OUYA has great chances of becoming the video game console that makes you forget about Wii U, PS4 and XBox 720.
Android seems to take over the world, as it has long passed the boundaries of smartphones and tablets. Now it is available in portable multimedia players, network media players, smart TVs and home command centers. OUYA, the next-gen gaming console, is also based on this operating system. However, the OS is only one of the factors that make this video game console something worth owning.
The developers of OUYA realized that the most creative gamemakers are turning their attention to the mobile market, leaving the bigger consoles to the less-gifted ones. Making a TV video game console based on an OS intended for mobile devices seemed the most logical thing to do. OUYA packs quite a lot of power, especially considering the small price. A Tegra 3 processor, 1GB of RAM and HD capabilities should keep the console up and running for years to come.
I like the contrast between the projects featured on KickStarter. On one hand, there are projects that struggle to reach the goal and some of them do not even make it, in the end. On the other hand, there are projects that get several times the necessary funds. For example, OUYA has more than $4.95M at the moment, and that’s more than 5 times the $950,000 goal. The fund-raising will end in 3 weeks, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the final sum is much-much bigger. If this is not proof that people sense potential in a concept, then I don’t know what it is.
As usual, the backers will get something in return, depending on the amount that they contributed. More precisely, $10+ brings backers a username before the crowds have access to the final product, $25+ means an additional founder emblem, while $99+ guarantee a OUYA console (+$30 for an extra controller). Contributing $95 also meant getting a gaming console, but there were only 1,000 places for that. In the case of most KickStarter projects, the greatest sum is equivalent to getting the final product. However, things are a bit different, as the largest contribution is of $10,000. The ones who are willing to supply that much money (believe it or not, there already are 5 such people) will have their usernames and backer numbers engraved in the first production run of consoles, plus a special dinner.
OUYA should be available in March 2013 for $99, so keep an eye open, as this Android console is surely going to stir the waters.
If you liked this post, please check the Iron Man XBox 360 mod and the ATARI belt buckle.
