OUYA: A new take on the console paragidm
So you may have already heard about OUYA. It's the new Kickstarter sensation. They put up the fund drive on Kickstarter yesterday, with a goal of $950,000. Within half a day, they had $1.5 million. As of now, they have $2.8 million. This makes it the most successful first day for a Kickstarter campaign yet.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ouya/ouya-a-new-kind-of-video-game-console
If this goes off without a hitch, it could change the way we think about gaming. A fully open source console, running on Android, infinitely hackable, controlled by the users.
But there are many problems with this idea. Gamasutra has a piece on the various problems at play here, and why this may be trying to fill a market that just doesn't exist.
http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/IanFisch/20120711/173901/OUYA_the_Android_console_Scam_or_just_naivette.php
What do you think? A new gaming revolution or a major dud? Somewhere in between? I know I'm certainly not going to be an early adopter on this one. I'll wait until the actual launch at least, and see how it goes.
So you may have already heard about OUYA. It's the new Kickstarter sensation. They put up the fund drive on Kickstarter yesterday, with a goal of $950,000. Within half a day, they had $1.5 million. As of now, they have $2.8 million. This makes it the most successful first day for a Kickstarter campaign yet.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ouya/ouya-a-new-kind-of-video-game-console
If this goes off without a hitch, it could change the way we think about gaming. A fully open source console, running on Android, infinitely hackable, controlled by the users.
But there are many problems with this idea. Gamasutra has a piece on the various problems at play here, and why this may be trying to fill a market that just doesn't exist.
http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/IanFisch/20120711/173901/OUYA_the_Android_console_Scam_or_just_naivette.php
What do you think? A new gaming revolution or a major dud? Somewhere in between? I know I'm certainly not going to be an early adopter on this one. I'll wait until the actual launch at least, and see how it goes.
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Its not a scam and its not founded by idiots. It fills a real need people have. That said when I heard about it my immediate response was "Hey awesome" then it turned into "Well, does that make sense for me?" Because it might not.
My first question is "What do people expect from something that plugs into a TV these days?" This device is meant to be an open console, which is awesome. +1 to rad as most console owners would choose that if they could. Thing is I am not really sure a game only device makes sense in my living room anymore.
My PS3 does the wifis, Netflix, BluRay, MP3s, DVDs ... oh right and games. It does games too. But its #1 primary use case? Netflix and BluRay/DVDs hands down. Not to say its not an excellent game system, it is, its just not how my wife and I primarally use it.
But this device is all about games. Cool, for sure, but what do people expect from a device they hook up to a TV these days? Id say the modern expectation is Netflix, media as well as games.
That all said, I imagine the device will some day support or maybe at day one, video and media. Thing is it doesn't talk about it so I didn't assume it did. That all said, a hackable system for $99? Awesome.
That said, there is another problem a bit more subtle I have. Where will I put it? I have a Wii, PS3 and Mac Mini under the TV. What do I replace? Seems lame to have 4 units under my TV. Plus the Mac can do whatever.
That said, this device might change the world and if does ill happily buy it. But a device that plays free to play Android games only at launch? Not interesting to me. After a year in the market with a ton of apps to run media and basically anything you could want? MUCH more tempting.