Posted Tue Jun 25, 2013 at 08:30 AM PDT by Brian Hoss
"It's incredible to think that a little under a year ago OUYA was just an idea."
The OUYA, the tiny 3" x 3" Android powered, open-development console, has gone from crowd-funding king to troubled pre-release device to actually hitting the store shelves. Although, "store shelves" might be an exaggeration. Retailers of the new console include Amazon, Best Buy, GAME, GameStop, and Target. Reports of limited stock and unavailability have already surfaced with Amazon showing both the console and optional second controller sold out.
The OUYA's reception has been tough. In pre-release, the $99 console was found to be less powerful than considerably more expensive Android phones and tablets. The unfinished interface was perceived as rough, buggy, and unresponsive. The controller, which had gained a touchpad since its design was introduced, met was issue due to its removable face plates.
Ultimately, most of these issues seem to be well-known and are things that the OUYA people are focusing on. Of bigger concern are the new system's games. The hope has been that the system would receive better than Angry Birds and ports of other smartphone games. As of now OUYA is sighting 17,000 developers working on OUYA software with 175 games already ready for free-to -try.
From OUYA, "OUYA is building a new kind of video game experience for the television. Created in 2012 by video game industry veteran Julie Uhrman, OUYA is enabling any game developer to bring their most exciting, creative, and inventive game play experiences to life – in 1080p HD – for $99, and all games are free-to-try for consumers. Uhrman and an initial team of game developers and industry advisors brought the concept to life with the help of award-winning designer Yves Behar. OUYA is available in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. Visit ouya.tv for more information."
Source: Joystiq
Author: Brian Hoss
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