Archives for

Ouya

Gaming based startup Ouya Inc said to be up for sale

According to a leaked internal memo, popular game console maker Ouya has put itself on sale. The company hasn’t come out and confirmed this report as of yet, but it seems to be legitimate going by the contents of the memo.

Ouya started off as a Kickstarter funded gaming console a few years ago and managed to raise $8.5 million. But we saw the company taking a slightly different approach towards its business as its game inventory was made available for Android devices, while it was previously limited to just Ouya consoles.

The memo that comes from company CEO Julie Uhrman mentions that “the company had failed to satisfy one of its investors’ conditions and that renegotiation over the debt had been unsuccessful.” Talking more about the new developments, Uhrman is believed to have said – “We are looking for expressions of interest by the end of this month.”

That’s as clear a sign as we need to confirm that Ouya is indeed up for sale. Hopefully, the console itself will not cease to exist, even if the ownership changes. But if an industry rival purchases the company, we see chances of that happening as well.

What do you make of this new development with regards to Ouya?

Via: The Verge

Mad Catz M.O.J.O. Software Update Brings 4K UHD Support, Ouya App

Mad Cats is releasing a software update to its M.O.J.O. Android gaming console that brings in several new features such as 4K UHD support, Ouya app, and root access. It also brings in improved compatibility with the Google Play Store as well as other app stores making consumers access a wide variety of apps and games.

Ouya App

Just recently Ouya and Mad Catz partnered together to bring Ouya games to the M.O.J.O. Consumers will be able to access a library of more than a hundred games that works perfectly with the M.O.J.O. gamepad. Some of the games include DoomGLES, Bombsquad, Shadowgun, Final Fantasy III, Ravensword: Shadowlands, and more.

4K UHD

Why watch a media content in Full HD when you can do so in UHD? The latest software update allows the device to play 4K UHD (2160p) content. You must have a 4K UHD TV or monitor to enjoy this feature though but with the prices dropping I’m sure there will be lots of customers who will be buying 4K displays soon.

Better Google Play Access

Consumers will now be able to access a wide variety of apps and games from the Google Play Store or other app markets. Previously, the only way to enjoy this kind of access was if the device got rooted.

Root Access

This device comes with an easy to follow root access and since it is an open platform rooting will not void its warranty.

If you own the Mad Catz M.O.J.O then it’s best to check on the latest software update now.

Click the ‘Settings’ icon on the M.O.J.O. home screen.
Click ‘About M.O.J.O.’ on the left sidebar.
Locate the ‘Build number’ on the right sidebar. The latest Build number is MO0205-TS.
If your Build number is not MO0205-TS then download the latest firmware.
After downloading, click the ‘All Apps’ icon on the M.O.J.O. home screen.
Click the ‘Software Upgrade’ icon.
Click the firmware update icon.
Click ‘Upgrade > OK.
M.O.J.O. will automatically restart once the upgrade is complete.

To Root your device

Download the Superboot zip file above and extract to a directory
Put your device in bootloader mode – Unplug the power cable and any USB cables (the dongle can stay in), insert the USB Male A-A cable in the port labelled ‘2.0’, then insert the power cable. ‘Key driver not found.. Booting OS’ will appear on screen.
WINDOWS – install the device drivers from the directory you extracted above if required, then run ‘superboot-windows.bat’ as Administrator
MAC – Open a terminal window to the directory containing the files, and type ‘chmod +x superboot-mac.sh’ followed by ‘sudo ./superboot-mac.sh’
LINUX – Open a terminal window to the directory containing the files, and type ‘chmod +x superboot-linux.sh’ followed by ‘sudo ./superboot-linux.sh’
You will see ‘Booting downloaded image’ and a black screen, then the screen will return to ‘Key driver not found.. Booting OS’. At this point, unplug the USB cable and the power cable, wait a few moments, then reconnect the power cable to boot as normal.

via madcatz

Benchmark reconfirms Asus Game Box specs: Android 4.3, Tegra 4 CPU, 2 GB RAM

Untroubled by Nvidia and Ouya’s struggles with making their latest Android game console efforts relevant, Asus forges ahead with its own Shield rival/trend-setter wannabe, a controller supposedly dubbed Game Box.

First spotted in an AnTuTu benchmark and subsequently blessed by the Bluetooth SIG with the necessary regulatory approvals to see daylight, the Asus Game Box seems to be moving one step closer to a formal introduction today, thanks to the all-revealing GFX Bench database.

There isn’t a whole lot of new information unearthed by the fresh source, just further confirmation the gaming box/accessory runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, packing quad-core 1.9 GHz Nvidia Tegra 4 power.

Wait, but aren’t both Android 4.3 and Tegra 4 obsolete? Well, “obsolete” is a bit harsh, but at the end of the day, it’s spot-on. I mean, take a look at Game Box’s 3D graphics performance compared to Nvidia Shield’s.

The latter, which mind you is almost a year old, basically trumps the former, yet to be released, in every single test save for driver overhead and render quality evaluations. And sure, the Game Box was benchmarked while connected to a 6.9-inch screen boasting 1,920 x 1,080 pixels resolution, unlike the Shield, which sports a 1,280 x 720 pix res display of its own. But still, mediocre performance is the best you can look for in Asus’ upcoming experiment.

The gizmo’s only saving grace is thus affordability, although since it’s just a basic wireless controller doubled by a not-so-punchy console, I don’t see how Asus could lower the bar enough to warrant a purchase. Remember, the Ouya started at a measly $99 back in the day and is this close to extinction already.

Oh, Asus, if only you’d have put one of Nvidia’s next-generation Tegra K1 processors inside the Game Box. A storage boost beyond the current 8 gigs (5.6 user available) might have helped also, while the on-board 2 GB RAM is… decent… enough… I guess.

But hey, there’s still time to scrap the project as is, get back to the drawing board, maybe port Android 4.4 KitKat to the Game Box 2.0 and stand a chance. How about it, Asus? And you, dear (light) gamers? Would you be more pleased with something like that, or are these initiatives all destined to fail until Google enters the picture? We’re all ears.

Via [GFX Bench]

Ouya No Longer Requires Game Developers To Offer Free-To-Try Games

Ouya recently announced a new policy that will allow game developers more freedom in creating games for the company’s Android game console. Previously, game developers were required to offer free-to-try versions of the games that they released for the Ouya. A new policy now no longer requires this, which means that developers may or may not include a free demo of their games.

The company announced in its blog post that “In the coming weeks, we’re going to let devs choose if they want to charge up front for their games. Now they’ll be able to choose between a free-to-try or paid model.”

“When we started OUYA, we originally decided against this. Free to Try seemed like an obvious choice for an open platform. We knew it appealed to gamers, but it turned out many devs had trouble meeting the requirement, didn’t want to make a demo, or weren’t sure how to monetize their game.”

Ouya says that developers were citing several issues such as budget, creative direction, and lack of interest in creating demo content. The company has listened to the devs and came up with this solution. Hopefully with this new policy more game developers will bring their titles to the Ouya.

Just recently the company also announced its Ouya Everywhere initiative that allows its platform to be used by other devices. This will allow customers to get the Ouya experience even if they do not have an Ouya device.

If you are a gamer interested in playing Android games then you might want to check out the Ouya which only costs $99.

Technical Specifications

Console

Tegra 3 — Quad-core processor
1 GB LPDDR2 RAM
8 GB on-board flash
HDMI connection to the TV at 1080p HD
WiFi 802.11bgn
Bluetooth LE 4.0
Enclosure opens with standard screws

Controller

Wireless controller with 2.4Ghz RF
Standard game controls (two analog sticks, d-pad, eight action buttons, a system button)
Touchpad, for porting mobile games more easily
2x AA batteries
Enclosure opens with standard screws

Software

Android 4.0
Custom TV UI
Integrated custom game store — find and download games (and other apps)
Includes SDK for game development
Ability to root device without voiding warranty

via ouya

New Refreshed 16GB Ouya Android Console now Available for $129

The original Ouya Android gaming console launched with just 8GB onboard memory, and although for the $99 price it retailed for is justified, the memory issue has been among the greatest concerns that users and experts criticized. Not so long after the original Ouya was unveiled, the maker rolled out a limited edition all-white version back in November last year that came with double the memory – 16GB – as the original Ouya.

Android gaming console (Ouya specifically) fans who prefer to play on the Ouya will be happy to know that the maker has today launched a new 16GB version that will cost 30 more bucks at $29. Ouya has gone to great lengths to preserve the design and core features of the original Ouya which was funded on Kickstarter just last year.

The new version of Ouya will be available online at the same time as the original version is still on sale in various online and offline stores. Memory is not the only improvement that the new Ouya can boast of, it boasts of a solid matte finish and promises to offer better Wi-Fi connectivity than the original and comes with a new classy controller.

According to OUYA, the joysticks of the new Ouya console controller are much better and has less lag time. The console itself also comes with various improvements that Ouya haven’t listed yet but they assure us that there have been tremendous performance improvements on the Android-powered gaming device. In the recent past, Ouya has faced serious challenges in racing to dominate the Android gaming market including one of the important founding members leaving the company.

If you are planning to get a Ouya, the new version comes with updated firmware according to a press release the company issued, so it is definitely worth the extra 30 bucks to get the new one over the old one. The console is currently available online on Amazon, Amazon.ca (which is offering a $30 discount on the old Ouya at the time of writing) and Ouya.tv.

Via Kotaku

OUYA Gets Hacked To Become A Handheld Gaming Device

We all know the OUYA to be an Android game console that needs to be hooked up to a TV in order for it to work. What if you wanted the device to become portable? You’d have to come up with a way to integrate a display and controller into it and make it run on batteries.

While there are more easier ways to get a portable Android gaming device such as by getting the NVIDIA Shield or the Archos GamePad one hacker has created a handheld OUYA gaming device. Ouyaboards member eucrow has taken apart the OUYA and added a display and a modified Xbox 360 controller to it.

“So a couple of years ago I worked on a handheld battery powered PC project that turned out to be a bit of a failure; it wouldn’t run for longer than 30mins.”

“So for a while now I’ve been wanting to go back and use those parts to create a handheld Ouya. I hesitate to call this guy a “portable” since its not THAT portable.”

“This is just my first stab at figuring out where all the components will go and all of my cables and leads are long. When I do one of these builds I usually keep everything long till i’m comfortable with where the components are. Also the screen is kind of mediocre, hopefully someone out there can get me a lead on a 7″-8″ screen that’s 720p or better with its own controller.”

The project is still a work in progress but it seems it can already boot up and display the home screen where games can be selected.

The next step to be done is to keep things tidy and to find a suitable case that can hold this modified device together.

OUYA Technical Specifications

Tegra 3 — Quad-core processor
1 GB LPDDR2 RAM
8 GB on-board flash
HDMI connection to the TV at 1080p HD
WiFi 802.11bgn
Bluetooth LE 4.0
Wireless controller with 2.4Ghz RF
Standard game controls (two analog sticks, d-pad, eight action buttons, a system button)
Touchpad, for porting mobile games more easily
2x AA batteries
Android 4.0
Custom TV UI
Integrated custom game store
Includes SDK for game development
Ability to root device without voiding warranty

via ouyaboards

Amazon offering the Ouya gaming console with a $10 discount

The Ouya gaming console has been very popular among the gaming community mainly due to its versatility coupled by the cheap pricing. Well, if you were planning on gifting this console to your loved ones, you would be pleased to know that the console has just gone cheaper by $10 through Amazon. This is a considerable amount of savings on a device which is cheap as it is. This discount effectively brings the price down to $89.99 for the 8GB variant while the new White 16GB variant is not in stock at this moment.

If you’re still on the edge about getting the Ouya console, you would be pleased to know that for $90, the makers are offering a console with a NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU with the accompanying GeForce GPU and a decent 8GB of storage (with support for USB flash drives coming soon) along with 1GB of RAM. Gamers will have to shell out an additional $49.99 for the Ouya Bluetooth powered wireless gaming controller which comes with all the standard gaming controls including a D Pad. So for $140, you’ve got yourself a variety of Android titles to choose from and a console like gaming experience in your living room.

[easyazon-block align=”center” asin=”B0050SZD18″ locale=”us”]

Source: Amazon

Via: Phandroid

OUYA System Update “Abominable Snowman” Is Now Live

Do you own the OUYA Android gaming console? The console is getting an update which is now live today and it’s a huge one. The “Abominable Snowman” update brings several improvements to the console most notable in the user interface which has been revamped. The company describes the interface as “more intuitive, visually appealing, and better able to feature your games.” There’s also support for external storage which is still in its open beta phase. There are a few more features included in this update as well as the usual bug fixes.

External storage (open beta)

The device now supports external storage from a USB drive and supports NTFS, FAT32, and ext4 file formats. Games downloaded to the external storage are associated with the OUYA system that downloaded them which means that it can’t be used other systems. Since this feature is still in open beta there are still a few minor things that need to be polished such as the long time it takes to install a game on USB. Scanning of games on an external storage device may also take a few minutes if more than a hundred games are installed.

UI Revamp

The user interface has been revamped to make it more appealing to gamers. A new feature has been added to easily update a game title on the fly. Game titles are now also prominently displayed below the title art making it easier to browse. The game icons have also been improved to indicate if updates are available. Controller indications also appear for all connected controllers and also display a low battery notification.

Double Tapping OUYA icon brings System Menu

Gamers can now easily exit from a game simply by double tapping the OUYA icon. This brings the System Menu which has several options which allows users to exit games, eject a USB drive, turn off controllers, or put OUYA into sleep mode.

Faster system updates

The Abominable Snowman update comes with a feature called “Incremental Updates” which allows for updates to be quickly downloaded on the device.

Bug Fixes

Some of the bug fixes include

Fixed an issue where users could not access the Internet because the system clock had reset, causing certificate problems.
Fixed an issue where the download button didn’t always display the proper text.
Fixed an issue where holding the analog stick to the side didn’t auto-scroll
Many minor issues

OUYA Technical Specifications

Console

Tegra 3 — Quad-core processor
1 GB LPDDR2 RAM
8 GB on-board flash
HDMI connection to the TV at 1080p HD
WiFi 802.11bgn
Bluetooth LE 4.0
Enclosure opens with standard screws

Controller

Wireless controller with 2.4Ghz RF
Standard game controls (two analog sticks, d-pad, eight action buttons, a system button)
Touchpad, for porting mobile games more easily
2x AA batteries
Enclosure opens with standard screws

Software

Android 4.0
Custom TV UI
Integrated custom game store — find and download games (and other apps)
Includes SDK for game development
Ability to root device without voiding warranty

via ouya

An All-white Limited Edition 16GB OUYA Unveiled

Just last week, OUYA, the new Android gaming console, was on the news over the promise of a new revamped user interface of the console rolling out. But what we didn’t know is that there had been a new limited edition console in development. Today, it has been revealed that a new all-white limited edition OUYA console with a 16 GB internal memory is coming to the market soon and it will cost just $30 more than the standard consoles in the market now.

The current OYA consoles have an 8 GB internal memory, but the new version will be coming with double this – since internal memory (besides the user interface) has been one of the most complained about features – so the $30 difference seems sufficient.

Other than this, the console will also offer users an option to expand storage by plugging in a flash drive. The company has promised USB flash drive support when they roll out the next software update. It is unclear as of now how this will work when it comes to games installation – whether it will be easy to install games even on the flash drive. Whatever the case, this is a big improvement, and the new console is way better than the current version.

Sony made its PS4 console available and Microsoft is expected to launch its Xbox One console later this week, OUYA’s move to bring the new white console is perfectly-timed for a stiff competition in the gaming market. OUYA is the newest entrant in the Android and it can be considered an almost insignificant player. However, Android, the system it runs on, is getting more and more popular and developers are scrambling to release Android games to meet the demand. If OUYA keeps up the trend, soon it may lead the race for dominance in the Android gaming market.

What do you think of the new Limited Edition console? Will you get one?

Story source: PHAndroid

New update to the Ouya console will bring a revamped UI

The Android based gaming console, Ouya, has been widely popular among gamers for its simplistic approach towards conventional consoles. And this gaming console will soon receive an update which will reportedly change the default interface completely. The UI of the console has been somewhat criticized for its layout and presentation of titles, but that will be replaced by the new and detailed layout shown in the screenshot above. Noticeably, the developers have given more emphasis on the cover art of the titles with the font remaining consistent as well.

This update is not just cosmetic as it will allow users to queue up downloads from the web or other devices so that the game is downloaded automatically when the user boots up the console. The console will also get USB storage support with this new update. So it’s quite clear that Ouya has all its bases covered, which is reassuring for the users. The company reportedly hired a new designer to spice up the UI of the Ouya console and it appears to have done the trick.

Via: Engadget

Ouya addresses problems with Free The Games Fund

Free The Games Fund has been hit with quite a bit of controversy, between the fact Ouya is locking in developers on a six month exclusivity contract to the fact some Kickstarters have mislead buyers into believing their game is well liked by the community.

Ouya has addressed some of these problems by lowering the entry price to $10,000 on Kickstarter and shortened the exclusivity period for games on Ouya, allowing the developer to get started quickly on a PC/console version.

This move needed to happen for Free The Games Fund to be successful, with most of the early Kickstarters suspended due to average payments of around $1,000, it has brought a bad light on the program and how it deals with business.

With the lowered amount to get onto the project, where Ouya will match the funding on Kickstarter to help the game out through the development stages, we may see more interesting indie titles crop up on Ouya, without the need to fraud their way onto the program.

The lowered exclusivity time is also a great thing for developers, if their game does not do well on the platform financially, they can begin creating a PC version to add onto Steam and may be able to contact console manufacturers about partnerships.

All this is great for Ouya reputation and will make indies feel more safe with their investment into the Ouya console. Some developers have said Ouya is no place for money, with some games earning $500 over the course of six months, but others like TowerFall have gained a good chunk of revenue from the service.

Source

Ouya CEO hits back at controversy surrounding Free The Games Fund

Ouya’s Free The Games fund started a few months ago, this was created to fund indie developers on Kickstarter through the $1 million in funding Ouya had acquired. The two rules were the game had to be exclusive to the Ouya console and it had to raise over $50,000.

If the Kickstarter succeeds, Ouya would match the funding and pay in three parts, first when the game finishes its Kickstarter, second when it is on the Ouya game-store and third when it has ended its exclusivity, after six months.

The Free The Games fund has been hit with major controversy, with some developers finding the idea of this fund against the ideas Ouya claims to live by, openness and indies. The problem is Ouya wants the developers to enclose their game on Ouya for six months and considering some developers have made less than $500 on the Ouya console, it doesn’t look like a bursting market.

They also need developers to make $50,000 from the game they are Kickstarting, a large amount of an indie developers with almost no funds for advertisement and limited scope on Kickstarter. Some decent games don’t reach more than $10,000 simply because the developers know their funding limits and their scope.

With the Ouya platform currently boggled with a few good games and almost no revenue, it would have been better for Ouya to offer the funding to any project and they could keep the exclusivity, even though it goes against the “openness” Ouya goes on about.

Julie Uhrman has claimed the Free The Games fund is exactly what is says on the tin, but to some developers it is a shifty system and one Ouya does not really want to go into details about – leading many indies to go against Ouya.

Source

Telltale Games bringing The Walking Dead to Ouya

Telltale Games have brought The Walking Dead game to almost every platform in existence, including Xbox 360, PC, PS3, iPad, iPhone and just recently the PS Vita. For some reason, Telltale has yet to bring it to Android, but they are bringing it to Ouya.

Ouya is a part of Android in some ways, it runs on the same operating system, but Ouya spent the last year making sure the heavy skin and new developer SDK pushed the system far away from what can be considered Android.

Telltale Games will be bringing the full game to the Ouya console, with all five episodes of The Walking Dead and the DLC expansion 400 Days. As with all Ouya games, the first episode will come free of charge, with gamers having to pay for the other four episodes.

Telltale has also said they will be bringing the second series of The Walking Dead to the Ouya console, although no time frame was announced. We are also unsure if Telltale will be releasing the game on Ouya at the same time as the normal platforms.

The next series of The Walking Dead is set to follow the story of Clementine, after the huge first series. The Walking Dead was nominated for a whole host of awards and won many and is expected to continue to the success.

Source

Ouya will finally be available to purchase tomorrow at $99

After initially shipping to Developers and Kickstarter backers, the Ouya gaming console will finally be available for consumers to purchase starting tomorrow (6/25/2013). The console will cost you $99, and comes with one controller, although more controllers can be purchased at $49 each. Multiple retailers such as Best Buy, Amazon, and Target are already getting ready to release the console, and have live order pages on their websites.

There will be more than 150 games available at launch, such as Final Fantasy III and Bombsquad. Any person who owns a OUYA can develop for the console without having to pay licensing fees, which is definitely a nice treat if you’re interested in that area.

Specs wise, the OUYA holds a NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad-core processor clocked at 1.7Ghz, 1GB of RAM, 1 HDMI port, 1 USB port, and 8GB of flash memory.

Source: Android Central