[UPDATE]: New hackable game console running on Android OS breaks crowdfunding records, planned for launch by March 2013.
[UPDATE]: Ouya's Kickstarter has been successfully funded and is at more than $1.2 million pledged as of 3:20 p.m. PDT, less than a day after its launch. A Kickstarter representative said the project was the fastest ever to reach $1 million, and the only other Kickstarter to surpass the figure in its first 24 hours was Double Fine Adventure.
The original story follows below.
A new console is hoping to come to market, and it's not from Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo. It's called Ouya, and it runs on Google's Android operating system, will sell for under $100, and is aiming to "upend" the current console market. But before that can happen, the creators--also called Ouya--are asking for $950,000 on crowdfunding site Kickstarter by August 9.
Those who pledge $10 or more to the Ouya Kickstarter campaign will be able to reserve a username for the console prior to launch. For $25 or more, backers will be able to reserve a username and have an emblem emblazoned next to their tag. For $90 or more, gamers will receive everything already mentioned, as well as an Ouya console (plus extra for shipping) and a controller (plus $30 for a second controller).
Backers of $225 or more will receive an Ouya console, two controllers with their username permanently etched in, and all perks mentioned above. Those who pledge $699 or more--aimed at developers--will score a first-run Ouya console, early software development kit access, two controllers, and promotional assistance for their games for 12 months.
Users who back the Ouya campaign at $1,337 or more will receive the Elite Developer Special promotion. This offer grants users everything mentioned above, as well as a direct email contact to Ouya developers, and an invitation to the Ouya launch party in Los Angeles.
Gamers looking to dig even deeper into their wallets to support Ouya can spend a day with designer Yves Behar in San Francisco for pledging $5,000 or more. The final, uppermost pledge tier is called The Angel List, and is being offered for backers of $10,000 or more. Those who give at this rate will have their username and backer number engraved on every first-run Ouya console and will be invited to Los Angeles to have dinner with designers and attend the console's launch party.
As for the system itself, Ouya will plug into television sets gamers already own, and will ship with a custom controller (pictured above) sometime by March 2013. Any developer can create games for the system, which will support high-definition output via its Tegra3 chipset. It has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal flash storage, and boasts Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support.
All games for the Ouya will be free-to-play initially, though developers will be allowed to offer a paid version of their titles as well as in-game items for sale. According to the console's announcement release, it will play games that run the gamut of indie to AAA, including "mainstream titles." Additionally, the Ouya will support Android apps and will launch with live-streaming service TwitchTV.
The Ouya is also entirely hackable. According to its creators, gamers who root the system--a process described as "easy"--will not void their warranty. Additionally, for those looking to hack the hardware itself, the console opens with a screwdriver and has USB ports for custom-made peripherals.
The Ouya console has already drawn support from a range of well-known developers, including ThatGameCompany's Jenova Chen, original Xbox designer Ed Fries, Inxile Entertainment founder Brian Fargo, and Minecraft creator Mojang.
Ouya the company was founded by Julie Uhrman, who had previously worked at GameFly and Vivendi Universal. The Ouya game console was designed by Yves Behar, a design entrepreneur who founded design and branding firm Fuseproject in 1999, and is current chief operating officer at consumer electronics firm Jawbone.
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
This Campaign is funded successfully funded and now it is under construction. I am really excited for this console. This console will rock the game world because today we all love android games playing in our smart phones. Now android games will come with full HD graphics. In future may be this console will compete with PS, Nintendo and Xbox consoles
This Campaign is funded successfully funded and now it is under construction. I am really excited for this console. This console will rock the game world because today we all love android games playing in our smart phones. Now android games will come with full HD graphics. In future may be this console will compete with PS, Nintendo and Xbox consoles.
.
This has a ton of potential, but it will all come down to the games available. Without proper third party support it will fail. I have high hopes for this, but I'm not going to invest before it's released.
The Ouya Game Console is Awesome. Super Stoked, and dont have to deal with virus and such if you have an iphone. LOL
The DRIOD phone apps are known for their viruses, why would I buy a console that not only made it easy to do, but with the ...no, thanks, I wouldn't buy it if someone threaten to erase my favorite game from existence. No, this story should not have been talked about, so this system is DOA as it should be.
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First of all, "Droid' is a phone. Obviously you mean "Android" (the OS). Secondly. if you're getting viruses on your Android phone, then you're an idiot.
Actually, I don't have one, but the big issue is that they let anything in their store and there is a great number of the apps that have VIRUSES. And that's exactly what will happen with this gaming system. Sorry, but I want a company to take action and check an app before they allow it up. Do you realize the damn a virus can do to your system, or what? You want anti-virus for your console or phone!?
By the way, I bought my first Android phone less than a year ago and knew NOTHING about the OS, and I've NEVER gotten a single virus on my phone.
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People want security through obscurity. Prevent me from being able to access the bad stuff so that I don't accidentally install it. Nobody wants to be responsible for their actions when taking advantage of the capabilities of a device. Well, either you sacrifice convenience, or you learn how the damn thing works. Blindly using technology is not going to work.
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"Actually, I don't have one"
So you have no idea what you're talking about when you say things like...
"there is a great number of the apps that have VIRUSES"
No, there aren't. Even if there were, you'd have to be pretty stupid to install one on your Android device.
"You want anti-virus for your console or phone!?"
I don't use an anti-virus for my computer. As it turns out, if you're not a complete moron, you don't need one. Here's an idea: don't click on shit that you shouldn't click on. It's worked for me for 2 decades. Go figure.
@Cait @rarson it's always like that , freedom vs security , some people prefer it when someone is watching 4 their "electronic safety" others just wanna be alloud 2 do whatever the hell they want , this console seems 2 be giving options other ones doesn't give , & that's it's appeal & why it'd probably be kinda riot
the only thing this console will be good for is emulating and playing older console games such as the snes.
Hmm sounds underwhelming as far as delivering new experiences for adult gamers, but this would be great for kids.
2 Like ohyes i would surely buy a console just to play angry birds in hd. those graphics.
/end sarcasm
90% games on cellphones are terrible and boring enough. no thanks i much rather play the milked call of duty then some boring ass game made for cellphones.
@aryanbrar Right, developers full of idea will no doubt end up making endless Angry Birds clones when they have access to a powerful home console's SDK for almost free.
/end sarcasm
Wow, you're clueless, aren't you? No, the fastest smart phone currently available (which is the Samsung Galaxy SIII) is not as powerful as the current consoles. Even the current iPad, which has a GPU-heavy SoC, isn't nearly as powerful as the Xbox 360. And the iPad is significantly faster than the Galaxy SIII.
@rarson Are you plain ignorant or just trolling? The newest smart phones' hardware is way more powerful than any home console ever released.
2 Like @aryanbrar You really think it's going to be about angry birds? You don't think if it gains enough popularity developers like Activision would not consider it? My friend Indie gaming is what is going to save the gaming industry
@namdar If it's hackable then surely it won't. Hackable means hackers could freely hack the software and ruin online multiplay and we know that Activision loves to milk their favorite online COD cash cow every year. Wouldn't want to play a COD online where we could never win do we.
When the vast majority of the Android market are touchscreen phones and tablets, I doubt many quality titles will be aimed squarely at this device.
2 Like You have to respect the fact that this is a group of guys/women have an idea that they feel strongly about, knowing how drastic the risk is, and are willing to "go for it". I commend them for that because most of us wouldn't have the courage to take a risk like this (at least I sure don't). Apple started in a garage...a couple guys with a vision and the courage to go for it. I hope Ouya succeeds, not for the possibility of taking down the biggies, but just because it's another inspirational story.
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@buccomatic @moviequest14 You do know that it's a game already out for a few months now don't you? And it' a bland title even for IOS standards. Simple corridor shooter, terrible AI. Just look at a 68 Metacritic and you get it. Bear in mind that this is a EA game, launched alongside the hype of Mass Effect 3 to be played together. So it should have been a "AAA" experience for IOS. No reason to think the Android one is any better.
there is already a new console on the market
have up to 2560 x 1600 output resolution
superior internet integration, superior comunication system, fully hackable, supporting both originals and "generic" games without the possibility of being banned from the network
the biggest game library with more than 1 million games avaiable
keyboard and mouse suport to play fps
4x the power of a ps3 or x360
check it
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/df-hardware-introducing-the-digital-foundry-pc
the name of the console is: "you have a lcd tv, just plug your pc on it"
1 Like @HyperWarlock you can build a pc on any budget from 200 to 5000, you just cant get any decent game in a 99 dollar budget, there is no such miracle
1 Like tegra3=gpuless console
console gamming is so bad righ now that people are thinking they can release the cheapest hardware as a new console and make money
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@buccomatic I can say I could raise $40 billion but that's tha's just my point of view.Maybe more.
@buccomatic I hope they are successful, I truly do. I want harm to no one. But you know that it's peanuts compared to the big boys right? Nintendo is the smallest of the big three companies. They had 8 billion (not million, billion) dollars in revenue last year. And that was a bad year for them, they had a 36% drop over the year before. So... these pet projects are great... for pet projects...
On Kickstarter? No way. The bulk of the fundraising is over. Those 33,000+ that have already pledged are hardcore folks more interested in tinkering with Android or seeing what happens to the platform than the average consumer. I doubt they'll double their number of backers, which means they won't even double the amount they already have.
2 Like @buccomatic Do you work for these people? You are all on this thing like it is going to change the world. Even if it does make 20X what they are asking you will still get stuck with the same design they are offering. I think it is time to move on.....
2 Like I don't get the "indie games" argument. If you have Steam, then you already have access to a ton of great indie games. Even if you don't have Steam, if you have a PC and are competent at searching the internet, then you still have access to a ton of great indie games. Even if you don't have a PC, if you have a console and have XBLA or PSN, then you still have access to great indie games. The "indie games" argument in favor of this console is completely stupid.
If you have been living under a rock (or develop your own Android apps), then maybe you'll want this.
2 Like First thoughts - Someone trying to jip people out of money...
Second thoughts - Will attract a lot of buyers despite being too cheap to actually do anything useful...
Final thoughts - "Fully Hackable" if it's easy to hack and run your own software on, every skill-less little turd will be screwing up every online game that (could) be made for it.
Will keep checking up on it, but sure as hell not donating to something that seems more like a marketing campaign than a console... Could easily be a Wii competitor for low yeilding expectations.
1 Like Come join us on www.my-ouya.net the professional comunity for ouya backers, developers and hackers.
Open Forum no registration required. Official Press Releases Official Twitter Feed Official Reddit Feed
See you on www.my-ouya.net
3 Like The term "casual gamers" comes to my mind after reading this. Anyway it's good to have another challenger I guess, let them compete and in the end customers win.
7 Like As much as getting a new console were the indie games will be everything you get sounds interesting lets not forget it runs on android 4.0 and has a tegra 3. It means that it will run those kind of phone games you'll get bored after 5 min and your android device can probably already play all of them without any upgrade. You want to play on the big screen ? Just get a mini HDMI cable and a bluetooth controller. This console is the equivalent of a giant cellphone you plug into the TV. Indie developers already have the PC to program on, and they don't need a pseudo console for that purpose. Getting low cost games might be the only true advantage, but still a game like minecraft (actually the only indie game worth to mention) will probably still cost around 10$ which is the standard retail price, and the free 2 play model is what is really destroying the market, along with DLCs, you don't want to support that.
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That's the ironic thing: you can already do what this thing does with your phone, an HDMI cable, and a $35 Bluetooth controller. Now obviously this thing probably has more RAM than your phone (assuming your phone isn't brand new, but if it is, then your phone is probably more powerful than this anyway), but given that the vast majority of Android gamers are still going to be using phones, the vast majority of games won't be tailor-made for this hardware.
It'll probably have a strong enthusiast community, just like most phones do at places like XDA, but the majority of people with cell phones don't know what XDA is and probably won't see the point in buying this device.
I agree with you about "free-to-play," which really is NOT free at all. In fact, it's more like "pay-to-play." The Android market is suffering backlash from this type of model and it'll be interesting to see whether the gaming industry actually pays attention or not.
1 Like @ilantis looks like 31,224 people very much disagree with you. not to mention it's only been 3 out of 30 days.http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ouya/ouya-a-new-kind-of-video-game-consoleI can definitely respect your opinion, but it looks like a lot of people really do disagree. the things that draw me are that 1. I don't have a smartphone 2. buying that stuff is somewhere in the range of the OUYA price. 3. it's at least 2-player 4. people will be developing apps SPECIFICALLY for the console, the developer packages are already sold out from about 400 some people. it's a standardized system that android doesn't have, and it promotes free games for people who don't have a lot of money to spend.but if you think minecraft is the "only indie game worth to mention" then we obviously won't find ourselves in agreement.
1 Like @SCWoodson007 lol... if that total were matched every 3 days for the rest of the month it still wouldn't be a lot... we're talking about selling systems , not games. The dreamcast was the console that ended Sega's hardware business and it sold 10million units. The gamecube was Nintendo's least successful console and it sold 22 million. If you consider it bragging that the system will reach anything under a million units then you just showed how doomed ouya really is.
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31,224 people is not a lot of people. Especially compared to the sea of people that already own Android devices that pretty much make this thing redundant (though surely there will be plenty of people who already own an Android device that will buy this).
"people will be developing apps SPECIFICALLY for the console"
It's highly doubtful that any serious developers are going to create games specifically for this console, primarily because they're going to be available on the Android market and all the idiots who try to put them on their phone are going to complain if they don't work. More likely, the games will be designed around the phone form factor and modified to add support for things like the controller and a second player.
As far as free games go, that's the entire point of the argument: the only free games that are available on the Android market are basically those designed to be temporary distractions. Even then, many of the "free" games are designed in such a way that they're either crippled or time-limited unless you pay for in-game items.
It would seem that since you don't own an Android device, you don't understand the reason why people are doubting this will be a successful game console. I mean, sure, it'll probably sell a couple hundred thousand, and people will be able to play games on it, but I don't think it'll be considered a serious console.
1 Like also around 25 thousand people have already put down money for one, essentially 25,000 people already own a ouya. WOAH
Crowd-funding campaign for new Android console closes with more than 63,000 supporters; four-controller support confirmed.
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