

Ouya Approaches $5 Million In Backing, Attracts 5x Goal (So Far) - lordpenguin
http://www.thepowerbase.com/2012/07/ouya-approaches-5-million-in-backing-attracts-5x-goal-so-far/

======
polshaw
I really don't get the level of enthusiasm for this device, and struggle to
see it really taking off mainstream (which may not matter, since it's just an
android box).

Yes, we haven't seen an android device targeted for gaming yet, but AFAICT,
there is nothing this will do that you can't already do with something like an
mk802[0]. Similarly, decent tablets can be had for $100[1]. Now, both of these
have slower GPUs (mali 400, as SGS2), but come 9 months when this is actually
meant to be available, i'm certain there will be better-than tegra3 hardware
available in that price range. Further, most people could just connect their
phone via hdmi and a PS3 controller to get the same result.

Another angle of looking at it could be as reference hardware, like a nexus
device for gaming. That would have advantages.. (better dev support etc etc)
but its userbase is going to be a drop in the ocean compared to other android
devices- take the SGS3 for example-- 9m pre-orders. This is currently at
0.05m.[2]

I do wish these guys luck however.The fundraising is impressive however you
look at it. I do see ARM devices taking over a large chunk of the conosle
space[3], and i do see a mobile OS involved. A greater degree of freedom than
the big boys (although not than android) is welcome, as is the competition. I
really hope we get some quality in-room multiplayer back-- and this _could_
help to spur that-- which hasn't been a first class citizen since way back in
the n64 days(!). But there is no guarantee that anything will change.

Ultimately, the success of the fundraising _could_ be its own downfall,
attracting google/apple/microsoft to compete. We all know how much they want
presence in the living room. OUYA's interface is more suited for a game pad,
but it's nothing that couldn't be matched with an app, or an android update.

\--

0\. $74 USB-stick PC.

1\. I would post retail links but i don't want to come accross advertising.
Check out cnx-software.com or armdevices.net if you wish to learn more.

2\. based on a lazy $5m/$100. Extrapolate linearly over the 30 days and you
still only have 0.3m.. a case which would smash all kickstarter funding into
oblivion. People buying this would be expected to buy more games.. but we are
looking a 30:1 ratio to match the big boys in the most optimistic case.

3\. IMO the days of the monolithic console are numbered- mobile OS's have made
gaming on an upgradeable platform as simple as the consoles, which will be
soon out-dated by the relentless pace of progress in the ARM/mobile GPU world.

------
naner
If they take the $5mil and are unable to deliver, that might be the beginning
of the end of crowdfunding.

~~~
unimpressive
Imagine how they must feel. If this falls through their reputations will
_never_ recover.

They'll go down in the tech history books as one of the biggest failures ever.

~~~
redslazer
Not to be unfair but it could be sort of like with Diaspora. The inability to
deliver on the kickstarted campaign caused one of the founders to take their
own life. It would be very sad if something like that were to happen again
only because a group massively over promised and was unable to meet their own
goals.

~~~
FreakLegion
_> The inability to deliver on the kickstarted campaign caused one of the
founders to take their own life._

You don't know why he chose to end his life -- nobody does -- and making up
stories about it is irresponsible. Even those closest to him have competing
explanations, e.g. [http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-10/on-
diasporas...](http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-10/on-diasporas-
social-network-you-own-your-data#p3).

~~~
redslazer
I read a CNN Money article which said suspect suicide (with confirmation from
coronar coming later). If I am incorrect I will edit my post and apologise.

Articles:
[http://money.cnn.com/2011/11/14/technology/diaspora_cofounde...](http://money.cnn.com/2011/11/14/technology/diaspora_cofounder_died/index.htm)
[http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/249210/20111114/ilya-
zhitomi...](http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/249210/20111114/ilya-zhitomirskiy-
diaspora-founder-committed-suicide.htm)

Edit: "The San Francisco Office of the Medical Examiner formally ruled the
death a suicide last month." -
[http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-10/on-
diasporas...](http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-10/on-diasporas-
social-network-you-own-your-data#p3)

~~~
FreakLegion
I'm not disputing that it was suicide. I'm pointing out that your claim as to
_why_ he committed suicide -- an "inability to deliver on the kickstarted
campaign" -- is pure conjecture.

~~~
redslazer
Right, sorry I misunderstood you. Yes it is pure speculation from everyone.

------
FreeKill
Whatever you think of the console itself, that's an impressive amount of
fundraising. I think Ouya has shown one thing for sure and that's making your
Kickstarter a pre-order of sorts definitely encourages people to donate in
larger sums. Of the 36K backers, only ~2000 have donated less than the $95
that gets you a console.

~~~
hkmurakami
I personally think that this is the greatest value that kickstarter has
brought us.

We now have the option to forego the traditional cycle of [product development
-> promotion -> sales] and instead pursue a [promotion -> sales ->
development] path, which reduces the risk of irrecoverable sunk costs
significantly.

In a way, it shifts "risk" from the producer to the consumer.

~~~
chucknelson
It's also one of the worst things about kickstarter. The risk is moved to us,
the consumer, and if it falls through, kickstarter isn't doing anything about
it. We've basically funded some employee salaries, etc. with nothing to show
for it.

I do think kickstarter is great, though.

~~~
FreeKill
Very true. I do think in some circumstances it's valid for the consumer to
take on the risk. There are a lot of fan projects out there where, from a
profit perspective, it just doesn't make sense for a large backer to take a
risk bringing it to market. However, if fan interest is high enough and
potential customers are willing to put their money where their mouth is, so to
speak, it's an interesting option.

I'd personally love to see Kickstarter take it a step further and offer
incentives where the backers can become more like Angel investors, but I'm
sure there are a lot of difficulties involved in that...

~~~
Terretta
Kickstarter is perfect for products that fall into the "disposable income"
budget.

They're perfecting the definition of "disposable", with products that fall
into a range of "If this turns out, I'll be in on it, if it doesn't, I'm out
x-hundred bucks, so what?".

------
sneak
I just hope I can get my product prototype to a meaningful place in time
before a bunch of people collectively realize that most people selling shit on
Kickstarter have no idea what they're doing and stop throwing money at these.

The race is on!

------
StavrosK
Can someone explain how this is different from any other Android thing? Is it
not the same thing as my phone/tablet hooked up to the TV with a Bluetooth
gamepad?

~~~
cryptoz
> phone/tablet

Please let us know where you're buying a gaming-quality $100 phone or tablet
from!

~~~
StavrosK
It actually cost $0, as I already have one of each.

Are you saying that none of the OUYA backers has an Android phone or tablet?

~~~
flexd
Are you easily able to connect your mobile phone to your TV? And does anyone
even make games for phones that would benefit from being on a TV? I think OUYA
could change how the platform gaming landscape looks like, and it certainly
won't hurt for more competition to enter that market, hopefully putting some
pressure on the existing companies.

~~~
StavrosK
> Are you easily able to connect your mobile phone to your TV?

Yeah, the phone has an HDMI output. So does the tablet.

> And does anyone even make games for phones that would benefit from being on
> a TV?

Are OUYA making games? I'm genuinely asking, I'm not sure why people get so
indignant about my question.

~~~
flexd
Do that many phones really have HDMI output? Mine does not as far as I know.
My point is that with the current games on phones, I do not feel any of those
would directly benefit from being on a TV. Angry Birds wouldn't suddenly get
more fun just because it's on a big screen.

A open console that's easily to hack on, be it software- or hardware-wise,
would only be a good thing. And judging by the insane amount of money that has
been pledged in this short time there is also a good market for one.¨

I think the OUYA will be a good thing, and the main benefit over just
connecting your phone to the TV is that the console is created for being
connected to a TV.

The games are created for being on a TV, which changes the genre of games from
Angry Birds style phone games to games like Quake or whatever else you might
usually play on a console.

That's sort of what I was trying to say with my previous questions, you might
be able to connect your phone to the TV and have a equally good device, but
the market and community the OUYA will create is what makes it valuable to me.

There is no company that will make a videogame that suits the TV on the off-
chance that you connect your mobile phone to one. :/

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jluxenberg
From the founder's description of the console:

 _"Let’s open this sucker up!...We’re handing the reins over to the developer
with only one condition: at least some gameplay has to be free."_

They aim to produce an open platform for TV gaming that puts requirements on
how games are distributed. What?! Doesn't sound "free" to me.

~~~
veridies
They're okay with a demo (as they say in the Kickstarter FAQ) and you can
sideload apps. That's not anti-freedom.

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akshat
This page is clearly blog spam. How did it land up on HN?

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alttab
I cannot fucking wait for this.

