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Posted by Pimpsy G.
(Post 161378)
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If you look past the marketing, you're left with a $100 homebrew device with an open business model. This is where the value is for me, not expecting Activision to make the next CoD on it.
Reading through the comments there I found some sanity:
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This whole article itself is actually very subversive. It is written in a yes yes sell method. (First give two or three things that the reader may agree with, then sell the other points that are not so strong).
It starts with two points that spark debate at the moment:
Article: " It's claimed all games on Ouya will be free to play. This is not the case."
On the Ouya kickstarter page, first reference to free: "We're handing the reins over to the developer with only one condition: at least some gameplay has to be free."
Article: "Minecraft will be on it"
On the kickstarter page there is a quote and a FAQ entry: Is Minecraft going to be on it?
"Mojang has committed that Minecraft (and their other games) will be on OUYA -- but only if we prove that we can make a great product (that’s our job) AND enough people want their games (that’s your job). Show them with your numbers that you want Minecraft on OUYA!".
The first point being moot, the second has some validity, but only if you disagree that Ouya should not be upbeat on the chances of Minecraft joining. Still, these two arguments are worded well, so the reader may follow.
Then to the rest of the points made in the article in which a tone of cynicism is set that permeates throughout.
- Xbox dashboard lookalike. Why, is that a bad idea? Arguably the Xbox 360 online experience is the best in the business.
- Madden on the dashboard. Seriously? Even if you won't forgive them for being upbeat on 3rd party support, as others have pointed out, Madden is already on Android
- The survey with big name titles. Have you considered that they might use that survey of results and for the titles that score big, they go to the producers of those big titles to gain support. Remember, this is a kickstarter project, and the people they are surveying are people who gave this project their support. These are not console purchasers like normal consumers. If you wish to make the case that they are, and that kickstarter is misleading, then that is a whole different debate.
- The article suggests that an open system is more likely to be hacked. While there may be a bigger chance of that, it is worth noting that any system may be hacked, and that Android actually has pretty good protection in place against this. Contrary even, open systems can sometimes be the most secure, since there are more eyes on the system. The author then role-plays a conversation that is totally hypothetical. Remember, Android on Phones is an open system and still big parties have already invested resources into developing bigger titles for it. Android on phones is a heavily fragmented place, which is said to be the biggest reason that developers go for iPhone first. (development hell for 200 variants, complaining customers, no good single reliable payment system, multiple stores). Ouya does not need to have these problems, since it is a single hardware, single shop, single store system. That means it is quite a cheap place for even big developers to experiment with. I would say that not the openness of it, but the installed base is the first hurdle for Ouya to take.
The rest of the article I can only see as the author doubting the viability of the project, and he may or may not be right. Time will tell. I say that these guys should be given a chance, and that the right attitude for any startup project like this is being positive and adaptable.
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