FUTURE PLANS: The Ouya team is proposing a new type of gaming machine based on the Android smartphone operating system. - Relaxnews 2012
Ouya, the US$99 (RM315) games console being designed by Yves Behar of One Laptop Per Child and Jambox fame, has secured over US$3mil (RM9.5mil) worth of pledges, surpassing its initial US$950,000 (RM3mil )target.
The Ouya team is proposing a new type of gaming machine based on the Android smartphone operating system, and all of whose games are free to play.
Citing League of Legends, Team Fortress 2, and Triple Town as leading free-to-play titles, the Ouya's prototype game menu lists Minecraft, Canabalt and Madden NFL 12 among its wares, while Jenova Chen (Journey), Marcus Persson (Minecraft), Adam Saltsman (Canabalt) and Jordan Mechner (Prince of Persia) supplied words of encouragement.
Some Ouya games will take the form of a trial with a full game upgrade, while others offer in-game items, perks, or subscription packages for those who find themselves wanting more.
The standard controller isn't too different from an Xbox 360 pad, with the added benefit of a touchpad and an open invitation to techies who want to hack the device in order to improve its functionality.
It has a projected launch date of Mar 2013, which would slot comfortably in between the anticipated releases of the Nintendo Wii U (late 2012) and the new Xbox and PlayStation consoles (late 2013).
Additionally, installing existing Android apps such as those from Netflix, Hulu Plus, Roku, Crackle, Vevo and TED should be a cinch for users who want to turn the gaming box into an all-around entertainment hub.
The US$99 (RM315) price is also equal to the developer license cost charged by Apple and by Microsoft's Xbox Live Indie Games channel - a handy coincidence, as the Ouya comes with a built-in development kit for budding bedroom coders and professional teams alike. - Relaxnews 2012
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