The OUYA is the first totally open video game console. All games are free to try, you own the device without any restrictions. You’re even encouraged to take apart your OUYA, hack it, and do anything creative you can think of with it.
… but that’s not what convinced me to buy an OUYA.
For those of you who have trouble understanding WHY someone would be interested in the $99 OUYA consider this…
Someone who wants to code and publish a program or game that can run on a gaming console instead of a PC must always get a Software Development Kit for that platform. In most cases this is extremely expensive which prohibits hobbyists and independent developers from developing console video games.
OUYA is $99. The SDK can be downloaded for FREE and every $99 OUYA console is capable of being used as a test platform. Write your code, plug-into your OUYA by USB, and run your stuff. It’s that easy.
You can’t run your own software on Wii, Play Station or XBOX.
Even worse, you can’t afford to get the SDK to create software for Wii, Play Station or XBOX unless you have a big budget or work for a game studio.
Here are some prices for the Wii, Play Station and XBOX SDK’s:
- Microsoft XBOX XBK – $5k
- Sony PS3 SDK – $2k
- Nintendo Wii < $2k
If you’re interested in open source game development, but you want to venture into console gaming versus PC gaming because you think the controller can add some depth and functionality to your game, the OUYA is the perfect inexpensive device.
Sure, you can get a controller for your PC and write software to use it, but it’s not standard. You know everyone with an OUYA will have a controller, and you can easily afford the device and the free SDK.
That’s why someone would pay $99 for OUYA.
… and if you’re not a game developer, the above reason is still why you would want to pay $99 for OUYA, because you know tons of independent developers and hobbyists will be working with the device and creating some very unique games. The quality will be lower than mainstream consoles, that’s guaranteed. However, the variety will be enormous.