Ouya Android-Based Hackable Gaming Console

Let’s face it: more and more video gamers are playing with their mobile devices instead. There are many reasons behind this trend. While casual gamers look at it as cool thing to do, not to mention a wider variety of cheaper titles, independent video game developers point to the console market and how it pushed them away. They claim that established console makers do not allow innovation, experiment, and creativity.

The solution: a game console that runs on open software and encourages hacking. Ouya is an Android 4.0-based TV game console packed with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB of storage, an SD card slot, a USB 2.0 port, as well WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. It also comes with a wireless gamepad with built-in trackpad, making the controls playable in mobile games as well. Apart from bringing the popular Android and indie games (like Canabalt and Minecraft) to the big screen, Ouya aims to bring original titles that are just as cheap as mobile games. And did we mention that its MSRP is just $ 99?

Ouya even encourages independent game developers to make their own games for the console and even hack the hardware without voiding the warrant. A button on the console opens the top and provides access to its inner hardware.

The Ouya is the brainchild of Julie Uhrman, who has worked in the video game industry for many years, and Jambox designer Yves Behar. They have pitched this product idea to Kickstarter with a $ 950,000 goal and the reaction from the public has been so supportive, funding has reached over $ 3.2 million as of this posting and they are far away from the August 9 deadline. They have now asked their backers for suggestions on their stretch goals. (In layman’s terms, what to do with all the excess money?)

Source: Engadget
Video Games – GuideTo.Com

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