Thanks to a Kickstarter fund, independent game console Ouya, pronounced “ooo-ya,” is set to release in April 2013. The console is $99, offers a touchpad/analog stick controller, and will boast lots of free gameplay for users to try out, Team Fortress 2 style.
The best way to describe what Ouya’s mission is about is from the console’s Kickstarter page:
It’s time we brought back innovation, experimentation, and creativity to the big screen. Let’s make the games less expensive to make, and less expensive to buy. With all our technological advancements, shouldn’t costs be going down? Gaming could be cheaper!
This is a promising prospect, in that video games for major consoles like the PS3 or Xbox 360 range from $50-60 dollars. If what Ouya’s creators say is true, we’re guessing that we could see a price range from about $30-40 dollars per game.
The Kickstarter page offers more information on what the system will be all about. The page claims to be, “handing the reins over to the developer with only one condition: at least some gameplay has to be free.” The website continues to quote inspiration for its games from games like Team Fortress 2 and Leagues of Legends.
The controller for the Ouya has similarities to PlayStation’s DualShock controller, and Xbox’s. What’s unique about this controller is that its main buttons spell out O-U-Y-A.
Ouya’s controller
Ouya earned all of the money that it was asking for on its KickStarter page, and then some. The goal of the console was $950,000, but it currently has over 60,000 “backers,” and about $8.5 million in donations.
Kickstarter is a website that allows independent creators of all sorts to earn money for their creative ideas or products from interested donators. Sometimes the projects offer incentives for people to donate; Ouya’s offered donators the ability to buy the console in March 2013, as was revealed by the console’s FAQ.
What do you think of the Ouya? Will you be pre-ordering one, or will you be waiting for retail stores to pick up the console before trying it out?