Good Friday brought some interesting updates into my mail inbox:
OUYA game console is shippin'
That's very exciting news (at least for me) and I'm really looking forward to get my hands on that open gaming console based on Android. A nice Easter surprise but still it will take a couple of weeks until the console will arrive hear in Mauritius. Crossing fingers for end of April.
Just in case that you might not know what I'm talking about... Please have a look at the official website of OUYA.
Source: https://www.ouya.tv/shippin/
Since the Kickstarter campaign last year, I was following the development and news coverage of OUYA closely. And it is really pleasant to see that a crowd-funded project sticks to their planned schedule. Some times just in time, sometimes even a little bit ahead of the deadline. Which is absolutely great. Now, what's the cool element with OUYA? Easy, you hook it up to your TV set and you can enjoy your Android games on the big screen with Full HD resolution (1080p) and decent sounds.
The official retail launch of OUYA will be on the 4th of June. You can already pre-order this cool gadget for $99,- on their website.
Games - Free to try
One of the promises that OUYA makes is that any game will be free to try and that you wont be charged until you are really convinced and 'love' the game you're playing. Honestly, a bold statement and a clear understanding of gamers all over the world. I mean, how often did you 'waste' your well-earned money on some cracked up game with lots of flaws and bugs?
Motivation to go for OUYA
Honestly, I simply like the idea of openess with this gaming console. Furthermore, by owning a couple of Android devices like a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, a Samsung Galaxy S3, a Penta WS802C, and already looking forward to get a Samsung Galaxy S4 in the future I am quite focused on the Android platform. Which means that I am able to install my purchased games, apps and tools onto OUYA. Especially taking the various Humble Bundle game packs into consideration. I guess it will be a lot more fun to play for example Machinarium on the TV than on the portable devices. Sadly, Ingress by Niantic Project isn't a hot candidate for OUYA as the app heavily builds on GPS-location...
Being a software craftsman I'm also looking forward to use the OUYA console for a couple of my own developments based on Mono for Android. Actually, it should be straight forward and easy to 'port' those apps onto the big screen. Also taking into consideration that the upcoming generation of Android devices will likely ship with high-resolution displays as the S4 already does. The next Samsung Unpacked event at the IFA exhibition in Germany will hopefully bring us a new tablet with higher pixel density and resolution.
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Another reason to go for OUYA is also based on my slight disappointment about the upcoming products by the big three. Namely, Nintendo with the Wii U, Sone with the PS4 and Microsoft with the XBox 720. I don't know but none of those systems is really catching my full attention. Frankly, the consoles made by Sony and Microsoft never did and I guess wont ever, but even Nintendo doesn't fit my expectations completely. Gaming on Nintendo since the early ages of consoles - I had quite some in the past: NES, SNES, Game Boy, N64, NDS, GameCube, Wii - but I have to have a closer look at the Wii U in order to decide whether I'm going to upgrade my Wii system or not. It all depends on the game experience and available titles. Eventually, I might check out one of the stores in Rose Hill to try the Wii U for some minutes, and have some exchange with other gamers on that.
And last but not least, the OUYA is an open environment. Which means that there is absolutely no need to root, hack, jail break or whatever you name it in order to get access to the ingridients. Even the hardware can be opened with a standard screw driver and doesn't require any special tools. The console you buy is your development bed. If you have a cool idea for the next generation game, simply get the OUYA Development Kit (ODK) and get things up and running. As stated above, I'm really looking forward to check out my recent developments based on Android for Mono on this device.
What do you think about OUYA? Is it time for a new gaming console?
