On July 20, 2012, when the Ouya team unveiled the system on Kickstarter, they boasted that Ouya was "A New Kind of Video Game Console." The small-console-that-could reached almost 1000 percent of its target goal. With so many impassioned backers behind it, Ouya looked like a promising and cheap alternative for console gaming.
Compared with the consoles it hopes to challenge, especially the behemoth next-gen systems, the Ouya is tiny, about the size of a Rubik's Cube. Essentially, the device is an Android phone with its own version of an Android OS. Users visit the Ouya store for games designed specifically for the system. Every game is free—at first—but often require users to pay (typically $2–$10) to access the whole game or other features.
The hardware under the hood is impressive considering its $99 price tag. The Ouya comes with a Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of on-board flash storage, HDMI connection at 1080p, and a USB 2.0 port.
The system comes with one controller, which looks like a hybrid between a PS3 and Xbox 360 controller. Although the aesthetics are similar, the Ouya controller is seriously lacking when it comes to usability. I've had varying success trying to sync the controller to the system—sometimes it syncs automatically, and sometimes I can make a sandwich and take a shower before it's done. The analog sticks work well, but the D-pad is stiff, the triggers are awkwardly placed, and the other action buttons get stuck. Luckily, Ouya allows you to sync Xbox 360 or PS3 controllers with the device, which helps you avoid this handheld disappointment altogether.
Once you turn on the system and go through the necessary setup menus, you're brought to four options on the main screen: Play, Discover, Make, Manage. Play lets you quickly open any games or apps you've already downloaded. Discover opens a Netflix-inspired interface that allows you to browse by subject, style, or genre. Make is for developers currently building games with the Ouya development kit, and Manage opens your typical console settings panel. The slick software aesthetics are a plus.
It's unrealistic to think that the Ouya's game selection would be able to compete with Xbox Live and PlayStation Network right off the bat, when those huge companies have had years to develop their gaming libraries. But if Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are the mega-multiplex cinemas of the game industry, then Ouya is the art house that plays low-budget B movies. Many of the games seem like the shadows of greater titles. Shadowgun is basically Gears of War, and Ittle Dew, a biting parody of the much-loved Zelda franchise, makes you wish you were playing the original series instead.
For the casual gamer, there are one or two titles you may recognize, such as the 2006 remake of Final Fantasy III or Sonic the Hedgehog. Other than that, you're on your own to explore the indie wonderland of Ouya—for better or worse. You'll find a few good games, even some exceptional ones like the pixel-adventure TowerFall or a personal favorite, Organ Trail (the Oregon Trail meets zombies.)
Although Ouya is an Android-based platform, it doesn't have access to Google Play's robust gaming library with titles like Minecraft and Plants vs. Zombies. Users most use Ouya's store and are unable to play previously purchased Google Play apps on Ouya, and vice versa. For the moment, the platform is starved for gaming content.
Will this lackluster gaming situation improve? If the download rates are any indication, then no—there's a huge drop-off from the number of consumers who purchase the free version of the game and those who fork over the cash for the full experience. (Also, Ouya has a minefield of tricks to get you to download the full version of games. Don't quickly press buttons to get through a title screen—you may accidentally purchase a game you didn't want.)
Here's one way in which Ouya beats its competitors. The device is a hacker's dream. Only four mounting screws separate you from the device's electronic guts, allowing you to tinker, modify, emulate, and really make the device whatever you want it to be with few limitations. For the dedicated, patient, and tech-savvy, this is a major selling point.
Whether this device is worth $99 depends on what you want to do with it. As a gaming console, it's probably not worth the money—at least not until the game library comes around. Even in the low-end market, you'd be better served purchasing a 3DS or a newly priced PS Vita—though Ouya could edge out the competition in the microconsole market like Nvidia Shield. If you love local multiplayer, the Ouya does offer some appealing titles and its multiconsole controller capability makes it easier, but Nintendo's multiplayer titles are ultimately better.
Ouya doesn't really make sense as a streaming service, either. Sure, through side-loading you're given access to a collection of video services, but the low quality or stuttering playback makes it almost worthless.
As an emulator and hacking tool? Maybe. If you're into that kind of thing, then the $99 price tag might just be worth it. Of course, Popular Mechanics doesn't encourage illegally downloading games, but it's obvious that this is a read-between-the-lines draw for many potential Ouya buyers.
In the end, by not delivering a solid console device with at least one or two must-have exclusives, Ouya stamped out its own revolution before it even got started. Until it can appeal to the casual gamer and the hardcore hacker/developer, when it comes to consoles things will remain status quo.
No comments:
Post a Comment