was donated to the project?

 

[froggyboy604]

I heard the extra money would be used to make and invest in indie games.

I also hope this succeeds since it would give indie game developers a chance to have their games seen and played to more people instead of just having games like Pokemon and Wii Sports being well known because they are part of Nintendo.

 

[VirusZero]

I admit I have concerns about this console.

I'm worried that games made for it will end up being just android games (re)packaged for this system, which by itself, I don't think will be enough of a pull to convince anyone to buy it. I mean why spend ~100$ on this console, that you still need a TV for, when the games on it are all just ones you can get on your smart phone already and you can play on your phone without needing a TV?

Especially since from the sounds of this, it'll have it's own app store that fractures off from the main Android OS store... With new/different submission rules in place.

And I can't see big name developers like Square-enix, Capcom, Konami, Activision, Ubisoft, etc... really wanting to get on board with Ouya for the sheer fact that this console was made so that it could be rooted and modded so easily. I mean big game development companies already have enough trouble with consoles that are locked down getting cracked wide open. But would they really want to contend with a system that is, by comparison to PS3/360, pretty easy to mod?
I don't think so.

Realistically this console has an uphill battle against the others. Especially since 2013 may end up being a hardware year for Sony and Microsoft... (If the PS4 and Xbox 720 end up launching this year.)

 

[froggyboy604]

Not everyone have a phone, or tablet because they cost more then $99 if you buy an unlocked phone or prepaid phone, and the monthly data and cell service can cost 20 to 100s of dollars, and a good Bluetooth wireless controller like the Moga Bluetooth controller cost $50 and up if you bundle the cost with a good phone like the iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy Note 2 it will cost hundreds more then a $99 console.

Most people own a TV, or know someone in the same house like their parents, brother, or sister who owns a TV which they can lend them to use to play games.

SquareEnix and Namco are porting games for the Ouya according to http://ca.ign.com/articles/2012/08/08/n ... -with-ouya and http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/31/ouya ... -as-launc/

Minecraft also will be ported to the Ouya, and the Ouya will support streaming games from Onlive Cloud gaming which has a decent size library of games.

I think people into classic games, indie games, and home brew games will be interested in playing and developing games for Ouya since it is more easy to have their games publish on the Ouya game store then on PSN, Xbox Live, and other marketplaces.