"The quality of the games, the quality of the playing experiences ultimately is going to decide whether this really wins or not," he says. Hilwa says Ouya's success will come down to content. "If those game developers spend their time and resources to produce games, and they're not able to monetize users in a way that's profitable for them, they will abandon the platform." Securing top-notch developers will also be crucial to how well the console performs, Blau says. Ouya won't just battle for video game players. "They have a lot of competition," Blau says. On top of battling the Xbox, PS4 and Nintendo's Wii U, the Ouya must contend with the rising smartphone and tablet gaming market. "Those are all nice to have, but at the end of the day, the only thing the gamer cares about is that games are fun to play," Uhrman says. Uhrman disputes the value of console horsepower. The console won't boast the technical advantages of future devices such as Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4, with realistic graphics and superior processing power. "The $99 price point is very attractive and conducive to replacing a device every year," says Al Hilwa of IDC. The standard home video game console cycle runs between 4 to 6 years. Eric Froemlings party game BombSquad for Android and OUYA managed to squeeze all of that into a single package. All titles hosted on Ouya will be required to provide free demos before purchase.Īlso, like smartphones, new versions of Ouya will launch on an annual basis. It runs on a version of Google's Android operating system, with games priced as low as $2 to $3. Ouya, which is the size of a Rubik's Cube, boasts the traditional features of a home gaming console, including HDMI inputs for high-definition TVs and a controller similar to what's found on a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360. "You really have something that's quite compelling for someone that doesn't have a lot of money, but they want to get a game console in their living room," says Gartner analyst Brian Blau. Ouya's price is far lower than traditional video game consoles, which range from $250 to $500. A handful of entertainment apps will also be available. More than 150 digital games will be available at launch, from indie titles such as BombSquad to games from big publishers such as Square Enix's Final Fantasy III. The $99 device has since attracted big retailers, including, Best Buy and Target. Early versions of the Ouya (pronounced "ooo-yah") shipped to backers in March. It was unveiled last July through a campaign on crowd-funding site Kickstarter, raising more than $8.5 million in one month. Industry veteran Uhrman joined Yves Behar, the console's product designer and chief creative officer of audio hardware company Jawbone, to create Ouya. "The consoles are still incredibly expensive," Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman says. Tuesday marks the arrival of Ouya, the home video-game console born through crowd-funding and introducing a lower-price alternative to higher-price competitors. The video game console wars welcome a new combatant.
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