Ouya is the latest competitor in the home console market. It
has been gaining popularity through its Kickstarter campaign, raising over 5.5
million dollars with 43 thousand backers. But what is Ouya and why so much hype
over this new console? Ouya is a home entertainment console that runs on the
Android operating system. One of the reasons for the development of this new
console is the idea that smaller developers want to make console-esque games.
Creating a game on one of the three primary consoles usually requires high
costs associated with buying developer kits and licensing engines. Ouya will
allow developers to forgo the various fees associated with creating games on a
traditional console. There won’t be publishers to deal with or retail merchants
to negotiate shelf space. The essence of Ouya is to allow developers as much
freedom as possible. While this seems like a great idea, is it really needed?
One of the great things about Ouya is the pricing. The
console will cost $99 and come with a controller and SDK. The SDK will give
user the tools necessary for developing games. The console is also hacker
friendly in terms of software and hardware. In terms of software, users can
root the console in order to get access to system files and various other
superuser functions. The hardware hacking refers to the user having the ability to create their own
peripherals that connect through USB or Bluetooth which allows for even more
unique gaming experiences. Ouya can become more than just a simple game console.
Since it is based on the Android operating system, any developer can publish
their apps to work on Ouya. Ouya has also announced the ability to play OnLive
games on the console which helps it compete directly with current generation
consoles. Thus Ouya is a fully capable media system which will put pressure on
Microsoft and Sony future plans.
My main concern is whether there is a need for this type of
console. Indie developers have many outlets to create their own games.
Microsoft has a specific section for Indie games that is available on the Xbox
Marketplace. If Microsoft can start working to make the Indie community feel
more welcomed along with finding ways to promote the Indie marketplace, Ouya will
have fierce competition. Steam has recently announced the Steam Greenlight
program which allows the community to decide which projects should be released
on steam. Developers could start showing their early prototypes to the Steam
community where they will get feedback quickly and can adjust their designs to
fit demands. Also many smart phones have the capability of connecting to an
HDTV’s through an HDMI port. Add in the ability to wirelessly connect a
Bluetooth controller and we pretty much have an Ouya. All you really need at
that point is a game to recognize the controller inputs and you have a TV
experience. It seems like the overall videogame industry is finding ways to
accommodate indie developers.
I am wondering who Ouya is going to be marketed towards? So
far it seems like its marketing towards the indie crowd but that does not seem
like a large enough user base. If Ouya’s target audience is much broader, say a
casual market then why would someone who owns one of the three leading console
want to spend an additional $99 on something that has features similar to their
current console. There needs to be more incentive for people other than
developers to purchase Ouya especially since the new Microsoft, Nintendo and
Sony consoles will be released soon. Incentives could include some new
exclusive intellectual properties by well known developers. The software is
really what’s going to sell the consoles.
While on the topic of software for the Ouya, there is
another major hurdle that it needs to climb over. Reducing the barriers to
entry for developing games means a lot more people will start publishing their
own games. This means a lot of shovelware will be found on the marketplace. Shovelware
discourages buyers by forcing them to look through all the terrible clones to
find the one good game. Ouya can add a rating system to the games which allows
users to differentiate between good and terrible games. However there will
still be thousands of games to look through which can become overwhelming. The
last thing Ouya wants to be known for is having a ton of terrible clones.
There is one thing I believe Ouya should incorporate into
its strategy. Since Ouya seems to be targeting indie developers, creating a
user friendly interface for their SDK should be a priority. This will allow
those with less programming experience to have an easier time to break into
game development by prototyping their basic designs. They should also encourage
users to get together to collaborate on ideas through special events hosted by
Ouya. People with different backgrounds could come together to form teams. Ouya
events could help teams fill in the necessary roles that they are missing such
as designers, programmers or artists. These events could all be done through
the Ouya console by hooking up a camera and microphone to create a type of
conference call.
While Ouya seems like a great idea on paper, I feel there is
very little reason for it to exist. The current market seems too small to
create a substantial impact on the gaming industry. These indie developers
already have a plethora of option available in order to create games on a “big
screen TV.”