OUYA Final Thoughts
When OUYA first began shipping to its early Kickstarter backers, most of the initial reviews were less than flattering. It was a bit disappointing given great job the company did with fundraising. Engadget summarized the box by saying: “The version of OUYA shipping now should be considered a beta release, and anyone hoping for anything more is in for some disappointment. It’s simply not ready for retail.” The ever-present founder and CEO Julie Urhman responded to the negative reviews by commenting on how much better things would be after the official release.
Well, the official release date has come and gone and it’s kind of hard to tell what has changed. What once seemed like such a neat, little console when reading about it before launch now seems kind of bulky relative to its capabilities. If my phone is more powerful, why is it so much bigger than my phone? If adding a controller to the android platform is such a game-changer, why does this controller frustrate me? If having a more “open” platform helps foster creativity, why can’t I find anything to play that excites me?
Hardware is obviously unchanged from our previous article found here. The “coolness” of a console being so small has long worn off, but remains unimportant. The controller remains a huge issue. I was hoping that after spending more time with it, I would get more used to it and adapt to its perceived shortcomings. Maybe it wasn’t bad, maybe it was just different. Unfortunately that is not the case.
Raising over $8 million dollars to put the OUYA together sounds impressive, but how much money do you think Sony or Microsoft has put into developing their controllers. There’s a reason why the Xbox 360 controller is most people’s preferred controller for PC gaming. It’s because third party controllers, for the most part, are terrible. OUYA’s controller seems no different from any of the poorly reviewed no-name controllers you can find on the internet. The buttons stick and the ergonomics are just poorly designed.
The console’s OS remains unimpressive. Again, $8 million seems like a lot of money to put together something great, but it apparently doesn’t cut it. I have used many free programs developed with care by dedicated people that show much more polish and finesse than what OUYA can offer.
The games remain uninspiring. When the most exciting thing to play is an old game that you played years ago, it’s probably not a good sign. This aspect should have been expected. Game designers want to focus their energies and getting out to the biggest market they can. The idea of putting energy into making a game for a system with such a small install base where everyone can start playing your game without paying for it doesn’t make much sense.
The bigger issue with gaming on the OUYA in general is the lag. It’s hard to enjoy a game which requires lightning reflexes to master when there is a delay between the buttons you push and what happens in the game. The fact that this problem exists on every game where quick button mashing is the key to success leads to the assumption that the problem is with the system.
After spending time with the OUYA, the biggest problem of all seems to be the console’s most basic premise. OUYA was built to bring mobile-type gaming to the big screen. There were definitely those who were always hesitant about why anyone would want such a thing and it turns out they were probably right all along. It’s hard to fault OUYA for trying. The idea of bringing the exploding mobile-gaming market to the big screen seems like a worthy risk to tackle. Unfortunately, this looks like a wager that will be lost.
Mobile games are fun to play . . . when you’re waiting in line somewhere, or stuck at the airport. The serve as an entertaining distraction from boredom – from when you aren’t home and don’t have access to what you actually like to do with your free time. For people who like to play games on their television, OUYA games just can’t deliver the type of experience you get from other platforms. Being OUYA’s entire target market (those who like to play games on their television), this puts OUYA in a tough spot.
So for the time being, the diminutive, little console sits gathering dust inconspicuously next to my other audio/video equipment, the controller stashed away in a cupboard somewhere. Gambles don’t always yield a big payday.