Hey Wii U, mind if I join you? I hear it’s been lonely on that shelf. Let the games begin.
No longer will Nintendo’s, slightly bigger, little white box, sit atop the gaming market as this generation’s lone home console offering. OUYA, the even littler white box has undoubtedly joined the fray.
OUYA’s official website has announced pre-ordering as of today. Digital retailers, such as Amazon have also begun taking orders on the Rubik’s cube sized console. Sitting at just $99, OUYA entices an intriguing bargain; the console’s conclusive launch is slated for June of this year.
With the industry making slow, yet obvious, declines in revenue, this Kickstarter success project comes at a key point during a transitioning era. Game development isn’t cheap, and it’s not getting any cheaper. Most major AAA titles cost as much as - or more than - Hollywood blockbusters films, and we haven’t even mentioned the marketing cost, which many developers cannot afford.
Nintendo’s 5 year console life model is beginning to age. And if the new boys like OUYA, Steambox, Gamestick, etc are successful, offering smaller, potentially more powerful options with astounding affordability, then the big 3 will need to rethink the conventional means of home gaming platforms.
Right now, OUYA has an edge. The system offers a free-based development kit. No fees, no cost, simply create. Hard to argue a deal of $0. The question is, will devs buy into it? We’ll find out soon enough this summer. I believe Samuel Jackson said it best in Jurassic Park: “Hold onto your butts.”
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