I'm not a wealthy guy, I got my PC and that's it. I have older consoles like PSP, NDS and Wii but I never got into Xbox 360, PS3 or the newer consoles like WiiU, PSVita and 3DS. For me they're all too expensive and I'm better off playing my games on the PC. Now for a few years I've been ignoring all console news but something really pique my interest. There's a new contender in town, OUYA and it's very very cheap.
I'm not going to go into too much details on OUYA, because news about it is already around for quite some time. Instead, I'll talk about what I personally think about the console(got this from the discussion I had with the guys at King Oil Steam group). So, for those who doesn't know anything about Ouya, I suggest you go to their website: http://www.ouya.tv/
As for technical specs, here it is: OUYA Spec
Now that we've got that out of our way let's talk more about the console. OUYA is designed as an Open Console where developers can develop games more easily without having to pay up huge amounts of investments like in other consoles. This is great and all but as with the Android app market right now, this would mean that most games you'll find are rubbish.
Don't believe me? just check out Google Play right now and most games that you'll see there are mostly casual games that won't hold your attention longer than the time you waste dropping a deuce. Because that's what they are: games you play while taking a dump. I'm not saying that they're bad, they're decent games that does what they're supposed to do, waste a small amount of time. These games aren't designed to take a lot of time like more hardcore titles.
This is my main gripe with OUYA right now. They need exclusive games or at least more non-casual games. For Indie gamers, OUYA might be a very interesting choice with plenty of Indie devs being interested in developing for it. But hardcore gamers might need some more persuasion than that.
True that more developers are interested in developing for OUYA but those are mostly Indie devs. Indie games are definitely fun, but for a console to be successful they still need bigger names backing them up or else this will only reach a niche market.
Is OUYA worth it then? with it's cheap price(only $99 and with that spec this is far cheaper than any Android tablet or consoles out there) it is definitely a very interesting choice. The console does have a lot of potential but I'd say we should still wait for more info on whether the larger game developers are going to develop something for the hardcore gamers. What do you think?
My main gripe is the OUYA store. Since it's an independently made and maintained online store (which doesn't have a solid quality control and security system, much like the ones we can found in Google Play Store or iTunes App store. Heck even then, we can still found some bug or slip up now and then)
ReplyDeleteThis is my main concern. If hackers or modders can customize their OUYAs, who can tell what kind of security hack or other illegal damage can be done to the OUYA Store? Credit cards information leaks and stuff, and even if they're free from them (or at least, a bit secure), there's the problem of quality control. Who's gonna delete or manage the bad games / license raping gaming ports? Boxer8 isn't THAT financially secure or capable. They have to hire third party servers and maintenance teams.
A very good point, with these weaknesses we're better off waiting for more info before deciding to jump in.
ReplyDeleteToo late though, I've already pledged my allegiance back during the Kickstarter campaign :P I'll be getting the brown limited edition OUYA along with 2 controllers, grafted with my own personally picked nickname / words.
ReplyDeleteI probably won't buy anything just yet or at least until they have a guarantee on the server security :P
What do you think of Game Stick and Nvidia's Project Shield? both seems to be similar to OUYA.
ReplyDeleteGame Stick is basically OUYA's more compact counterpart. I'm just afraid these two just gonna cannibalize each other in the end. IF they can get Google Play support then it's probably gonna win out against OUYA, but if not, it all comes down to the games they offer and the marketing strategy. The iOS idea is cool though, and would be appealing to mobile gamers.
ReplyDeleteProject Shield is basically a remote media to play PC games... on your computer. Basically like a Wii U, playing the game without having to sit in front of the console (in this case, your desktop PC). It also plays Android games.... hmm... okaay... Not gonna be successful IMO. I'd rather play Android games in Google Nexus tablets or Samsung Galaxy Tablets which sports 10" screens thank you.
The biggest competitor that what would remodel the landscape is Project Fiona or Razer Edge. That shit is seriously really2 cool. A high spec "tablet" that can be a netbook or a PC gaming beast with analog sticks and real, grippable controlers? I'm sold! ... though the price tag is understandably friggin high. Thankfully not as insane as Razer Blade. (The specs are a bit similar though, kinda low for this era. It should at least sport a 4 GB graphic card along with a 2+ Ghz Processor)