Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Move Over Wii, Xbox & PlayStation, Meet The OUYA!

Have you ever wanted to have a hand in getting a home video game console made?  I know that sounds grandiose but that's exactly what's happening right now on Kickstarter.  The console is the OUYA (Pronounced "OOO-yah") and the POTENTIAL to turn the game industry on its head is staggering.  I emphasize potential because of past home console "failure to launch" stories such as the M2 & Phantom.  One thing to note is that those past failures never had anything like Kickstarter to assist in their creation.  In essence, the company gets to show upfront that there is an audience who wants the machine with both investor and monetary numbers.  Not only have they reached their $950,000 goal in the first day, they have shot well past 3 million dollars with 28 days to go.  The machine is designed to be completely open for developers and even users encouraging everyone to open the machine and hack it for their own desires.  For the $99 price tag, the specs and what you get are impressive:

OUYA Specs

Console
  • Tegra 3: Quadcore ARM CortexA9 + GPU
  • 1 GB RAM
  • 8 GB internal flash
  • HDMI connection to the TV at 1080p HD
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
  • USB 2.0 (one)
  • Bluetooth LE 4.0
  • Enclosure opens with standard screws
  • No disc drive
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


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