OUYA: A New Kind of Video Game Console

I missed it =( I wanted to do the 99$ one but I just couldnt come up with the spare cash =(

I put down $699 as well. I hope that Super Ubi Land will be able to run on it correctly. Please support the OUYA Tom and Ashley! :D

I cant wait. lol

I did $ 99 plus 20 for international shipping, i couldn't afford $ 699 about early sdk access and promote my game for 1 year.

I tought SDK will be avaliable for everyone

I also backed the Ouya with a $99 + 20 pledge.

Really looking forward to this as well: what kept me away from developing on Android so far was the extreme fragmentation of devices/specs/resolutions etc. hopefully this will become a standard, viable platform to develop for!

My hope is that without the background processes running, the device as a dedicated gaming console can be pretty up to snuff. Though I've heard arguments both for and against the Tegra 3 chip.

However, I am somewhat skeptical as to the release of big-AAA titles on the system. The people clamoring for Skyrim or Assassin's Creed on the machine are delusional.

While I am happy that the kickstarter succeeded I am taking a wait-n-see approach to see if they deliver. 60,000 consoles are a lot to produce by the time March rolls around.

First, about the hardware. One thing I like is that if it is the size of a standard Rubik's cube and I could place my speedcube collection around it. I also liked the designs of Yves B?har even before hearing he was involved with designing the controller.

My hope is that without the background processes running, the device as a dedicated gaming console can be pretty up to snuff. Though I've heard arguments both for and against the Tegra 3 chip.

The Tegra 3 is a powerful chip for its budget price point and I believe it is powerful enough to be the indie friendly platform it wants to be. People will still want more for their money and keep adding higher specs to their wishlist. The Tegra 4 is supposed to be almost double the power, but that would mean a longer wait and it takes time for developers to really get to know a new chip's behaviour. Since they can look at options like active cooling instead of passive, they might be able to overclock the Tegra 3 a bit.

I heard rumours the Ouya devs could have NVIDIA unlock access to the 5th battery-saving CPU core since Ouya won't need to manage a battery. That 500MHz core can do small tasks like playing music. The stock Android OS will assume all cores are of the same spec; thus, the 5th core is turned off when all of the other 4 cores are at max. The version of Android tailored for Ouya may have a workaround so background tasks could be offloaded from the 4 main cores onto the 5th core.

nvidia.com/content/PDF/tegra_white_papers/Variable-SMP-A-Multi-Core-CPU-Architecture-for-Low-Power-and-High-Performance.pdf

People also kept asking for more RAM. Remember that not just any RAM will do as it has to be compatible with the system. I haven't seen a Tegra 3 model spec sheet that showed more than a 2GB cap. As long as only one game is running at a time, I don't see RAM being too constricting at 1GB if game devs don't go too crazy.

nvidia.com/object/tegra-3-processor.html

People also ask for USB 3, but that would probably require some costly support chips be added to the circuit board. The ARM processors for many Android devices support one USB 2.0 micro for charging and data transfer. Adding more USB ports can be done with an internal USB hub. The Raspberry Pi model B has its ethernet port sharing the same USB hub that also gives it an additional USB port over the model A. It looks like the Ouya might have its ethernet port connected in this way too.

elinux.org/RPi_Hardware

Note for USB ports it says "1(provided by the BCM2835)" for model A and the model B says "2 (via integrated USB hub)".

Secondly, about the games. I don't see any big problems keeping Construct 2 games from running on Ouya that aren't already being solved for exporting to Android. Evilot is a game targeting Ouya's launch that is using HTML5. Eventually an Ouya exporter for Construct 2 before the end of 2013 would be nice and I would experiment with it.

syrenaica.com/evilot-the-first-chilean-game-on-kickstarter-aims-for-ouya

However, I am somewhat skeptical as to the release of big-AAA titles on the system. The people clamoring for Skyrim or Assassin's Creed on the machine are delusional.

I have to agree that some backers have really unrealistic ideas about what games they will be able to play. Excluding publishing politics and measuring CPU cycles, I assume a lot of work would be needed before even trying to run Skyrim on the Tegra's flavour of the ARM architecture as it is not a PC processor or a PowerPC descendant like in the PlayStation 3 and Xbox360. Skyrim even needs patching to unofficially run on an Intel-based Mac. This doesn't mean there can't be "good" looking games. Unreal Engine 3 supports Android and has been used to make pretty games like Infinity Blade for iPhones with weaker specs. The Unity engine can also be polished to look really good. Just like with other consoles, the developers will learn how to push the machine to its limits the more time they spend with it.

Finally, to be a success the Ouya needs to create an ecosystem. I was able to get a $95 early-bird pre-order and if its ecosystem doesn't mature then I can still enjoy it as a media box like I did with GeeXboX on my Wii. I see the XMBC and Plex developers were mentioned in a project updates. OnLive support or eventually being able to install a replacement Linux OS would be bonuses. I do think Ouya will get more help from Kickstarter by having many games for it funded there. Backers of the Ouya will be asking video game project creators to support Ouya and those creators will comply if there are enough pledges.

Really a secret core sound very nice, and many like I should realize this is nothing more then a ultra super Nintendo 64. But I'm very much ok with that. I can't wait.

Erndog2k Decided to compare old N64 specs to OUYA for a giggle. Then a thought occurred to me, OUYA presents a major opportunity for re-makes/re-releases of old games.

Then another thought occurred to me... emulators on android are becoming more stable all the time and this could allow OUYA to become almost any old console you want. The little OUYA could be a NES/SNES/N64/GB/Genisis/SGS/VB all in one little box.

How awesome is that?

Secondly, about the games. I don't see any big problems keeping Construct 2 games from running on Ouya that aren't already being solved for exporting to Android. Evilot is a game targeting Ouya's launch that is using HTML5. Eventually an Ouya exporter for Construct 2 before the end of 2013 would be nice and I would experiment with it.

http://www.syrenaica.com/evilot-the-first-chilean-game-on-kickstarter-aims-for-ouya/

Well, first of all, great and very informative post, LobsterSundew

Also, as WebGL for android 4.0 was released some time ago as open source, I don't see a reason for construct games to run great on ouya if they just take some time to implement it into their android browser. Then a simple phonegap export would be enough to create an ouya game in c2.

The little OUYA could be a NES/SNES/N64/GB/Genisis/SGS/VB all in one little box.

How awesome is that?

Thats the first thing I thought of as soon as I found out it was runnin android. I said in another post somewhere else that if nothing else it will be THE console for emulation

This is a reply and expanded thoughts regarding the Ouya. Inspired by another post from. I bring it here because it's more appropriate :)

Ouya Score: 62 "pass on"

http://gdgt.com/ouya/console/

There is a another thread on the forum concerning the Ouya where this post would be more appropriate. We are not here discussing the the merit of the console, but export support.

If the information included relevant information for exporting as in say "the Ouya reviews aren't that good, may not be a console that needs supporting" that at least has relevance.

Finally, for the important aspect. Export to the Ouya is important and it's not the reason that it's specifically for the Ouya; at least not too me. For me the Ouya is an entry point for Android console based gaming. Android is making an incredible market penetration, phones, tablets, but also moving towards TV devices, and even Android TV's. Will it be ever predominant OS. I can't say for sure, but the momentum right now is there. This means that Android in a twist could end up being a basic OS for TV's as much as Windows was for PC's.

Ouya is the first to sell the idea of the Android TV Game OS. So it really doesn't matter what the Ouya ranks now. it's the fact the movement has started and it's better to be there early, than later.

gamestick.tv

gamepop.tv

gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-06-28-google-said-to-be-developing-game-console

This then means Ouya export is important and it's exciting. This is the frontier of potential. This is where most say, meh, not worth exploring the new world. It's uncivilized, lacks cities, structures. But for the dreams, it's a world that can be defined and created. Where the current rules do not apply. As an example the entire structrual market on the IOS is nothing like is on the PC. yet year by year the quality of games goes up in the new structure. New companies are formed and can flourish. And drown of course :D

So the reply of "Pass on it: 60, with a link" and no opinion. I'm sure you can write more :)

Not to mention the Ouya platform is going towards a more iPad style releases with new models every year or so. No one looked at the iPad and said "pass", people made games, OS improved, newer versions came out, games improved. It's just the beginning and things will improve constantly for both OS and yearly for hardware.

oh I remember those days. When Apple first released the IOS with the App Store. The AppStore was a joke at the time. Now you have

A PC game that is near a 1:1 gameplay port. I hear a few maps didn't make, no DLC or Multiplayer. But the core gameplay is there. :D

ca.ign.com/articles/2013/06/25/xcom-enemy-unknown-ipad-review

then there is

baldursgate.com/ipad.en.html

Which is iPad NOW, and Android "soon". Seriously. yeah Ouya isn't great now, but the platform has a lot of merit in the future. And the preparing the foundation is what's important :)

I agree. I think the Ouya is very exciting, and if it comes to my country I'll be sure to pick it up. We have a few game devs locally who are already tinkering with it, just because it is now the easiest way to get a game into someone's living room. That's a powerful place to be.

It'll get there, I have no doubts about it. It'll never rival the PS or Xbox, but it's not meant to. I don't think it's really meant to rival anything. It's so cheap that anyone who considers themselves a core gamer could afford to pick one up just for curiosity's sake, and anyone who considers themselves a casual gamer might grab one just because it's so cheap.