OUYA console concept and controller tease (via OUYA kickstarter)
An Android-based console gaming system may give the X-Box, Play Station and Wii a run for their money both figuratively and literally. What makes this console, called OUYA, different from the others is that it has (1) less processing power over the others when comes to the hardware packed inside which consists of a NVidia Tegra-3 processor, 1Gb of ram, 8Gb of internal flash storage, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity along with USB 2.0, HDMI and Ice Cream Sandwich as the consoles OS. (2) That its completely open to rooting without voiding any warranty, and (3) it’s centered around an ‘open market gaming ecosystem’, which is an enticement for developers to create extremely affordable games that are partially free to play with full versions being cheaper to buy over their competitors.
In fact, one of the major draws the console has over the others is that modders can access the consoles internals which makes it easier for them to create their own peripherals, such as controllers, which they can then connect to the console using any of its interfaces. The console is in its prototype stage at this point, but the designers have put it on Kickstarter in the hopes that they can get the funding to bring it into full production, which they succeeded beyond all belief in raising over $4,000,000 US (after 3 days) with a target goal of $950,000 US and they still have 27 more days to go!
In generating over 4 times their target goal, the designers are at a loss as to how to spend the excess funds generated, so they're looking to the public for ideas on how to incorporate the extra money into the OUYA gaming console. If any have an idea as how to do so, you can contact the design team at their Kickstarter web-page. As far as pricing goes, the team states that their shooting for a MSRP of $99 US which includes the console plus 1 controller (a second will set you back $30.00 US). As when it will actually hit the market is anyone’s guess, but I would expect to see it either at the end of this year or the beginning of the next.
Like a dream. The OUYA design team repackages a mobile operating system that plays the same games as most cellphones into a successful platform. Unfortunately for them, a nonproprietary system backbone can lead to copy cat clones. Showcasing the success on kickstarter most likely has many working up the bootlegs faster than anyone can imagine. I wouldn't be surprised if the clones hit the market before the OUYA does. However, this shows that if you have an idea, go for it.
(For the record, OUYA funding goes up $1,000 USD every 10 seconds. Inspiration enough to chase your dreams?)
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