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[Ricomu]

I saw this on Kickstarter awhile back. I'd like to see it's implementation. Then I'll decide.

[moi]

like all succesful kickstartmen, they must be partying or buying land in exotic places.

[SolarLune]

So some more news has come up on the official blog. Still no videos of it actually running, but they do seem to be making progress.

[Muz]

Still really skeptical of this. I'm sure they can finish a prototype with the Kickstarter money, but mass production (much less meeting the $99 target) is a different monster.

[Udderdude]

Still really skeptical of this. I'm sure they can finish a prototype with the Kickstarter money, but mass production (much less meeting the $99 target) is a different monster.

I don't even think $99 is even possible w/o selling it at a loss.

[Richard Kain]

I don't even think $99 is even possible w/o selling it at a loss.

The major cost savings for the Ouya is the lack of a screen. Screens for proprietary devices, especially touch screens, are a major expense. Not having to worry about that cuts out a decent chunk of expense. The priciest component is likely the CPU. I can't say how much that will set them back, but if they ever want to mass-produce the device they are going to have to get some sort of volume discount.

Another advantage for the OUYA would be the simplicity of its design. They are putting everything they can on a single circuit board, and the exterior for the device is going to be just two simple pieces. This will keep manufacturing and assembly costs down.

The real expense out of the gate won't be in the system itself, but in its controller. The simple cube of the system will be much cheaper to produce than an ergonomic controller with a mini touch-pad. And they HAVE to bundle at least one controller with every system. Without the controller there is nothing to differentiate the system from other Android-powered tablets and devices.

[kiddRaddical]

sOOO...nobody else here is developing for this? 

I'm actually surprised at the general lack of enthusiasm here.

[Richard Kain]

sOOO...nobody else here is developing for this? 

Oh, I'm planning on developing for it, just not exclusively. But I'm working with Unity at the moment, so nothing I make is really going to be exclusive. I contributed to the Kickstarter, and expect to receive an OUYA at some point.

Getting overly enthusiastic about a Kickstarter project that has not yet truly come to fruition is a bit premature. Until then cautious optimism is as worked up as I intend to get.

[Uykered]

I'm hoping it'll be powerful enough to handle my current game.

[moi]

I noticed that everybody seems to be under the impression that:
1-they want to be a direct competition to xbox/PS3
2-you need several billions for mass producing such a device and delivering to the public

I think both those opinions are false and the success of the raspberry Pi has proved that OUYA can work if they get their shit together and don't overstretch.
I'm just a bit worried by their statement that "all games are free download" , does that mean no app store for paying programs?

[kiddRaddical]

I noticed that everybody seems to be under the impression that:
1-they want to be a direct competition to xbox/PS3
2-you need several billions for mass producing such a device and delivering to the public

Agreed. It's funny how we (gamers/devs) always argue "gameplay over gfx", but when a console finally rolls around that focuses more on devs/distribution (and by proxy great gameplay) instead of awesometastical-grachic prowess, we drag our feet to support it 

I'm just a bit worried by their statement that "all games are free download" , does that mean no app store for paying programs?

Straight from them, all games have to be downloadable free, but you commercialize afterwards. E.g. I'm giving away world 1, but to unlock the rest of the game, you have to buy it. Think shareware 

[s_l_m]

The "free to play" thing is confusing. Really they are doing the same thing as XBLA (at least that is my understanding of it)

[SolarLune]

I'm just a bit worried by their statement that "all games are free download" , does that mean no app store for paying programs?

Straight from them, all games have to be downloadable free, but you commercialize afterwards. E.g. I'm giving away world 1, but to unlock the rest of the game, you have to buy it. Think shareware 

Or how the XBL / PSN services are - all games have free trials, but the full games have to be purchased to be unlocked. Developers can go that route, or have a free game with microtransactions (unlike XBLA / PSN). It's just to ensure that you don't have people uploading games without demos, I guess. You could also probably just give away free games, which is something that can't be done on XBLA or PSN.

And yeah, it's not meant to compete with the 360 / PS3 / Wii / PC, really. It's its own cheaper thing.

[nikki]

So i looked at this oya thing again, and saw there was a website (not just a kickstarter page)
with a youtube video.

that lady in that video, has nothing to do with hackers/deveoper/gamers she's pure management evil all the way. Best of luck to all the people who feel they have 'invested' in this thing.


apart from that I do feel i'd actually buy a cheap mediaplayer I could manage to play some emulated/simple games on. I'd just won't be the one happy developing for this.

nah, I myself prefer the raw raspberry, now that's something true. And it exists actually.

[kiddRaddical]

nah, I myself prefer the raw raspberry, now that's something true. And it exists actually.

Not to be a jerk, but:

1) It does exist: http://www.ouya.tv/the-big-hardware-update-and-more/
There's a pic if you still don't believe.

2) Raspberry Pi is great, but how many commercial successes have you seen from it? Love it or hate it, Ouya got over 60,000 units pre-sold in one month on Kickstarter with 0 marketing. Not all of us can just develop as a hobby

[nikki]

1) It does exist: http://www.ouya.tv/the-big-hardware-update-and-more/
There's a pic if you still don't believe.

2) Raspberry Pi is great, but how many commercial successes have you seen from it?...

Not to be a jerk, but:

1) that picture, (a circuit board next to a can of coke) doesn't equal the thing in the kickstarter video, also it's unclear what the end price will be. (however since I like the rpi, i do like a picture of a circuit board )

2) 've seen that the millionth sales are within reach for this year. Sure the kickstarter campaign for the ouya has been a commercial success, (with eventually a tad bit more than 0 marketing I'd say)  , but the rest is just guessing and hoping. No solid nothing. or can you actually order one for me for christmas ?

so I am sorry but your two points are pretty moot to me.


In the end I think the ouya will just be a rasberry pi sort of thing.
with a controller a famous designer box and a tegra chip.
I believe it be foolish to actually develop specifically for it though.
I mean just develop for middle range smart-phones and you'd be fine,
 as long as there will be people who want to spend money on the games,
aren't they all free ? (I know I know but that's how they market it)

so

Not all of us can just develop as a hobby

how will the Ouya make you an income if the developer of the hardware pushed all games as free to play, very open, hackable , and a pirate wet dream ? As oposed to those nasty and expensive consoles.

edit: wowzers I follow your first link a bit further:
from their developers information font page
"Because you’re smart. That’s why… And smart people don’t need no stinkin’ SDKs to develop amazing games."

the kickstarter :
"Pledge $699 or more
Developer Special. A first-run OUYA ..., EARLY SDK ACCESS"(already rooted so you can just get going)

wow. they just called their 600 eager fan developers stupid

I'll wait until december and see how this story continues

[kiddRaddical]

@nikki Totally understandable skepticism. All I'm saying is we shouldn't count it out before it hits the shelves; I think a lot of us will be pleasantly surprised.

My point about the "hobby" thing was that, regardless of what any of us think about it (I personally quite like it), people have shown that they're willing to buy the thing, including all the skeptics who "just want it for streaming". If people are willing to buy it, then there is a market for content.

About this as vaporware: they said IN THE KICKSTARTER (caps for emphasis, not yelling) that this project was ~ a year in the making. if the Kickstarter failed, they just would've VC'd it and moved on. Also, there are too many "big shots in the room" for this project to fail: they'd all look like idiots. Names: Yves Behar, Roy Bahat, Julie Uhrman. They all have very serious backgrounds if you check them out.

As for the "pirate wet dream" thing:
1)"Free-to-play" by their standard means SOMETHING has to be free, be it a demo, a few levels, etc. Just like XBLA. I don't see a problem there?
2)All PAID games have to validate their purchase via their online store (like Minecraft, the Mac Store, etc). Again, no problem.
3)As for hackablity, whatever. I don't mind if some fellow geeks poke around my source code. Hell, if they ask I might show it to them

Another thing to consider: since the thing is "hackable", that also means it's user serviceable. They could sell upgrade parts for it instead of selling an entire new unit.

One last point before I bow out: it's not trying to compete with the next gen consoles. They wouldn't pop a Tegra 3 in there if they were.

Again, no hate; we're all friends here 

[Christian Knudsen]

One last point before I bow out: it's not trying to compete with the next gen consoles. They wouldn't pop a Tegra 3 in there if they were.

Except that they've constantly been going on about how they're taking on the big three and sticking it to the man. Of course it won't compete with the big consoles, it's just slightly upsetting that the people behind it think it might...

Like I've said previously in this thread, the Ouya will come out eventually -- I don't doubt that. But it will quickly fade into memory and gather dust on people's shelves. The people that think this will actually end up as a viable gaming console with a rich ecosystem of games are going to be sorely disappointed. Those that bought it as a piece of hardware to hack and play around with for a few days won't.

[Graham-]

I still don't understand the reasoning here. Can you go free-to-play on the Ouya? Does it support micro-transactions well?

There is a huge demand for games that don't have publishing support. Steam Greenlight, XNA and so on are attempts to satiate this demand. I can create a video and distribute it through youtube, but I have no such vehicle for games.

The issue with Greenlight is that it's controlled by a dev somewhere. It isn't powered by the community. If I want to start a site that let's people browse games that suit my tastes and play them on a console I'm fucked, because I'm restricted to the games that are publisher approved. There's no Amazon for games through which consumers can buy whatever they want. Every product has to go through an industry channel, unless it's for the PC, and even in that case the experience is unreliable - outside payment services, no guarantee to work, unreliable downloading.

Devs will want to get onto Ouya because they want the exposure, and they want to get into people's living rooms, and they want to do both without going through an approval process that is restrictive, and running on a device that is restrictive.

Unity supports Android. Isn't every Unity game an Ouya game for free? Don't we all get free ports, onto _consoles_? Fuck, if I could pay some money to play kickin iOS games on my big screen for free I'd do it.

[kiddRaddical]

I still don't understand the reasoning here. Can you go free-to-play on the Ouya? Does it support micro-transactions well?

I think the mix up comes from our (devs/gamers) terminology for things, i.e. "free to play". On their website (forget where, but you can look it up), by "free to play" they mean you have to give a download for free. In that sense, there are no "paid apps" from the get go. Once the user downloads your game/app, you commercialize however you see fit via the SDK (free demo/paid full, micro transactions for levels/weapons, bill by the hour, etc). Example: I read somewhere that every Ouya will have X hrs of free OnLive access before buying (ie, FREE demo).

Alternatively, you could go the micro-transaction route; from their standpoint, they don't care how/if you do it, so long as SOMETHING is free