OUYA: A New Kind of Video Game Console

You know all those rumours about the Xbox 720 and the Playstation 4? Forget them. The next home video game console to be announced is the… OUYA. Yeah we have no idea what it means either, though apparently if you speak Swahili it might mean something to you. There’s a crap ton of news about this but here’s the essentials: a $99 Android Console that will play popular and indie games on your TV, a lot of them for free or minimal costs and it’s all being funded by Kickstarter.

Let’s get into the meaty stuff. Ouya will have an open design to allow easy and accessible programming. This makes it an ideal home for indie developers looking for a cheaper alternative to create games. For the $99 cost, you get the console, controller and interface and every single console is a development kit meaning anyone can create software for it. It’s not just for developers either, the system itself is open for moderation, with the design of peripherals openly encouraged. Whiles it doesn’t have  the greatest specs in the world and may struggle to run high end PC games, for the kind of experiences it is aiming to accommodate for it is well equipped.

Specifications:

– Tegra 3 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 (one)
– Wireless controller with standard controls (two analog sticks, d-pad, eight action buttons, a system button), a touchpad
– Android 4.0

Controller:

– Wireless controller with 2.4Ghz RF
– Standard game controls (two analog sticks, d-pad, eight action buttons, a system button)
– Touchpad, for porting mobile games more easily
– 2x AA batteries
– Enclosure opens with standard screws

OS and Software:

– Android 4.0
– Custom TV UI
– Integrated custom game store — find and download games (and other apps)
– Includes SDK for game development
– Ability to root device without voiding warranty

It’s Android base means it is compatible with apps, including the majority already available on the store. Ouya are in talks with potential partners, including TwitchTV the popular E-sports video broadcaster, allowing you to watch these competitions on your TV.

There is a heavy focus on user experience, so Ouya have tasked renowned designer Yves Behar to create the slick user interface. Overall the design is simple and eye catching, the console and controller look very sleek. The description reads:

“We are designing the controller to be a love letter to console gaming. It will have everything you’ve learned to love: fast buttons, triggers, laser-precise analog sticks, a D-Pad – and it will have a touchpad for any games making the trek from mobile or tablet to the TV. It’ll be just the right weight.”

It seems they are doing all they can to provide the best and most liberating experience for the gamer and the developer, maximizing on utility, accessibility and comfortability.

They needed $950,000 to complete the pledged Kickstarter fund which they achieved in a mere 8 hours, and in little over a day they are sitting at roughly $4.4 Million. There has been a huge demand, with 29,000 of the 34,500 backers opting for the $99 donation which grants you a console before it hits the store shelves. Other options include a $10 pledge in which you have advanced access to pick your username all the way up to a $10,000 pledge for an engraved personalized console and two invitations to a private dinner before the launch party, attended by their “inner circle of game developers and designers.” For the developers out there, a $699 pledge will get you a first run Ouya with early SDK access, an extra controller and the promise of a whole year of promotion of your game, along with an emblem to show it was one of the original games.

This is a hugely exciting idea and could take the rapidly expanding indie game scene and give it an ideal home with an ideal experience for the user. What do you reckon, is it worth donating for? Will you wait and see or are you not the slightest bit interested and will stick to the Sony/Nintendo/Microsoft triumvirate?

If you are interested, the kickstarter is here.