Ouya: The $99 Android-based open-source console on Kickstarter

[Tupin]

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ouya/ouya-a-new-kind-of-video-game-console

I think it will reach its goal by the end of the day, at least it has a wide variety of publishers signed on for it. It's running a Tegra 3 with 1 GB of RAM. What do you think? Think it will be able to find a niche in the marketplace?

[substantial_snake]

Its certainty an interesting idea, basically a (relatively) unified Indy platform with dedicated controller support. I'm assuming that it will have its own dedicated game store similar to googleplay but I wonder how the vetting process will work with "openness" of both the hardware and software being such an emphasized feature.

At best it could seriously take off and make the major publishers and console makers reexamine how the current industry model can be improved.

At worst it will be a neat little oddity in gaming I can hook up to any TV as a Neflix machine. (or not release at all I suppose lol)

I've thrown down a hundred bucks on much more frivolous things, pledged my support and am interested to see where it will go.

Still the fact that its nearly reached its 950k goal within hours of its kickstarter page opening and expect to start releasing the product by March of next year is very encouraging.

[kupomogli]

It's over a million so it's already hit its mark. While this does interest me, I'll wait until it gets released and see where things go from there. Anyone think it'll be more than $99 or it'll stay that price after it's official release date?

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

While there's clearly MUCH more to do on Android, the OS has a lot of great classic game system emulators developed in its already unrestricted operating environment. If nothing else this could be a great set-top emulation box that requires little to no effort to get going properly, and unlike the Android boxes and "game players" from Hong Kong, it'll probably have better OS updates/customer service/support if needed.

I'll totally pick one up pending decent reviews.

[substantial_snake]

So yeah they are about to hit the 3 million dollar mark. @_@

It seems as if they are using the Kickstarter campaign as a gauge for how many units they might actually sell. The 99 dollar Console+controller tier is definitely the one driving sales and they are continually bumping up the number of "copies" of that particular pricing tier..and it seems to be working so far. My only concern with this and other Kickstarter projects is potentially burning through most of your market with what is effectively a pre-sale of the project your supposed to be funding. Still I suppose that cash can latter be used to reach out to others who may of not been aware of it initially or maybe this is completely intentional on their part.

[Griking]

So yeah they are about to hit the 3 million dollar mark. @_@

It seems as if they are using the Kickstarter campaign as a gauge for how many units they might actually sell. The 99 dollar Console+controller tier is definitely the one driving sales and they are continually bumping up the number of "copies" of that particular pricing tier..and it seems to be working so far. My only concern with this and other Kickstarter projects is potentially burning through most of your market with what is effectively a pre-sale of the project your supposed to be funding. Still I suppose that cash can latter be used to reach out to others who may of not been aware of it initially or maybe this is completely intentional on their part.


I'm curious who will make games for it? Hobbyists who aren't looking to make any money? I certainly don't see any real developers releasing games that will be copied within minutes of them being released.

[kupomogli]

I'm curious who will make games for it? Hobbyists who aren't looking to make any money? I certainly don't see any real developers releasing games that will be copied within minutes of them being released.

This is what I was thinking. They might get Netflix and such on there, but more than likely it's going to be nothing more than a console for homebrew and emulators. Even though homebrew and emulators can be played on PC, they're really going for your average console gamer who doesn't want to have anything to do with a PC OS when playing their games. I'll admit I'm in that group. While my PC has HDMI out(and HDMI in,) I don't have it hooked up to anything but my monitor and it's rarely used for anything other than browsing the internet.

They might try to set up an app store or something for people to sell their items on there so some people might make some money off it, but most everything is probably going to be pirated.

[eggwolio]

I'm curious who will make games for it? Hobbyists who aren't looking to make any money? I certainly don't see any real developers releasing games that will be copied within minutes of them being released.

Developers already do that. PC gaming still exists. And lots of PC games can be purchased without copy protection. Also, new DS games come out all the time, despite the millions of flashcards which are probably out there, and people still buy them.

[Tupin]

I don't think they were clear about whether all games were free to play or not, but I know for sure that they require demos of every single game. The big companies that jump in probably won't release their big titles, they'll release their titles that will have minimal impact if they're pirated. Similar to GOG, I suppose.

Hopefully the free-to-play is more like TF2 or League of Legends and less like Angry Birds.

[substantial_snake]

I don't think they were clear about whether all games were free to play or not, but I know for sure that they require demos of every single game. The big companies that jump in probably won't release their big titles, they'll release their titles that will have minimal impact if they're pirated. Similar to GOG, I suppose.

Hopefully the free-to-play is more like TF2 or League of Legends and less like Angry Birds.


When you say "free games," what does that mean exactly?
We want you to pay only for the games you love. A “free to play” model works when everyone (gamers and game makers) benefits from directly rewarding amazing games.

For gamers, every game will be free to play: what this means is that there will at least be a free demo, or you’ll be able to play the entirety of the game for free but may have access to additional items, upgrades, or other features that come at a cost.

For developers, free to play means that they can set their own prices. Developers know best: There is no better way to sell a game than to have folks that have actually touched the game share glowing reviews with their friends. By allowing some form of free play, we’ll help them do just that. The only reason you used to pay for games before playing them is that you couldn’t try them at the store before you brought them home – it’s a relic of an old way of doing business, and one of the many things about the games business we plan to change.

Last updated: Tuesday Jul 10, 8:59am EDT

This is a question I see pop up frequently about what they mean by F2P, and this was taken directly from their Kickstarter page.

It seems reasonable enough to me and from what I understand its the same way that Xbox Live Arcade's timed demo system works.

[YoshiM]

I want this. Not just to play but to *exist*. Personally I find my modern game purchases fluttering away from the major titles to picking up Indie titles that have been way more fulfilling. Titles like Limbo, Flower and Journey *moved* me in ways games like Mass Effect 3, Uncharted and the like don't. Thanks to the recent boom of Indie gaming on XBLA, the "Indie bundles" on PC and the explosion of mobile gaming, it's looking like a new age of garage developer is coming (or is here depending on how you see it).

With the number of companies already showing interest/backing it, this doesn't look like the "Phantom" machine that was promised years back.

[eggwolio]

I agree with wanting it to exist. I'm excited by the idea of it in general. As an emulation box and a new tier home console, for lack of a better term. I'm excited to see them bridge the gap between the gaming experiences I enjoy on my phone. It's full of potential and at a price which makes it almost an impulse by for a lot of people.

[swlovinist]

I love the idea, and plan to support the system. I hope it succeeds. This is something the industry needs, if anything a wakeup call.

[Bojay1997]

I love the idea, and plan to support the system. I hope it succeeds. This is something the industry needs, if anything a wakeup call.

Although I will admit I supported the project, I'm curious as to why you think it's something the industry needs. Despite their claims to the contrary, it's just another Android based piece of hardware and a not very powerful one at that which will require developers to use their proprietary store system instead of Google Play. Basically, other than the possibility that it can be rooted and some indie developers could release their stuff for free outside of the store (which can already happen on any rooted device today and frankly isn't that common simply because people like to be paid for their work), I'm not seeing how this is different than every other download only piece of hardware out there or why it's better than a PC which really is open to developers and is far more flexible and powerful.

[swlovinist]

The industry in general is not an even playing field. You have the big three(Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft) still doing the standard traditional models of offering often overpriced software after selling overpriced hardware. Indie programmers can release a game, but often it is overlooked and buried. The huge budgets to make many large games has not all been great. Dont get me wrong, I buy and play some great titles, but the distribution system for these games is archaic and outdated. Many great game companies have focused on over bloated game ideas and concepts multiple years only to be released to pay back the millions it cost to make them. I am not expressing that this is the and all be all gaming system, I just think that this could have a bigger impact than "just another android system. You have the gaming industry being controlled by a small number of companies that are controlling how games are distributed, and controlling about every aspect of the game. I just think that it is cool that there will possibly be a system out there that could potentially offer something a little different.
It costs too much these days to experience gaming. This is a model that could seriously open up video games to a different audience that would not pay 200-500 for a computer, console, tablet or something else. Only time will tell what this will be, but for a supporter of all things independent...sign me up.

[darkslime]

YEAH! Now I can play Angry Birds on a TV. The hardware will be outdated by the time its released and it will probably get a bunch of shitty phone game ports.

[Tupin]

YEAH! Now I can play Angry Birds on a TV. The hardware will be outdated by the time its released and it will probably get a bunch of shitty phone game ports.
Tegra 3 is way above what any other non-Tegra device could do, and its successor won't come out until at least 2014.

Developers are still designing games for hardware designed in 2004/2005. Consoles always become obsolete quickly, especially compared to PCs.

[Jorpho]

I thought this Penny Arcade article articulated my misgivings pretty well.
http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/the-reality-of-the-ouya-console-doesnt-match-the-hype-why-you-should-be-ske

[Rev. Link]

This thing looks cool. But, as a collector, I have a hard time getting excited about playing games that I can't line up on a shelf.

[Ryudo]

So it's just a 100$ cellphone in a box to play cheap phone games. Whoop de doo. I doubt this will far.

Consoles are here to stay and this isn't even going to make a nick on the major console market.

[kai123]

Sorry I can already do everything this offers with my Transformer Prime. It has HDMI I can use a PS3 controller and can unplug it and take it with me. True it is more expensive but with the Nexus 7 coming out at it's price point it is very hard to get excited for this thing. This will be nothing but a emulator box. If they would have advertised it as that then it would be cool with me. I just don't see anything "revolutionary" about it. The price is right though.

[Tupin]

So it's just a 100$ cellphone in a box to play cheap phone games. Whoop de doo. I doubt this will far.

Consoles are here to stay and this isn't even going to make a nick on the major console market.
Of course it's not going to make a major nick on the console market. If anything, it will only cause big companies to do what Ouya does (or not do, depending on its success.)

It's probably not going to have a lot of ports of regular phone games, just Tegra 3 games that use joysticks. Some of the games that run on tablets look pretty good graphically, even if many are shallow clones of console games. Maybe the ease of getting your game out there combined with a real controller will help it.

This thing is already set to be the most hacked system in history, there will be an emulator for everything.

[kai123]

Of course it's not going to make a major nick on the console market. If anything, it will only cause big companies to do what Ouya does (or not do, depending on its success.)

It's probably not going to have a lot of ports of regular phone games, just Tegra 3 games that use joysticks. Some of the games that run on tablets look pretty good graphically, even if many are shallow clones of console games. Maybe the ease of getting your game out there combined with a real controller will help it.

This thing is already set to be the most hacked system in history, there will be an emulator for everything.

They are ready. It is based on Android so it has tons of emulators just waiting for a side load solution or on their market.

[substantial_snake]

I thought this Penny Arcade article articulated my misgivings pretty well.
http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/the-reality-of-the-ouya-console-doesnt-match-the-hype-why-you-should-be-ske

I agreed with a lot in this article as well and I think the biggest hurdle to their idea will be convincing well knows devs to either make or port software to the onya. Its going to run into the chicken and egg problem of trying to attract devs to a small platform to grow the platform to attract more devs. Its a very hard obstacle to get over without a sizeable base to start with and its what they should really do with all of this extra cash thats been "kicked" to them. Attracting developer support should be on the forefront above any other issues

But quite frankly as a consumer I don't really care weather or not their indy-focused business plan succeeds. I would like to see it do well and somehow craft a indy-friendly business model in the console industry but they have already promised enough to justify the initial investment. With my donation of $99 bucks I'm either going to get a cheap set-top android box and controller or ultimately nothing.

Putting down the equivalent of a new game and a half on that proposition isn't difficult at all.

[NayusDante]

As a hobbyist programmer, I think it looks fun. I can see it being an improvement over XBLIG and PSMobile. I'm thinking of a developer community more like OHRRPGCE than Unity, where people make games because they enjoy making games and helping others do the same.

As a consumer, I have no idea what I'd do with it. I have consoles and a decent computer, why do I need another device that plays the same games? They would be better off building an Android software platform with a good API for wireless controllers and HDMI output.

At worst, this adds even more fragmentation to the Android ecosystem. It means that developers have to write their games for touch devices as well as a pseudo-touch 10-foot UI. It's a great hacker project, but a terrible consumer product.

[Jorpho]

With my donation of $99 bucks I'm either going to get a cheap set-top android box and controller or ultimately nothing. It's also been pointed out that you can already get a set-top android box for cheaper.
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/ak802-mini-android-4-0-network-media-player-w-wi-fi-hdmi-tf-usb-black-4gb-1gb-ddr-iii-143431?item=30

Of course, it can be argued that the specs for that one aren't quite as good, but then, that one's actually a real product that you can buy right now.

[substantial_snake]

It's also been pointed out that you can already get a set-top android box for cheaper.
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/ak802-mini-android-4-0-network-media-player-w-wi-fi-hdmi-tf-usb-black-4gb-1gb-ddr-iii-143431?item=30

Of course, it can be argued that the specs for that one aren't quite as good, but then, that one's actually a real product that you can buy right now.

I don't have any real need for either this or the ouya, but I don't mind throwing down 100 bucks on the promise of what the onya could be.

[Ryudo]

Of course it's not going to make a major nick on the console market. If anything, it will only cause big companies to do what Ouya does (or not do, depending on its success.)

It's probably not going to have a lot of ports of regular phone games, just Tegra 3 games that use joysticks. Some of the games that run on tablets look pretty good graphically, even if many are shallow clones of console games. Maybe the ease of getting your game out there combined with a real controller will help it.

This thing is already set to be the most hacked system in history, there will be an emulator for everything.
At best it's a niche system. It won't change anything. How many times in console history has soemone come along and tried to change the console market that tried to compete with the real consoles and succeed? Never. 3D0 CD-i Phantom Nuon Onlive(niche market) and this thing. Also does not help no one can pronounce the damn thing. The name just sounds like some pretentious bottled water.

[Bojay1997]

At best it's a niche system. It won't change anything. How many times in console history has soemone come along and tried to change the console market that tried to compete with the real consoles and succeed? Never. 3D0 CD-i Phantom Nuon Onlive(niche market) and this thing. Also does not help no one can pronounce the damn thing. The name just sounds like some pretentious bottled water.

I will say that at least with 3do, CD-i and Nuon, the manufacturers/designers were trying something in the architecture that wasn't readily available in competing products for the same price or less. Here, this is literally just a less open version of Android since what they are proposing is that developers port their titles for their unique store. The more I learn about the business plan, the more I'm glad that I only contributed the minimum to get the unit so I can stick it in a box as part of my collection as another silly idea that never really took off.

[Dr. BaconStein]

They really should have made this a handheld. JXD and Yinlips are nice, but a handheld with Tegra 3 support could be groundbreaking.

[The 1 2 P]

I'm keeping an eye on this one but it's not like it will drive me away from the current consoles. But it's atleast an interesting idea to try.

[DP ServBot]

http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/V727jTI1cOQy3Wb3U7h1otehhxY/0/di (http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/V727jTI1cOQy3Wb3U7h1otehhxY/0/da)
http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/V727jTI1cOQy3Wb3U7h1otehhxY/1/di (http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/V727jTI1cOQy3Wb3U7h1otehhxY/1/da)
An anonymous reader writes "We recently talked about the 'Ouya' console — a conceptual Android-based gaming device that's had a massively successful Kickstarter campaign. While most people are excited about such a non-traditional console, editorials at 1Up and Eurogamer have expressed some more realistic skepticism about the claims being made and the company's ability to meet those claims. Quoting: 'Even if we set aside the issue of install base, one of Ouya's selling points could make developers wary of investing in it. Through the pitch video and on the Kickstarter page, Ouya emphasizes the ability to root the system and hack it without fear of voiding the warranty. With a standard USB port and Bluetooth support, it will be possible to use controllers and peripherals with it other than the one it comes with. What this also opens the door for is piracy and emulation. No doubt a chunk of the audience interested in Ouya are those intrigued by the idea of having a box that hooks up to a TV and can run Super Nintendo or Genesis emulators. Others will look at the system's open nature as an invitation to play its games for free; if it's as open as advertised, it should not be difficult to obtain and run illegally downloaded copies of Ouya games.' Ouya CEO Julia Uhrman has responded to the skepticism, saying, 'Ouya will be just as secure as any other Android-powered device. In fact, because all the paid content will require authentication with Ouya's servers, we have an added layer of security. Hacking and openness are about getting what you want to do with the hardware. Rooting the device won't give you any more access to the software.'" http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png (http://twitter.com/home?status=Why+We+Should+Remain+Skeptical+of+the+ Ouya+Android+Console%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FNBaN fN) http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png (http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fgames.slashdot.org%2Fsto ry%2F12%2F07%2F17%2F0346240%2Fwhy-we-should-remain-skeptical-of-the-ouya-android-console%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfac ebook) http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png (http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://games.slashdot.org/story/12/07/17/0346240/why-we-should-remain-skeptical-of-the-ouya-android-console?utm_source=slashdot&utm_medium=googleplus)

Read more of this story (http://games.slashdot.org/story/12/07/17/0346240/why-we-should-remain-skeptical-of-the-ouya-android-console?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&utm_medium=feed) at Slashdot.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdotGames/~4/CKSx1_q4ZPg

[otaku]

I work in a call center where we work with android most of the day and people are super excited about this the amount they've put into the kickstarter campaign is nuts and I am very skeptical of the hackability-it'll be a warranty/service support nightmare. The price is about right although I'm thinking it might need to be a bit higher to really keep up and keep in mind in the android eco system hardware becomes outdated very quickly.

[otaku]

Supporting this in customer service/warranty will be a nightmare. Pricing actually seems a bit low assuming specs will be top end as they really should be for the best experiences and even then it'll be outdated in six months. It'll be nice to have access to tons of free and very cheap games sure but it'll be tricky to make money I would think at those prices and to get mass adoption. Piracy will be a huge issue I'm sure. Also as a long time android fan/owner gotta say apple has more/higher quality games and the major console makers have nothing to fear when it comes to big name titles and production values etc.

still I'd like to own one at the current price advertised

[Jorpho]

It occurs to me that if this does somehow for some very strange reason manage to take off to any extent, Apple will indeed step in and squash it.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

It occurs to me that if this does somehow for some very strange reason manage to take off to any extent, Apple will indeed step in and squash it.

iOS device owners can already do a lot of TV-out with their devices.

You can get an HDMI or a monitor out for iPads and iPhones and MOST games will display on screen (some even have dual display capabilities like a DS) and bluetooth controllers like iCade and iControl pad pair up nicely.

Apple TV + current gen iOS devices can also for the most part "air-play" connect doing the same as the above but cordless.

The next gen Apple TV allegedly has bluetooth in it. That could handle controllers. They could probably also just push a software update to the Apple TV that would give it access to the App store and games.

Of course, all of the above eclipses the $99 price point of the OUYA ... but the Apple TV is currently $99 by itself. If you could pair up any Bluetooth controller with it ... and it could play all the bluetooth controller compatible games on the App Store ... well, then we'd have a real contest. Still, there's the point about the closed infrastructure of iOS vs. Android.

All I can say is that these are very very interesting times indeed!

[kupomogli]

Square Enix has announced that it will release Final Fantasy III as a launch title for the new console. This will be a port of the mobile version of the game that is currently available on iOS and Android devices, which is itself based on the DS version of the game.

Square Enix has stated that it is considering titles other than just Final Fantasy III to put on the system. Considering the Ouya's use of the Android platform, it is likely that many of the companies other mobile titles have a good chance of being released on the new console.

http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q3-2012/073112a.html

One of my least favorite in the series, but hey, atleast it shows a major developer is going to be on board with the system. Chaos Rings is published by Square Enix and one of the games I've been interested in trying out since it's developed by Media.Vision. I'll purchase the Ouya once the series is announced for it.

[Jorpho]

We all know how Square's support served to make the Wonderswan Color a runaway hit. Oh wait.

I do think it's much more interesting that OnLive is now on board.

[YoshiM]

Only around 20 odd hours to go and it's over $7.5 million in backing. I added my $99 a few minutes ago. I thought about this long and hard. I guess I'm tired of the titles that are landing on the racks. I wander through game stores or electronics sections and look at the games but nothing jumps out, including the stuff that's supposed to be the big blockbusters. I thought I was just losing interest in games as my time is very finite with chores, being a Dad and work-I tend to surf the web rather than play.

I found that my gaming fire started to get rekindled when I started looking into Indie games. They scratch that "retro" itch either in game play and/or in overall presentation but I'm also discovering some of these titles are plucking on other strings, like my emotions. That's rare.

So it felt right to throw my support behind this, even if it may be a failure. It could help open the doors even further for talented developers to get their ideas to fruition and onto the "big time" big screens via Ouya or XBLA or whatever.

[Bojay1997]

Only around 20 odd hours to go and it's over $7.5 million in backing. I added my $99 a few minutes ago. I thought about this long and hard. I guess I'm tired of the titles that are landing on the racks. I wander through game stores or electronics sections and look at the games but nothing jumps out, including the stuff that's supposed to be the big blockbusters. I thought I was just losing interest in games as my time is very finite with chores, being a Dad and work-I tend to surf the web rather than play.

I found that my gaming fire started to get rekindled when I started looking into Indie games. They scratch that "retro" itch either in game play and/or in overall presentation but I'm also discovering some of these titles are plucking on other strings, like my emotions. That's rare.

So it felt right to throw my support behind this, even if it may be a failure. It could help open the doors even further for talented developers to get their ideas to fruition and onto the "big time" big screens via Ouya or XBLA or whatever.

I'm honestly fascinated that so many people have posted similar sentiments to this on many other forums. I supported the project, but frankly only because I think it will be a weird historical footnote. There is no reason to believe this will lead to more or better indie games. If you really want to support indie games, take that $100 and buy lots of indie games with it. There are plenty of other outlets like the iTunes store, Google Play and regular old PC downloads on various services that allow developers to engage in the same truly indie development and sales to the general public. This is just a way for this group of business people, backed by significant venture capital by the way, to start their own closed store no different than iTunes or Google Play. Their pricing model for developer share is even identical to those existing stores and while it's a bit of a novelty that you can play these games on your TV, it's not going to jumpstart indie development anymore than it has already been jumpstarted by every other platform out there. It just seems really odd to me that people consider this to be some kind of edgy truly open platform when it couldn't be much further from that.

[YoshiM]

I'm honestly fascinated that so many people have posted similar sentiments to this on many other forums. I supported the project, but frankly only because I think it will be a weird historical footnote. There is no reason to believe this will lead to more or better indie games. If you really want to support indie games, take that $100 and buy lots of indie games with it. There are plenty of other outlets like the iTunes store, Google Play and regular old PC downloads on various services that allow developers to engage in the same truly indie development and sales to the general public. This is just a way for this group of business people, backed by significant venture capital by the way, to start their own closed store no different than iTunes or Google Play. Their pricing model for developer share is even identical to those existing stores and while it's a bit of a novelty that you can play these games on your TV, it's not going to jumpstart indie development anymore than it has already been jumpstarted by every other platform out there. It just seems really odd to me that people consider this to be some kind of edgy truly open platform when it couldn't be much further from that.

There is no reason to believe that it won't lead to more or better indie games, either.

While I should refrain from posting stuff late at night when the brain is tired, i don't think the Ouya is going to be a panacea of gaming. It's another option that's fresh-other than being promoted as an "indie" platform there's no real predisposition on it (not a kiddie console, not an FPS haven, not a Blu-ray player that plays games...I kid, I kid..). In my mind I see it as a VCS or an NES as it has the potential of playing a variety of different genres, something that hasn't been the norm in quite a while in the mainstream circuit.

And you're right, I could have tossed that cash to a bunch of indie developers but at the end of the day I'm more console gamer than PC gamer. I like to hop on the couch or slide into my old rocking chair to play my games on a TV with a controller. Maybe it's just the "old way of thinking" but I see my computer as a work device more so than entertainment. I'm more likely to balance my checkbook, tinker with some video or just surf the web than play a game. I know that's all my doing but that's how my mind works sometimes.

I realized in that the hardware specs of the Ouya are pretty much what you find in a tablet, I'm not big on handheld gaming either. I have two games on my iPhone and a DS that doesn't see much action these days except for when I get a bout of insomnia.

And why couldn't this system kick indie development in high gear? Gaming on a tv, and not just hooking up a smartphone to your widescreen or even your laptop, is what I think is considered the "big time", like an actor going from community theater to Broadway. Here's some decent hardware that's standard with no real voodoo needed or an expensive dev kit required. If a game like Minecraft can burn up XBLA, purchased by people who could probably have gotten the superior computer version, what's to say other quality titles couldn't do the same on a dedicated platform?

[kupomogli]

There's going to be mass amounts of piracy on this sucker and every person backing this system knows it. That's why most people are backing the console. Not because of more indie games, but because games are going to be easily pirateable and tons of emulators in the form of a console rather than a computer.

There might be other people buying it for legitimate reasons, such as the possibility of good iOS games coming out for it, or maybe all around entertainment machine that can not only is a cheap alternative of watching Netflix, but can also play games. But yeah. Most people are buying it because of the ease of piracy and it not being a computer.

[Bojay1997]

There's going to be mass amounts of piracy on this sucker and every person backing this system knows it. That's why most people are backing the console. Not because of more indie games, but because games are going to be easily pirateable and tons of emulators in the form of a console rather than a computer.

There might be other people buying it for legitimate reasons, such as the possibility of good iOS games coming out for it, or maybe all around entertainment machine that can not only is a cheap alternative of watching Netflix, but can also play games. But yeah. Most people are buying it because of the ease of piracy and it not being a computer.

I agree and I think it's this piracy angle or the free rider (i.e. people that just see it as a way to play free video, music and games) that will kill this concept very quickly. I doubt many people are going to actually use it as the developers hope - to buy optimized versions of existing Android games that can be played on a TV with a controller.

[Jorpho]

Wouldn't anyone that interested in emulation already have a reasonable HTPC hooked up one way or another?

[dgdgagdae]

Wouldn't anyone that interested in emulation already have a reasonable HTPC hooked up one way or another?

Not necessarily. I'd love to have one of these for emulation. It's $100, and it's a console that will have the outputs for a TV. I'm not going to go to the trouble to setup a separate PC with all that entails, as well as converting the video to something I can connect to my TV. It's too much trouble, it's too clunky (where am I putting this PC in my entertainment center?), and it's too expensive.

[Jorpho]

and it's too expensive.Not really. Two hundred, tops, I reckon. Also, weren't modded XBoxes really big for that sort of thing a few years ago?

[kainemaxwell]

Comes out in 10 days. I'm definitely interested in this depending on reviews now.

[The 1 2 P]

There have already been a few of the early kickstarter-backed editions of these showing up on my local craigs list over the last few weeks.

[kainemaxwell]

Noticed a few prelim reviews on youtube also, among the shipping complaints for the kickstarter editions on their facebook page.

[jeffg]

I got one of these from a guy on craigslist. traded a couple games for it. it isn't too bad, good for emulation of snes, nes, genesis, sms on my tv. some of the games are good, there is a bomberman sort of type game which is a blast.

[kainemaxwell]

This was released officially yesterday right?

[Bojay1997]

This was released officially yesterday right?

Yes. My local Best Buy even had a couple on the shelf. Unfortunately, as a backer, I already stupidly purchased and own one. Probably my biggest Kickstarter disappointment thus far.

[JSoup]

I got one of these from a guy on craigslist. traded a couple games for it. it isn't too bad, good for emulation of snes, nes, genesis, sms on my tv. some of the games are good, there is a bomberman sort of type game which is a blast.

Hmm, might look into one, then. I keep seeing them on eBay for $60 and my local craigslist for under that.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Amusing how quickly people are selling off a system that will very likely have system and game improving updates rolling out in the near future.

[Bojay1997]

Amusing how quickly people are selling off a system that will very likely have system and game improving updates rolling out in the near future.

There's nothing that can be done for the badly designed controller and the outdated Tegra 3 unfortunately.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

There's nothing that can be done for the badly designed controller and the outdated Tegra 3 unfortunately.

Well, a Tegra3 is what was promised and Tegra3 performance is what people should have expected.

Also, the system syncs with a PS3 controller right out of the box.

Not unreasonable to assume it'll eventually sync with a PS4 controller via firmware update to get the one thing that the PS3 controller is missing (touchpad).

[Bojay1997]

Well, a Tegra3 is what was promised and Tegra3 performance is what people should have expected.

Also, the system syncs with a PS3 controller right out of the box.

Not unreasonable to assume it'll eventually sync with a PS4 controller via firmware update to get the one thing that the PS3 controller is missing (touchpad).

Fair enough, but the fact that you can buy a $50 PS3 controller to use in place of the broken junk they included with the system isn't really a valid response to the problems. The Tegra 3 wouldn't have been as much of an issue if they had figured out a way to really optimize the TV output in a way that covered up the poor resolution and lack of detail. Unfortunately, they cut every corner possible to get this thing out the door undoubtedly in the hopes that they could release a better follow-up device using the funds from the Kickstarter presales and retail sales. Given the almost universal bad reviews and disappointment from people who backed the Kickstarter, I can't really see this thing going beyond the initial device launch even if they somehow make some software improvements.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Fair enough, but the fact that you can buy a $50 PS3 controller to use in place of the broken junk they included with the system isn't really a valid response to the problems. The Tegra 3 wouldn't have been as much of an issue if they had figured out a way to really optimize the TV output in a way that covered up the poor resolution and lack of detail. Unfortunately, they cut every corner possible to get this thing out the door undoubtedly in the hopes that they could release a better follow-up device using the funds from the Kickstarter presales and retail sales. Given the almost universal bad reviews and disappointment from people who backed the Kickstarter, I can't really see this thing going beyond the initial device launch even if they somehow make some software improvements.

Sure, I wouldn't run out and buy a DS3 or Sixaxis JUST to pair with this, but if you have one, that's a plus.

Android is generally pretty flexible and while a lot of early software may hit the wall in terms of bad optimization I'd like to see what comes down the pike this year before I write it off entirely.

Worst case scenario, it's a decent $100 classic console emulator.

[YoshiM]

There's nothing that can be done for the badly designed controller and the outdated Tegra 3 unfortunately.

Badly designed controller? I dunno, it feels pretty good to me. Good weight, decent response time after a firmware update. Don't care if it doesn't have rumble.

I just don't get the expectations. We're people looking at some other device called Ouya or is it because it's a console therefore it should be along the same lines as the Big Boys?

I knew what I got into with the Kickstarter. I knew what to expect. There were updates, Reddit posts, you name it that showed what was coming or what could be done. I don't care that it may get "phone" games because I don't game on my phone. I don't like it so the Ouya fits me. And the controller-sure it's $50 but we're talking about a small-fry company compared to a Sony or Microsoft.

[Tupin]

So, no store around me actually carries it. Why is that?

[kainemaxwell]

Hopefully a version 2 will fix these issues if there is one.

[Trebuken]

I played with mine for a few hours today.

Controller is fine...it's not competing with a Sixaxis or 360 controller though. Uses AA batteries...would have liked a rechargeable option.

The system is a little underpowered. Ravensword Shadowlands, which, I think, is optimized for Tegra 3 stutters horribly, hopefully it will be patched if it can be. Shadowguns is solid, could use a couple more fps.

Otherwise all the games I have tried run great,, and work well with the controller.

The system manual sucks. Took me a few minutes to figure out where to put the batteries (may just be me).

I had some trouble syncing the system and controller (may be me again).

I have run the emulators but have not installed any ROMS yet.

Will pick up a fresh USB drive and or SD card tomorrow.

We need to see much more software yet, but if you enjoy indie games this is awesome. I believe is it succeeds they will be releasing updated models in the same manner as cell phones (annually maybe).

[dgdgagdae]

I played with mine for a few hours today.

Controller is fine...it's not competing with a Sixaxis or 360 controller though. Uses AA batteries...would have liked a rechargeable option.

The system is a little underpowered. Ravensword Shadowlands, which, I think, is optimized for Tegra 3 stutters horribly, hopefully it will be patched if it can be. Shadowguns is solid, could use a couple more fps.

Otherwise all the games I have tried run great,, and work well with the controller.

The system manual sucks. Took me a few minutes to figure out where to put the batteries (may just be me).

I had some trouble syncing the system and controller (may be me again).

I have run the emulators but have not installed any ROMS yet.

Will pick up a fresh USB drive and or SD card tomorrow.

We need to see much more software yet, but if you enjoy indie games this is awesome. I believe is it succeeds they will be releasing updated models in the same manner as cell phones (annually maybe).

I don't have an Android anything. How easy is it to install emulators? Are they readily available, or do you have to hack the thing somehow?

[Jorpho]

Pretty much the whole point to the console was to make obscure hacking unnecessary.

[BricatSegaFan]

I don't have an Android anything. How easy is it to install emulators? Are they readily available, or do you have to hack the thing somehow?

It's super easy. In fact they have Rom apps on the play store. However I rarely if ever use emulation period.