"A new kind of video game console."
Ouya is an upcoming video game console, built to be used with a television, and powered by Android. It's completely unrelated to the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Wii. The Ouya project was envisioned by Julie Uhrman, the CEO of Boxer8. It was first announced on July 3rd. One week later, the Ouya project was uploaded to the fundraiser site Kickstarter with a goal of $950,000. That goal was raised in eight hours. When the fundraiser officially ended, on August 9, the Ouya campaign had raised $8,596,475 from over 63,000 backers. So it's safe to say there are at least some people very interested in this tiny, unassuming console. But what is it all about?
At first glance, Ouya seems like a console that plays Android games and apps on your television screen. But, according to the Kickstarter page: "OUYA was not created merely to host ports of existing Android games. We’ve built this badboy to play the most creative content from today’s best known AAA game designers as well as adored indie gamemakers." All those games, by the way, will be "free to play." Ouya will also launch with the TwitchTV application and access to OnLive, a video game streaming service similar to Steam. The system also advertises itself as the first true open gaming platform, meaning that "any developer can publish a game" and any hacker can "root" the system to his heart's content. He can even hack the physical console.
Speaking of the console, it's about the size of a Rubik's Cube. Its specifications include a Tegra3 quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB of internal flash storage, HDMI connection to the TV (with support for up to 1080p HD), WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth LE 4.0, USB 2.0, etc.
Those who didn't preorder it on Kickstarter can do so at Ouya.tv.
So that's Ouya in a nutshell. But is the console worth buying? Will it be successful? Will it draw away anyone who is already invested in one of three existing consoles? And what about PC gamers and smartphone users? Will it appeal to them enough to be financially viable?
I'm very skeptical about Ouya and pessimistic about its future. Moreover, I think the failure of Ouya will have some rather dramatic effects on the public perception of Kickstarter. Below are four reasons Ouya will fail as a product, never mind "upend console gaming."
The Ouya fundraiser took in $8,596,475, exceeding its target goal by 900 percent. There's no way around those numbers: many different people dedicated millions of dollars to Ouya. This signals a very strong fan following for this so-far imaginary console. Moreover, many thousands of those fans donated an amount that earned them a complimentary Ouya system, which makes them supporters and buyers. But what about the other donators, and what about the millions of other video game players? Will they shell out $99 for the system? My guess is no. I think the financial and verbal support for the Ouya has more to do with fan frustration with the video game industry and less to do with interest in Ouya. Fans are sick of on-disc DLC, subscription fees, expensive and unnecessary sequels, and out-of-touch gaming corporations. Enter a new $99 console that promises free games, and pledges to support the little guy. It's love at first sight. I truly believe many more people love the idea of the Ouya more than the actual console. And sales will reflect this.
On its Kickstarter page, Ouya states "hackers welcome." It's a bold statement from a prospective video game company, especially considering the scourge that is software piracy for PCs and consoles. Yet Ouya embraces what other companies fight back against. Some, like Kotaku, have argued that the open, hackable nature of Ouya is simultaneously its greatest strength and biggest weakness, but they're missing the point. The question isn't "what hackers will do to the system to undermine legitimate game development?" It's "what hackers?" Is this some huge demographic that will surely buy up Ouya consoles by the gross? I know a lot of video game players, young and old, and most don't know how to reset their routers, let alone hack a console. If filling a niche market is good enough for the Ouya, maybe appealing to hackers is a smart strategy. But I imagine Ouya wants to reach out to the largest possible audience.
All games on Ouya are free to play, except when they're not. The truth is that not all games are required to be free, only some fraction of gameplay has to be free. In other words, developers "can offer a free demo with a full-game upgrade, in-game items or powers, or ask you to subscribe." I know many industry analysts and companies believe in the free-to-play model, but I really think it's unsustainable. By making a console that plays popular Android games on a TV, Ouya is clearly appealing to people who like to play video games on their smartphones and tablets. Will those people move from $1 games to microtransactions and subscriptions fees, many of which add up to an amount greater than those $60 games everyone keeps complaining about? I don't think so.
As I implied in my most recent post, exclusive games are often what determines the greatness of a console. People buy Playstation because they want to play Metal Gear Solid; people buy Xbox because they love Halo and Gears of War; and people buy Nintendo because they can't get enough Zelda and Metroid. So what exclusive games will the Ouya offer? It will surely have dozens (if not hundreds) of Android apps, but what new, exclusive games will be available? On their Kickstarter page, Ouya says: "It’s a little early to share a final roster. We’ll do that when we get closer to launch next year." OK, that's fair. The system is due in March 2013, so we have seven months left. A lot can happen in seven months. But let's look at what we do know. The first exclusive game announced is a series of prequels to an upcoming game (you read that correctly: prequels to a game that hasn't come out yet, and won't until 2015) designed by ex-Infinity Ward strategist Robert Bowling. What's somewhat troubling is Bowling's explanation of the prequels and Ouya in general: "[Ouya] allows us the flexibility and the freedom creatively to use it as a testbed for all these rapidly prototyped mechanic and gameplay experiences that maybe are too costly and risky to dedicate a full priority list to on another platform." Doesn't this sound like Ouya is being used as a beta service for a much more sophisticated game on the next generation of consoles? Then there's Final Fantasy III, which Ouya is advertising as "the first time gamers outside of Japan can play FFIII on their televisions through a console." That's technically true, but Final Fantasy III on Ouya is just an HD version of the same game on Nintendo DS, which released in 2006. If Wii U is going to be criticized for having one-year-old ports at launch, then the Ouya has to be criticized for having a six-year-old port (not the fortified wine).
Want more proof? Video game analyst and tea-leaf reader Michael Pachter is a big supporter of Ouya. He suggested the sub-$100 price could drive Microsoft and Sony to drop prices on their systems. Said Pachter: "Ouya could hit a sweet spot with gamers."
At first glance, Ouya seems like a console that plays Android games and apps on your television screen. But, according to the Kickstarter page: "OUYA was not created merely to host ports of existing Android games. We’ve built this badboy to play the most creative content from today’s best known AAA game designers as well as adored indie gamemakers." All those games, by the way, will be "free to play." Ouya will also launch with the TwitchTV application and access to OnLive, a video game streaming service similar to Steam. The system also advertises itself as the first true open gaming platform, meaning that "any developer can publish a game" and any hacker can "root" the system to his heart's content. He can even hack the physical console.
 |
| Want to mess around inside the Ouya? All you need is a screwdriver. |
Speaking of the console, it's about the size of a Rubik's Cube. Its specifications include a Tegra3 quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB of internal flash storage, HDMI connection to the TV (with support for up to 1080p HD), WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth LE 4.0, USB 2.0, etc.
Those who didn't preorder it on Kickstarter can do so at Ouya.tv.
So that's Ouya in a nutshell. But is the console worth buying? Will it be successful? Will it draw away anyone who is already invested in one of three existing consoles? And what about PC gamers and smartphone users? Will it appeal to them enough to be financially viable?
 |
| Note that Minecraft is not confirmed for Ouya; however Minecraft: Pocket Edition should work fine. |
I'm very skeptical about Ouya and pessimistic about its future. Moreover, I think the failure of Ouya will have some rather dramatic effects on the public perception of Kickstarter. Below are four reasons Ouya will fail as a product, never mind "upend console gaming."
#4: Ouya has more supporters than buyers
The Ouya fundraiser took in $8,596,475, exceeding its target goal by 900 percent. There's no way around those numbers: many different people dedicated millions of dollars to Ouya. This signals a very strong fan following for this so-far imaginary console. Moreover, many thousands of those fans donated an amount that earned them a complimentary Ouya system, which makes them supporters and buyers. But what about the other donators, and what about the millions of other video game players? Will they shell out $99 for the system? My guess is no. I think the financial and verbal support for the Ouya has more to do with fan frustration with the video game industry and less to do with interest in Ouya. Fans are sick of on-disc DLC, subscription fees, expensive and unnecessary sequels, and out-of-touch gaming corporations. Enter a new $99 console that promises free games, and pledges to support the little guy. It's love at first sight. I truly believe many more people love the idea of the Ouya more than the actual console. And sales will reflect this.
#3:Ouya is for hackers
On its Kickstarter page, Ouya states "hackers welcome." It's a bold statement from a prospective video game company, especially considering the scourge that is software piracy for PCs and consoles. Yet Ouya embraces what other companies fight back against. Some, like Kotaku, have argued that the open, hackable nature of Ouya is simultaneously its greatest strength and biggest weakness, but they're missing the point. The question isn't "what hackers will do to the system to undermine legitimate game development?" It's "what hackers?" Is this some huge demographic that will surely buy up Ouya consoles by the gross? I know a lot of video game players, young and old, and most don't know how to reset their routers, let alone hack a console. If filling a niche market is good enough for the Ouya, maybe appealing to hackers is a smart strategy. But I imagine Ouya wants to reach out to the largest possible audience.
 |
| These two want an Ouya. |
#2: Free to play?
All games on Ouya are free to play, except when they're not. The truth is that not all games are required to be free, only some fraction of gameplay has to be free. In other words, developers "can offer a free demo with a full-game upgrade, in-game items or powers, or ask you to subscribe." I know many industry analysts and companies believe in the free-to-play model, but I really think it's unsustainable. By making a console that plays popular Android games on a TV, Ouya is clearly appealing to people who like to play video games on their smartphones and tablets. Will those people move from $1 games to microtransactions and subscriptions fees, many of which add up to an amount greater than those $60 games everyone keeps complaining about? I don't think so.
#1: Ouya exclusives
As I implied in my most recent post, exclusive games are often what determines the greatness of a console. People buy Playstation because they want to play Metal Gear Solid; people buy Xbox because they love Halo and Gears of War; and people buy Nintendo because they can't get enough Zelda and Metroid. So what exclusive games will the Ouya offer? It will surely have dozens (if not hundreds) of Android apps, but what new, exclusive games will be available? On their Kickstarter page, Ouya says: "It’s a little early to share a final roster. We’ll do that when we get closer to launch next year." OK, that's fair. The system is due in March 2013, so we have seven months left. A lot can happen in seven months. But let's look at what we do know. The first exclusive game announced is a series of prequels to an upcoming game (you read that correctly: prequels to a game that hasn't come out yet, and won't until 2015) designed by ex-Infinity Ward strategist Robert Bowling. What's somewhat troubling is Bowling's explanation of the prequels and Ouya in general: "[Ouya] allows us the flexibility and the freedom creatively to use it as a testbed for all these rapidly prototyped mechanic and gameplay experiences that maybe are too costly and risky to dedicate a full priority list to on another platform." Doesn't this sound like Ouya is being used as a beta service for a much more sophisticated game on the next generation of consoles? Then there's Final Fantasy III, which Ouya is advertising as "the first time gamers outside of Japan can play FFIII on their televisions through a console." That's technically true, but Final Fantasy III on Ouya is just an HD version of the same game on Nintendo DS, which released in 2006. If Wii U is going to be criticized for having one-year-old ports at launch, then the Ouya has to be criticized for having a six-year-old port (not the fortified wine).
 |
| This deputed six years ago. |
Want more proof? Video game analyst and tea-leaf reader Michael Pachter is a big supporter of Ouya. He suggested the sub-$100 price could drive Microsoft and Sony to drop prices on their systems. Said Pachter: "Ouya could hit a sweet spot with gamers."
Yeh this spunds good - although as a poor man - i won't be testing it - until they've had plenty of reviews - as a proud Xbox 360 owner I too am wary to be honest...
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