Kickstarter: Ouya Video Game Console (Coming to Target, Amazon, GameStop, Best Buy)

[quote name='MSI Magus']Hmmmmm I did not see the 8gb storage thing. That could be a major major issue unless they either do lots of streaming or they allow pretty much any external hard drive to work(which id be ok with since I could then pick up a super cheap 100 gig external drive).[/QUOTE]
Since it's an android device I would assume they could just add in a SD card slot. SD cards are cheap as shit nowadays.

8GB is kinda low for a gaming machine.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']I doubt the Ouya is the next big thing, but if Nintendo had done something like this I think they would have made a huge splash.[/QUOTE]

But, not a huge amount of money.

Gaming hardware is a loss leader. The money is made either in services (like Xbox Live) or 1st party games (Nintendo). Something like this doesn't work towards those goals.

BTW, like the Wii, I expect once the initial excitement of this goes away, many of these will probably be gathering dust. The core gamer population is finite and has high demands. The casual gamer prefer multifunction devices that do other things than just play games.

The reason why you see "gimmicks" is that it is harder and harder to wow the gaming public. I think the next console generation will be a tough sell.
 
[quote name='midloo']I think a lot of folks here "console" and start immediately thinking of the consoles we've known over the years. This device has potential, but it does not have the infrastructure behind it that we are used to in a console. This seems initially focused on lightweight freemium content. Maybe I'm just being negative, but I could see this box becoming a platform for shovelware just as easily as it could become a fun toy for hobbyists.[/QUOTE]

Nintendo used to make paper playing cards. The founders of HP started their business in a garage, same with Apple. You never know where the next business idea might come from that turns the industry on its head.
 
I like the idea of the thing especially since it'll be hack friendly allowing emulation and stuff without having to hook the laptop to your tv. Need usb 3.0 and a SD slot and if you won't give us more ram and least add a slot on the board so we can add more.

Amazed at how fast it's selling they'll run through these 5000 in no time. I'll let you guys jump in and test the water, i'll buy next year.
 
This thing is stupid.

Btw, the whole "Every game is free thing". It's a scam. All you are going to get is a demo, not very revolutionary.. considering XBLA already does it. Every game isn't going to be TF2 or League of Legends.

Enjoy your massive amounts of shovelware.

Also, not a deal.
 
[quote name='NEP']This thing is stupid.

Btw, the whole "Every game is free thing". It's a scam. All you are going to get is a demo. Every game isn't going to be TF2 or League of Legends.

Enjoy your massive amounts of shovelware.

Also, not a deal.[/QUOTE]

I looked, here's what their Kickstarter says:

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.
Click to expand...

So, which part is the scam?
 
[quote name='NEP']This thing is stupid.

Btw, the whole "Every game is free thing". It's a scam. All you are going to get is a demo, not very revolutionary.. considering XBLA already does it. Every game isn't going to be TF2 or League of Legends.

Enjoy your massive amounts of shovelware.

Also, not a deal.[/QUOTE]

I wish I could see the future.
there are lots of people who make home brew games, this console will not only allow them to do that, but put it out there for more people to download and try out.
I will not join the kickstarter but if I hear about some decent games on it later on I will pick one up
 
[quote name='TheLongshot']But, not a huge amount of money.

Gaming hardware is a loss leader. The money is made either in services (like Xbox Live) or 1st party games (Nintendo). Something like this doesn't work towards those goals.

BTW, like the Wii, I expect once the initial excitement of this goes away, many of these will probably be gathering dust. The core gamer population is finite and has high demands. The casual gamer prefer multifunction devices that do other things than just play games.

The reason why you see "gimmicks" is that it is harder and harder to wow the gaming public. I think the next console generation will be a tough sell.[/QUOTE]

1. I was calling for Nintendo to focus on games...not hardware. Your logic thus makes zero sense.

2. You talk about what gamers want and demand. Yet in a few hours they have raised over half a million dollars and have around 5,000 backers. These forums are buzzing, the internet is buzzing and even a few big media sites are covering this. You have already been proven wrong about interest and demand. Agai, will this be the next big thing? Probably not. But is there a demand for a new way of doing things? Yep! Is there demand for an open platform? Yep! Is there demand for cheaper games? Yep!

All I and many others are saying is that we want something like this to succeed regardless of if this is the project or not. There is a market for it, can this capitalize on that? We will see.
 
[quote name='NEP']This thing is stupid.

Btw, the whole "Every game is free thing". It's a scam. All you are going to get is a demo, not very revolutionary.. considering XBLA already does it. Every game isn't going to be TF2 or League of Legends.

Enjoy your massive amounts of shovelware.

Also, not a deal.[/QUOTE]
Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed today... :(
 
[quote name='Woocls']Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed today... :([/QUOTE]

Nah, I think its just another example of how people feel their opinion is somehow fact. The discussions I have seen so far for the Ouya have been a sad mix of fanatic support that this is the revolution we all have been wanting and this is a useless scam and anyone that doesnt feel that way is an idiot. Welcome to the modern age of spoiled children(children being a general term not related to age)who feel their opinion is some how the definitive word.
 
[quote name='Sir_Fragalot']Love the idea. What makes me wonder is how far they can go on a Tegra 3 and 1 GB of ram.[/QUOTE]

Tegra 3 is slightly slower than the SGX543MP4+ (the GPU used in the Ipad3 and PS Vita). That being said, it's only $99 and it's honestly not that much slower than the SGX543MP4+. I would expect 3D games to be optimized for 720p and look something like PS2 graphics if they were upscaled to 720p and given better textures. 2D is where this thing will shine, though. There's no reason it can't do 1080p 2d vector graphics or even hand drawn graphics on the same level as Rayman Origins. I wouldn't expect that, but I preordered mine in hopes of all the potential 2D games.
 
There's nothing you can really compare it to because of the situation. The device is small and portable so travel and playing aren't problems. Odds are you already have another android device, so you'd be able to play on a small device or a bigger one. The hardware can be customized, so you won't outdated yourself easily. It's open source so there will be plenty of attention in home brew. In the absolute worst case you load up Linux. You then wait for a bit as steam already said they'll be supporting that platform. That's without getting into shadier turf. In the best, and more likely scenario as 5000 people have given over 622k in 5 hours, android will have a variety of games along with a clear nod to hard core gaming.
 
[quote name='usrevenge']I wish I could see the future.
there are lots of people who make home brew games, this console will not only allow them to do that, but put it out there for more people to download and try out.
I will not join the kickstarter but if I hear about some decent games on it later on I will pick one up[/QUOTE]

Anyone who wants to make Android games can, for free, as long as they have an Android device to test it on. This just gives them an extra control medium (a controller). Should someone decide to only support the Ouya, then they also have a standard set of hardware...but the same could be said if a developer just wanted to focus on a particular cell phone or tablet.
 
WOW! In just the 10 minutes it took for me to watch the video, reset my Kickstarter password & donate ($100) it's gotten 110k extra in funding. This will hit it's goal within a few hours by the looks of it.

Thank you VERY much for alerting me of this. Sounds really innovative.
 
[quote name='Salamando3000']Anyone who wants to make Android games can, for free, as long as they have an Android device to test it on. This just gives them an extra control medium (a controller). Should someone decide to only support the Ouya, then they also have a standard set of hardware...but the same could be said if a developer just wanted to focus on a particular cell phone or tablet.[/QUOTE]

I think the problem I've heard a lot about Android games is that there just aren't enough people who pay for them. What this does is provide a console-like experience for Android developers. People who own the console will be more likely to pay for their games, and the developers have a new way to get their games to those consumers. This can only help the entire Android base and could lead to some interesting new games!
 
"All we need is you.

With your help, we need to:
  • Convert our prototype to production-ready models and get all the regulatory approvals (yeah, we need these to sell them)"
This is also my concern... knowing that the console itself is advertised as hackable... wouldnt that make it harder for the company to get approvals for it to be mass produced?

anyway, i decided to pass on kickstarter and we'll wait and see how this will unfold in 2013. for those who donated.... good luck and let us know how it goes.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']1. I was calling for Nintendo to focus on games...not hardware. Your logic thus makes zero sense.[/QUOTE]

How's that worked for Sega? Nintendo is better off as both a hardware and software vendor. You may not like the direction, but at least they are trying to be creative with what you call "gimmics".

2. You talk about what gamers want and demand. Yet in a few hours they have raised over half a million dollars and have around 5,000 backers. These forums are buzzing, the internet is buzzing and even a few big media sites are covering this. You have already been proven wrong about interest and demand. Agai, will this be the next big thing? Probably not. But is there a demand for a new way of doing things? Yep! Is there demand for an open platform? Yep! Is there demand for cheaper games? Yep!
Click to expand...

Will it succeed? Who the hell knows. Can they deliver? Can the developers deliver the content? Certainly I've been around platforms with strong community support, but they usually end up paleing in comparison to those with strong corporate support.

Let's use the Pandora as a benchmark.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandora_(console)

All I and many others are saying is that we want something like this to succeed regardless of if this is the project or not. There is a market for it, can this capitalize on that? We will see.
Click to expand...

And I'm not saying it is wrong to wish this to succeed. But, let's not pretend that this is the type of console the big players should be developing, because it doesn't work in their best interests.
 
[quote name='Chemosh013']I think the problem I've heard a lot about Android games is that there just aren't enough people who pay for them. What this does is provide a console-like experience for Android developers. People who own the console will be more likely to pay for their games, and the developers have a new way to get their games to those consumers. This can only help the entire Android base and could lead to some interesting new games![/QUOTE]

I think it depends on why people aren't paying for them...if they aren't paying for them because they can find the app for free on some unsavory forum, this isn't going to help. Hell, a key selling point is the openness of the system. If people aren't paying for apps because they get enough in the free version, still don't see how this will help. Anything they do to make the "free" version worth less than the paid version they could do on the Mobile version of Android.
 
Loving the idea and premise of this thing. With how much publisher hell a lot of developers go through to release on "the big 3", I could see this thing being a haven for lots of indie games. Cave Story, La Mulana, and Spelunky are all games I could see getting their "HD treatment" here without the hassle that is associated with bringing a title to a bigger console.

I'm just wishy washy on whether I want to plunk down the $99 now and get one, or wait till down the road to buy one at a higher price (but after confirming if it's going to be successful or not). While I usually don't have trouble making purchases "on faith" (ie buying the original PSP before much was released for it), there's a lot of other games and whatnot coming out in that general timeframe. >
 
[quote name='CAGkrazy']"All we need is you.

With your help, we need to:
  • Convert our prototype to production-ready models and get all the regulatory approvals (yeah, we need these to sell them)"
This is also my concern... knowing that the console itself is advertised as hackable... wouldnt that make it harder for the company to get approvals for it to be mass produced?

anyway, i decided to pass on kickstarter and we'll wait and see how this will unfold in 2013. for those who donated.... good luck and let us know how it goes.[/QUOTE]

I don't see why it would be hard to get approval. It looks like it will be about as hackable as a desktop PC, maybe a bit less. There are plenty of desktop PCs around, so I don't see why it would be an issue.

I'm almost positive they're referring to hacking in the traditional sense, btw (e.g. 'hardware hacking').
 
Seems like an awful lot to invest in something as iffy as this sounds. Its a good idea though and I wish them the best.
 
[quote name='CAGkrazy']"All we need is you.

With your help, we need to:
  • Convert our prototype to production-ready models and get all the regulatory approvals (yeah, we need these to sell them)"
This is also my concern... knowing that the console itself is advertised as hackable... wouldnt that make it harder for the company to get approvals for it to be mass produced?

anyway, i decided to pass on kickstarter and we'll wait and see how this will unfold in 2013. for those who donated.... good luck and let us know how it goes.[/QUOTE]

Naw. Any PC is hackable in the sense they're talking about. You can run any OS/software or put any hardware in it you want. The FCC has to clear anything with any kind of radio device (i.e., wifi) and there's a few other stamps of approval you need, but it takes a while and usually holds up manufacturing.
 
How's that worked for Sega? Nintendo is better off as both a hardware and software vendor. You may not like the direction, but at least they are trying to be creative with what you call "gimmics".
Click to expand...

Saying you want them to focus on games is not the same as saying I want them to get out of the hardware business. Again you are jumping to the wrong conclusions.

"And I'm not saying it is wrong to wish this to succeed. But, let's not pretend that this is the type of console the big players should be developing, because it doesn't work in their best interests. "
Click to expand...

Says one random guy on the internet. Lets face it, the $600 console that later on added the magic wand did so well. Had Sony taken the route I am talking about their costs would have been so incredibly low it would be impossible to lose money. we all know they couldn't have done much worse.
 
Giving money to someone for a product that doesn't exist doesn't seem like being a very good consumer to me.

Neither does "investing" in a product when I won't see any returns whatsoever on my investment.

And neither does "donating" to a commercial venture when they're going to sell this product and make money from it, none of which will be returning to me.

Pass.
 
[quote name='Schildkrote']Giving money to someone for a product that doesn't exist doesn't seem like being a very good consumer to me.

Neither does "investing" in a product when I won't see any returns whatsoever on my investment.

And neither does "donating" to a commercial venture when they're going to sell this product and make money from it, none of which will be returning to me.

Pass.[/QUOTE]
LOL you just shot down the ENTIRE kickstarter idea. You ever pre-order a game or system before? That's essentially all this is with variable "collector's editions" available.
 
i havent pledge to kickstarter before but i have a quick question for those that pledge (for future reference)

... do you only need to pledge $99? That price already includes shipping right? and the +$20 is only if your outside the USA?? because im seeing some comments in the kickstarter page saying you have to put down $119.
 
[quote name='erequena']Worst case scenario (not many games are made) you will be able to use it as a MAME console[/QUOTE]

That's the whole reason I decided to fund it - emulation.

My OG xbox got killed by lighting recently, and this seems like a good replacement for the only thing I used it for recently (emulation + media center).
 
Thanks OP for letting us know, great project to back. Pledged $130 for console + two controllers.

The spec of the system is a little low, but seems reasonable for the price, well worth the try.

One thing I am confused about is that the articles linked in OP seems to indicate that "Every Ouya will come with the development kit and debug console...", I'm guessing that is somehow different to the $699+ pledge level of "EARLY SDK ACCESS" ?
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']Saying you want them to focus on games is not the same as saying I want them to get out of the hardware business. Again you are jumping to the wrong conclusions.[/quote]

Maybe then I don't understand what you are arguing.

Says one random guy on the internet. Lets face it, the $600 console that later on added the magic wand did so well. Had Sony taken the route I am talking about their costs would have been so incredibly low it would be impossible to lose money. we all know they couldn't have done much worse.
Click to expand...

Course, that is the same company who took away the ability to install Linux on the console because it wasn't in their best interest to continue that functionality.

BTW, I wouldn't imply that the PS3 was a failure, because it wasn't. Both Sony and Microsoft are big companies who play the long game. Plus, they knew there were fools who'd pay $600 for a console, just like there are people willing to spend $99 on something that may or may not happen.
 
[quote name='Asgardian']One thing I am confused about is that the articles linked in OP seems to indicate that "Every Ouya will come with the development kit and debug console...", I'm guessing that is somehow different to the $699+ pledge level of "EARLY SDK ACCESS" ?[/QUOTE]

I would guess that the 699 level means you get a dev kit immediately. Everyone else has to wait until the console is made.
 
[quote name='Asgardian']One thing I am confused about is that the articles linked in OP seems to indicate that "Every Ouya will come with the development kit and debug console...", I'm guessing that is somehow different to the $699+ pledge level of "EARLY SDK ACCESS" ?[/QUOTE]

Early SDK gets to you in December, and they advertise your game for a year.
 
[quote name='cancerman1120']Deals[/QUOTE]

That too. Not so much a deal as the latest Beg of the Week. My games forum of choice actually had to come up with new rules restricting the number of Kickstarter threads because people would just not stop begging.
 
So I understand if it gets funded we have to pay but does that guarantee you will get a console. What of they mismanage the money? Or underestate how much it costs to produce each console. I'm super interested but concerned that I won't get anything..
 
[quote name='rogus']So I understand if it gets funded we have to pay but does that guarantee you will get a console. What of they mismanage the money? Or underestate how much it costs to produce each console. I'm super interested but concerned that I won't get anything..[/QUOTE]

Kickstarter offers no protection for backers once a project has been funded. Should backers never get their pledge bonuses or whatever, it's up to them to pursue legal action. Link
 
[quote name='rogus']So I understand if it gets funded we have to pay but does that guarantee you will get a console. What of they mismanage the money? Or underestate how much it costs to produce each console. I'm super interested but concerned that I won't get anything..[/QUOTE]

It is the potential risk with any Kickstarter, and you should know going in that you may not get what you expect, or you may not get anything.

That being said, most successful Kickstarters do deliver products. It may not be timely, it may not be everything they said it would be, but most of the time you do get something.
 
[quote name='rogus']So I understand if it gets funded we have to pay but does that guarantee you will get a console. What of they mismanage the money? Or underestate how much it costs to produce each console. I'm super interested but concerned that I won't get anything..[/QUOTE]

You're not guarunteed anything. If any of the situations you mentioned end up happening, it's up to you to lawyer up, otherwise you're on your own and your money is gone with nothing to show for it. You're going to have problems even after lawyering up because of the "donation" and "contribution" terminology that the site uses, which is extremely protective of the contribution recipient.

This is the main reason Kickstarter is questionable at best.
 
[quote name='Salamando3000']Kickstarter offers no protection for backers once a project has been funded. Should backers never get their pledge bonuses or whatever, it's up to them to pursue legal action. Link[/QUOTE]

My question is since Double Fine caused Kickstarter to become a huge avenue for video game "developers" to fund things how many products have been created?

I just know this whole trend is going to end up going bad. Double Fine has the resources to make the game they promised regardless of the Kickstarter but these start-ups are too much a risk for me. You know there is going to be A LOT of failures and some really really raging gamers out there.
 
[quote name='TheLongshot']It is the potential risk with any Kickstarter, and you should know going in that you may not get what you expect, or you may not get anything.

That being said, most successful Kickstarters do deliver products. It may not be timely, it may not be everything they said it would be, but most of the time you do get something.[/QUOTE]

Yep. I pledged for a cool product back in feb with a estimated shipping date of may 31st. I didn't get it till July but it did ship.

P.S. its now over 750k..
 
[quote name='Schildkrote']You're not guarunteed anything. If any of the situations you mentioned end up happening, it's up to you to lawyer up, otherwise you're on your own and your money is gone with nothing to show for it. You're going to have problems even after lawyering up because of the "donation" and "contribution" terminology that the site uses, which is extremely protective of the contribution recipient.

This is the main reason Kickstarter is questionable at best.[/QUOTE]

So, you won't buy any of the games that were funded by Kickstarter once they're released?
 
I'm not clear on the SDK thing. Are they doing a forked modified version of Android like Amazon and Barnes and Noble did or are they developing their own app market? A non-standard proprietary controller?

In other words, why is there a need for an Ouya specific SDK since Android as of 4.0 officially supports controllers now.
 
[quote name='Xaliqen']So, you won't buy any of the games that were funded by Kickstarter once they're released?[/QUOTE]

1.) Paying for a product that doesn't exist is not financially sound.

2.) Investing in a product when you won't see any return on your investment is not financially sound.

3.) Donating to a commercial cause is questionable when not only are there are charitable causes that need the money much more, but if and when they sell the resulting product you won't see any of the revenue you helped generate.

4.) The "it's basically pre-ordering" argument doesn't apply because pre-ordering comes with certain consumer protections that aren't afforded to you here.

So if a Kickstarter project did produce a game I wanted and I was able to pay for it and receive the product right then and there, bypassing all of the above issues, then yes, I might do that.
 
[quote name='Schildkrote']1.) Paying for a product that doesn't exist is not financially sound.

2.) Investing in a product when you won't see any return on your investment is not financially sound.

3.) Donating to a commercial cause is questionable when not only are there are charitable causes that need the money much more, but if and when they sell the resulting product you won't see any of the revenue you helped generate.

4.) The "it's basically pre-ordering" argument doesn't apply because pre-ordering comes with certain consumer protections that aren't afforded to you here.

So if a Kickstarter project did produce a game I wanted and I was able to pay for it and receive the product right then and there, bypassing all of the above issues, then yes, I might do that.[/QUOTE]


It sounds like you just don't get Kickstarter, which is fine.

But, if you end up benefiting from a Kickstarter project at some point, just remember it's because others made it possible.
 
[quote name='cancerman1120']My question is since Double Fine caused Kickstarter to become a huge avenue for video game "developers" to fund things how many products have been created?[/quote]

There really hasn't been all that much time to create much of anything from Kickstarter in the video game world, so kinda hard to say.

I just know this whole trend is going to end up going bad. Double Fine has the resources to make the game they promised regardless of the Kickstarter but these start-ups are too much a risk for me. You know there is going to be A LOT of failures and some really really raging gamers out there.
Click to expand...

Actually, the majority of VG Kickstarter attempts don't meet their funding goal. That tells me that there is likely to be a lower percentage of failures than you suggest.

Now, are all of these going to be great games? Doubtful. Then again, you can say that about what the majors produce, which many buy sight unseen.
 
I have backed 17 projects on Kickstarter and have yet to have an issue. My wife and I also work as reviewers in the board game industry and have worked directly with numerous other developers through Kickstarter and have yet to find someone that seemed out to just make a quick buck. I think there is a fair risk at hand for a project(especially a HUGE project like this one)to be mismanaged and go belly up. However, in general Kickstarter is a very reliable site that is mainly used by smaller developers and project owners who just want to make their dream a reality.
 
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