Ouya, the open-sourced Android-based console that’s already generated nearly $5 million in Kickstarter funding (on top of investor funding) has stirred up a hornet’s nest of gamer interest – but just as much scepticism Many of you might be worried that the hackable-by-nature console would be a breeding ground for video game piracy – which in turn would lead to little developer interest in making games for the thing. Ouya has it covered.
Ouya Julie Uhrman explained the measures that’ll be in place when the device finally hits retail.
“OUYA will be just as secure as any other Android-powered device. In fact, because all the paid content will require authentication with OUYA’s servers, we have an added layer of security. Hacking and openness are about getting what you want to do with the hardware. Rooting the device won’t give you any more access to the software.”
Just as secure as any other Android platform? so not secure at all, then?
You might be worried, perhaps, that without any first party studios, the system just won’t be home to great games. Ouya’s nixed those sentiments.
“We’ve raised enough to build a great product, just as we planned. Part of what we’re doing is creating something that shows in gaming ‘less is more’ — we don’t need custom chips, or expensive first-party games, we just need to make an open system that supports great games. More certainly helps, though: the more we raise, the more we can create a great service for game developers, with better tools, and more gamers for them to reach with their games. More game developers means more, better games – and that’s better for gamers.”
“We have tested a handful of games,” Uhrman noted. “Including Shadowgun as we showed in our video.”
Another concern you might has is that’ll it’ll just be filled with the sort of games you’ll find on phones and tablets – casual throwaway fare.
We believe many developers will create games especially for Ouya, built for the TV. It will be the most open, most straightforward, least costly way for any game developer to get their game on a TV.” That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to play angry Birds or Tiny Wings on the thing, as Uhrman states, “We believe many of the franchises that were originally built for mobile – because that’s where the developer was able to publish them – will also adapt well to TV’s. But Ouya is not about playing mobile games on a TV.”
I’m intrigued by the Ouya – and the overwhelming positivity it’s garnered from gamers. It shows that there could well be something wrong with the current games production and distribution models on current consoles, and that maybe there needs to be a new console for indie devs to push their games. Me? I’m in just to have a standalone media server and emulator. There’s a lot of demand – but do we really need another console?
Here’s a quick run through its very Xbox like interface.
Last Updated: July 17, 2012
