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What should we do about the Ouya? — Gideros Forum
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    What should we do about the Ouya?

    MellsMells Guru
    edited October 2013 in General questions
    Hi,

    Are there resources still allocated to Ouya?

    Here is a recent article :
    We've made mistakes, but it's still advantage Ouya: Tadhg Kelly on his new role as Ouya's free-to-play guy

    Here is an excerpt :
    For Ouya specifically the draw for me boils down to two things - free expression and better exposure. Free expression is an increasingly important issue in the gaming art form, as it should be.
    They are making their positioning clear :
    1. They want to appeal to developers who found themselves limited by the policies of currently successful platforms.
      Let's say Apple did not approve one of your games, Ouya will keep the doors open.
      Personally, I didn't know/feel that free expression on those platforms was an issue.
    2. They want to give more exposure. If you are convinced that there is too much competition on other platforms and/or there is a need for better discoverability algorithms, then Ouya might be for you.
    I don't want to discuss if their positioning is good or bad.
    Instead, I would like to understand what this means for our community.

    Let's try to comment :
    1. I have never heard of a developer whose game was definitely unapproved on iOS/Android.
      Apple tends to shy away from allowing fringe content
      I feel the selection is pretty diversified. Look at what games are featured and successful : Year Walk, Device 6, Sword and Sorcery, Limbo, Bastion, etc...
      Those are not "mainstream" games (Limbo!) and Apple seem to support them pretty well.
      And on Android's side, there is even less curation. Lot of good but also very bad apps.

      Would people buy "fringe content" enough to make it a viable business? That's another story.
    2. The majority of the apps made with Gideros that we see on the forums are aimed at casual gamers which Android and iOS platforms seem to love.
      Which kind of players will Ouya appeal to? Players looking for "a different kind of experience"? That makes sense.
      But devs on our forums seem to provide "games that are familiar with what players already know, with a twist".
      For the most part of us, we are aiming at existing markets. Not new or unserved ones.
      There are many talented designers out there slaving away on commentary games, art games, personal games, games that are about issues, games that are reflective, games that are satirical.
      That's definitely not the kind of games I see on this forum. What I'm worried about is that all this talk is about the developer, never about what this platform is solving for users.
      As if consumers of the Ouya were exclusively developers themselves.
      for the console to be all about freeing games and game makers, to let them just do what they want to do on TV.
      Who are "they"? Ok, game makers.
    So, on both of Ouya team's points, I'm not sold.
    What about other Gideros users? What do you think?

    Shouldn't we wait until it shows signs of traction on the consumer's side (or dies) before considering it as a viable option?

    If there are priorities to be done, I don't see Ouya as a platform that deserves the team's limited resources to be allocated to.

    For now - and this one is totally subjective - I see it as a toy to please developers without a market.
    I want to see it as a way to diversify our income streams (more options the better), I WANT it to succeed, but maybe we should put it on the side until .... another day?

    I'm curious to know what other developers thinks.

    But maybe already there are no resources allocated to it anymore?



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    Comments

    • ar2rsawseenar2rsawseen Maintainer
      Wow, @Mells you basically summarized my thoughts and experience with OUYA.

      The casual games really don't cut there, and yes, I did not see much problems with Google/Apple approving apps.

      One thing I want to try though, is a multicontroller, fun to play with friends kind of game. That might have some trend with ouya (and with gamestick later).

      Another interesting point, it seems ouya players, does not really care fro graphics, but more for the game/gameplay itself.

      Some of most popular games on ouya have terrible graphics (I know someone will bash me for saying it, but) pixel art is not an art or graphic for the game, its just something you use, when you don't have money for real graphics. And pixel art on HD TV, is even worse. There I said it :)

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    • PlatypusPlatypus Member
      "One thing I want to try though, is a multicontroller, fun to play with friends kind of game."
      Yes!
      (+1)
      "Another interesting point, it seems ouya players do not really care for graphics, but more for the game/gameplay itself."
      Yes!
      (+1)
      "pixel art is not an art or graphic for the game, its just something you use, when you don't have money for real graphics. And pixel art on HD TV, is even worse. There I said it"
      I strongly disagree.
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    • ar2rsawseenar2rsawseen Maintainer
      edited October 2013
      @Platypus, I know, all of my friends/developers try to convince me that pixel art is good, but in reality, I can't play a game with pixel art, because of how I see that graphics suck and I'm a minority here, I know :(

      Every time I see lots of great reviews about the game, and I try it, just to see that it has a pixel art, I go like:
      image
      http://appcodingeasy.com/Gideros-Mobile
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    • OZAppsOZApps Guru
      @Platypus, I know, all of my friends/developers try to convince me that pixel art is good, but in reality, I can't play a game with pixel art, because of how I see that graphics suck and I'm a minority here, I know :(

      Every time I see lots of great reviews about the game, and I try it, just to see that it has a pixel art, I go like:
      image
      @ar2rsawseen, I share the pain but partially with you, in the sense that art in many games is sub-par. However the point is that majority of the developers are not artists and have very little understanding of design and colour principles.

      So Pixel Art and Doodles are used as an excuse for not having good art in the app. However having said that, Doodle art is not exactly easy, for that matter even pixel art is not easy. Representing details in limited points (pixels) is a very difficult task.

      Yes, I am not a fan of Minecraft and do not understand why someone would be head over heels on something that looks crappy, but then so many loving iOS7 also is a complete mystery and explains that people love the most random of things.

      Pixel Art is not bad, but Badly done Pixel Art is a crime and I think you have seen more of the latter category hence your stand on disliking Pixel art.
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    • MellsMells Guru
      edited October 2013
      @ar2rsawseen
      Ouya games are mostly made by devs for devs.
      The people we are targeting haven't even *heard* about Ouya.

      About the multicontroller if it's a personal project of yours then that sounds fun, but if it's part of your work with Gideros then I would ask again : is it worth it at all?
      If I follow you, you don't see it as an opportunity either.
      So why would you invest some time in it?
      I believe you decide to invest time in something when you have proof that something is worth it?
      It's not the opposite, where you invest time until someone proves you that it's *not* worth it.
      Even 1 hour would be a waste.

      Personally, currently, I see it as a toy for developers only. That doesn't seem to me as a wise resources investment (for now).
      The link above shows that they are themselves not clear about their positioning.

      Focusing on Gideros, there are so many other things that are needed for proven markets.

      Our players are not there.
      Players are not there.
      I would put it on the side, the market is not worth it for now. Why controllers, if there are no players and buyers?
      Even if people are trusting Apple to store their credit card numbers, why would they trust an unknown platform that comes from nowhere, with no credit and social proof?

      Some would say "but being first in the market is important!" Well no, that's not a rule.
      pixel art is not an art or graphic for the game, its just something you use, when you don't have money for real graphics.
      That's not the real problem.
      Well first of all, technically a trained eye can see what good and bad pixel art is. So I would not put everything in the same bucket.
      Also, mastering it is hard. It's not like "ok I am bad so I'm going the easy way". Lot of things that you label as "pixel art" is just people with no skills that didn't search for a way to compensate for their lack of skill.

      And last, there should be no hierarchy between pixel art, and other styles.

      Art directing is about finding the pieces that fit. Some projects are far better with pixel art and chiptunes, some others don't.
      Art directing is a skill that is necessary in any kind of creative project.
      If you don't have it, then your project suffers from it.
      I have been doing it for a few years and still now from time to time as a consultant, if I'm not mistaken that's also the case of @zoolax?

      Super Mario World with a Call of Duty art direction? I don't want it.
      Color is not better than Black and white, it's just different.
      You use whatever fits the project better.

      But back to Ouya.
      Numbers show that it's not a viable market for now.
      Unless I'm missing something, shouldn't resources be reallocated?
      why someone would be head over heels on something that looks crappy
      To the people who like it (I have never played so I don't know) it's not better. It's different.
      And from a marketing point of view it's just perfect. When everyone go 3D and beautiful textures, you go the opposite way with something easily remarkable.
      That's how you can license your brand all over the world.

      Not saying that this is great or bad, but it certainly is remarkable. And what is remarkable polarizes people/make them talk about it/reinforces those who like their commitment to that product. It's so amazing to make people think that this is a "new" look, while the majority of games looked like that before.

      I have never played it but I know it thanks to that "unique" look. Not bad!
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