Kickstarter Console Project Meets $950K Goal In Eight Hours

WTF? Could be cool actually even though I don't like android, but this is really weird, a whole freaking console kickstarted.

@Xtrminatr said:

For $100, why the fuck not. If the thing comes out and doesn't take off I have a relic of failed tech memorabilia to go along with a jaguar and virtual boy.

Just what I was thinking.

This is intense!

Meh, I could care less, personally I am not a fan of this move towards "cheaper" games. Although there is some creative indie stuff I have never been a fan of indie games, for the most part they are shallow poorly produced and have limited appeal.

@AlwaysBeClothing: The same could be said about every kickstarter, credibility is a mayor selling point of all these projects. At least Yves Behar is a known designer, not like he is just a random guy with an unproven idea...

@Skyfire543 said:

Seems pretty cool, but I already have a PC that can do all of what that lady says in the video and more.

As do I (though it's starting to show it's age) but as this kickstarter has proven there is a LARGE market of people who want to play all these great games from smaller devs that show up on steam/mobile but do not want to go trough the hassle of buying an expensive PC (relative to a $99 box) and then hook it up to their tv, install steam, pray any game they play has native controller support, etc.

This is just more stable, you know your game will always have controller support and you know your game will be able to run on your machine and it's as simple to use as most smart phones. Certainly a strong market out there for that.

Of course, the big potential draw for developers is the freedom they'll have to develop for the device. In fact, everyone will have the opportunity to design for the device, as it's billed as hacker friendly. Rooting the console won't void your warranty, and hardware hackers are encouraged on the Kickstarter page to "create their own peripherals."

Nope... can't see any problem here.

All of seen about Android is that it is used for phone and Mobile devices. Is it built to handle the types of games I expect to play on a counsel? I like the idea of having a counsel being open to the modding community, counsels are built to ward away any types of changes made by the user, that is bigger then changing their wallpaper.

Though unless the new counsel is very easy to play around with (mod) or quickly forms a community of people making useful and fun additions to this- which might be the case, seeing the kick starter success it's getting- then it might provide a 'bad boy' alternative to the current market.

It be interesting to see how this plays out.

This "Open Source" Console has sparked my interest in learning how to develop software and games. For 99 bucks I can have the erector set of game consoles. The potential of the hacker/mod community involvement could be amazing. It reminds me of the cool stuff people are creating with Arduino microcontrollers etc. BTW. if you don't like android than use or write something else! Its root mod-able! it has a USB port, plug in a Kinect, plug in a arduino, plug in a makeymakey electrostatic controller board and control your games using bananas!

@Enigma_2099 said:

Of course, the big potential draw for developers is the freedom they'll have to develop for the device. In fact, everyone will have the opportunity to design for the device, as it's billed as hacker friendly. Rooting the console won't void your warranty, and hardware hackers are encouraged on the Kickstarter page to "create their own peripherals."

Nope... can't see any problem here.

Yeah, this seems like a great time to learn about the hypocrisy of what people say on forums VS how they act in reality.

@Redsox44: It's just about the money and interest level, games and iphone docks are kickstarted for millions why not an open source game console for under a mil?

If anything, this will depend on the quality of the SDK.

Being able to develop games to play as consoles is not cheap or easy (not even on PC). An easy to understand and well supported SDK for starters could go a long way into helping people get into game development.

I have to imagine that a big chunk of the people who put money towards this thing's Kickstarter are either people who plan to develop for it or are people who are happy to have a company that encourages hacking the console. Otherwise, I see absolutely no reason to get this thing.

In an ideal world, this would encourage some amazing indie projects and we'd see more stuff like Super Meat Boy, Bastion, and Cave Story. In a realistic world, this is paying $99 for a non-portable Android with less functionality and the vast, vast majority of games will be the equivalent of purchasable Flash games. Just imagine the thrill of paying $99 so you can pay $1-15 for horrible clones of Minecraft, Angry Birds, Farmville, and of course (since they plastered it all over their Kickstarter page) CANABALT! Oh, and several thousand variations on the 'cannon/slingshot/catapult launches person/animal/object and then you sit back and watch it bounce off of randomly generated objects for a few minutes' genre. Wow!

Will be really interesting to see how big this ends up blowing up eventually. Maybe it could be a disruptive force.

I don't see where the hate is coming from for this.

First of all, we're talking about a console that would allow ANYONE to make a game for it. ANYONE! You don't have to be fucking Activision or whoever else. Moreover, the power of cell phones keeps getting exponentially better. The specs for what this will have available in it...FOR $99 MIND YOU...is fucking insane. Is it going to be PS3? No. However, people around these forums constantly bitch about how much focus goes into graphics and how little focus goes into gameplay most of the time. Now, here's a console focusing on switching up that ideal and putting the power in the hands of people with ideas but no big budgets to start it up.

If anything, this is XBLA and PSN without the big time publishers behind it.

Yes, it's going to run Android...and GOD FORBID, THAT STUFF COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE UPDATED! I mean, Xbox is updated on a yearly basis...twice or three times even. PlayStation is updated. Therefore, what's to say that these guys couldn't push out similar updates of the same caliber based around the newest versions of Android?

Even then, it's something that the community will have the ability to play around with. I could have my console and a friend could have theirs. We could have them both tweaked in completely different ways. As long as it plays the games, what the fuck does it matter?

WHO SAID THERE NEEDS TO BE A FUCKING STANDARD TO THE OPERATING SYSTEM SO LONG AS THE FUNCTIONALITY IS THERE?!

So seriously...stop being so fucking negative and close-minded, people. This is a risky thing. They know that. They also know that they have the potential for doing something unique and possibly incredible.

As much as all you people bitch about Micro$oft and Sony and the corporate bullshit, you are going to shit on the chance that someone is taking to say "fuck all that"? REALLY?!

I support it. I haven't put my money into it, but I'll buy it...day one.

Cool idea, terrible name.

I used to be with "it". But then they changed what "it" was, now "it" is something that scares and confuses me.

BTW is there an iPhone app where the mere mention of Android makes you instantly angry and resistant?

$99 for a Tegra 3 development platform? HOW DARE YOU MAKE DEVELOPMENT CHEAPER?

I hate emulators, I'd never pay to play Zelda on my HDTV.

So a console version of the GP2X and Open Pandora?

Cool.

I find the Penny Arcade kickstarter much more interesting.

i do hope there dreams will be realized and expectations met ... for me a console like a ps3 is awesome dvd blueray player and xbox is there for games i cant get on PC... GL to them

Android isn't incredibly user-friendly, but a vibrant hacking community could turn this into a surprise hit. Very intriguing...

I bet Sega is wondering...."what if..."

I think this would be awesome.. Something small and easy to play phone games on! I can finally enjoy Zenonia on a screen that is not 4.7"!!!!

Wow, lotta hate ITT for this thing...

Hard to believe this could do better than the vita

I'll buy one.

As a lover of indie games this console is intriguing to me for certain. With guys like Adam Atomic already singing the praises of its potential as an interesting new gaming frontier I am personally hooked.

It's easy to dismiss this device because it's "just" running Android but a few months ago I heard people dismissing Unity games released on consoles and PC because Unity was "just" a mobile engine. If you open your mind up to something it's amazing how quickly your perceptions and misconceptions can be realigned.

I'm not saying this is going to be the next revolution in console gaming but it may very well prove to be a great source for indie and casual games as well as an interesting alternative "media hub" over devices like a Roku or Xbox 360. Time will tell.

I like how oh-so-progressive they position themselves in that video, yet nothing was or could be said about the quality of the games themselves. Can't imagine free to play on android is a magnet for talent and intent. Whatever though, it'll have great ideas.

People dropped $20 on Minecraft just to play it on the big screen, so 5x that for a console that has it for free on day one doesn't seem to crazy.

I mostly just want it because a decent bluetooth controller natively compatible with android doesn't really exist yet. It's why I was considering getting the OnLive console, but I have zero use for the OnLive console. This, at least, I might actually find some use for, even if it's just turning it into the android version of a mac mini.

Edit: Dammit, I just talked myself into it. So long, $99 I'll never see again. :(

Before you pledge read this! I pledged $129.00, but I quickly backed out after a friend reminded me of all the advertisements on mobile games that are free.

Well I don't know, as someone pointed out, you can hook your phone to the TV and connect a pad to it via BT, no magic, it works and seems a lot like this, and is a lot smaller too. For hacking and fooling around with it, sure why not, but there's a VIA android board for $50 available, for all your fun with android hacks etc.

Most if not all Games on iOS/Android are fun for about 5 minutes if at all, but that's my opinion and wont say everyone feels like that, as for Bastions and other cool little games, they are mostly available on a lot of platforms, Xbox, PS, Steam so I'm covered. Maybe if they get more "proper" games going, something that is not Angry Birds and alike, it might get interesting.

As for streaming media to TVs, is it like 2005 again? I got about 3 devices below my TV that can stream so does the TV itself, not to mention every new BR player which wants to support 3D (profile 5.0) or BD Live (Profile 2.0) must support internet/network capability (it's mandatory by the standard), thus every BR player that you buy will support streaming of some sorts and DLNA, and pretty much every new mid-range TV.

In the end this thing is just another device that take another power socket and more cables as everything it does, can be done already.

Regardless of the quality of the product, I feel that this will be an interesting little experiment to keep an eye on.

Apparently there's quite a market for it. I had no idea.

Hey guys, lets stop the knee jerk reactions and just chill the fuck out till we get some more info on this thing.

@CaptainTryHard said:

Before you pledge read this! I pledged $129.00, but I quickly backed out after a friend reminded me of all the advertisements on mobile games that are free.

What about that huge library on Kongregate (ad free) for android, that alone would warrant my purchase.

@jakob187 said:

I don't see where the hate is coming from for this.

First of all, we're talking about a console that would allow ANYONE to make a game for it. ANYONE! You don't have to be fucking Activision or whoever else. Moreover, the power of cell phones keeps getting exponentially better. The specs for what this will have available in it...FOR $99 MIND YOU...is fucking insane. Is it going to be PS3? No. However, people around these forums constantly bitch about how much focus goes into graphics and how little focus goes into gameplay most of the time. Now, here's a console focusing on switching up that ideal and putting the power in the hands of people with ideas but no big budgets to start it up.

If anything, this is XBLA and PSN without the big time publishers behind it.

Yes, it's going to run Android...and GOD FORBID, THAT STUFF COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE UPDATED! I mean, Xbox is updated on a yearly basis...twice or three times even. PlayStation is updated. Therefore, what's to say that these guys couldn't push out similar updates of the same caliber based around the newest versions of Android?

Even then, it's something that the community will have the ability to play around with. I could have my console and a friend could have theirs. We could have them both tweaked in completely different ways. As long as it plays the games, what the fuck does it matter?

WHO SAID THERE NEEDS TO BE A FUCKING STANDARD TO THE OPERATING SYSTEM SO LONG AS THE FUNCTIONALITY IS THERE?!

So seriously...stop being so fucking negative and close-minded, people. This is a risky thing. They know that. They also know that they have the potential for doing something unique and possibly incredible.

As much as all you people bitch about Micro$oft and Sony and the corporate bullshit, you are going to shit on the chance that someone is taking to say "fuck all that"? REALLY?!

I support it. I haven't put my money into it, but I'll buy it...day one.

QFT

I'm all for cheaper consoles but this sounds kanda lamw

I can't think of a single Android game that I would like to play on my television. That may change in the future but for now, I have no desire to own one of these for any reason but collecting (since its so cheap and will probably be remembered as something super weird).

This is going to work exactly as well as those linux handhelds that came out a few years ago. That is to say doomed to run nothing but emulators and lazily-made open source games.

That...sounds...pretty cool.

Wow... that was damn fast....

@SJSchmidt93 said:

Hey guys, lets stop the knee jerk reactions and just chill the fuck out till we get some more info on this thing.

Unlike the thousands of people who put up 1 million dollars in less than I day.

I don't know why any gamer would be opposed to this coming to market - It will put pressure on the big 3 console makers to act more in line with interests of developers and gamers. X-Box Live Marketplace is not a good place for either right now, it's a place for Microsoft to show Doritos commercials and try to sell me movies, and to charge me an annual subscription fee for the privilege to have that garbage pop up every time I want to buy a game..

Their marketing message is very good, very polished, I think they're saying the right things and it's obviously enticing the right people. It might be at $2 million before midnight, they're selling out of their pledges. I also think there's a large market for this (especially if they can get Netflix to come to their market) - Kids rooms, dorm rooms, travel (it's the size of a rubik's cube). The price point is clutch - It's worth the entry free just to stream TNT on twitch.tv.

@SlightConfuse: I'ts not a handheld

I think this is awesome. We've been watching the fight between these 3 behemoths (Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft) for a decade now and I want this gaming world to get shaken up a bit!

A forth console, a FREE TO PLAY console would mean some serious competition. All of my friends are COD and BF fans, but even they are tired of paying $60 a year. Free to play on a console would appeal to them, and at $99 I would buy it even if it only had 1 free to play game I wanted and they seem to want to release more than that.

That being said, I see no reason to back the project haha. It has met its funding AND the rewards are kind of weak sauce. I was thinking of backing it for $99 but seeing as that only gets me the console (which is its' aimed price point btw), I'll wait until it proves successful, and then pick it up in stores ;P

@MikkaQ said:

This is going to work exactly as well as those linux handhelds that came out a few years ago. That is to say doomed to run nothing but emulators and lazily-made open source games.

Not really... If it's running android that means you will have access to Google's Play Store, where you can get a tone of professionally made games.

I don't see the market for this thing. The success of Android has less to do with the features of its operating system & more to do with its vast availability across carriers & devices. Maybe Ouya will appeal to the hacker community that's interested in Android, but I doubt that will be enough to make the device a success. The Xbox 360 is a mainstream device at $199 that already has a huge amount of content & will likely see a price cut by the time they could bring Ouya to market. For those who like "free" games, Facebook keeps proving itself to be a force in casual gaming trends. It seems like they're making a device for developers instead of consumers.

@MikkaQ said:

This is going to work exactly as well as those linux handhelds that came out a few years ago. That is to say doomed to run nothing but emulators and lazily-made open source games.

Using a more commercially well supported platform like Android means there's already a bunch of software available that could be adapted to the controller and bigger screen relatively cheaply. Sure, it means that the majority of the games will most likely be phone and tablet ports, that may not play to the systems strengths neither as graphical showpieces nor using the input methods all that well, but unlike the OpenPandora, GP32X and whatever the handhelds were called, there is already a lot of software available built for simpler input methods, rather than made for keyboard and mouse and then attempted to be mapped to 4 buttons and a d-pad.

We can obviously not say how it will do in the long run, but I'm sure Gameloft, GungHo and other established Android devs and publishers will release some ports early on.

Hey you can plug your tablet into your TV.

Also why would I want to play gimped minecraft? A tegra 3, 1gig of ram cannot play real minecraft, you can't have mods either.

This product is all hype, just like Linux laptops.

Also there is a reason why people spend $1500 on pc's, $600 on consoles, they don't want to play what was cool in 1999. Gamers want better AI, larger worlds, better animation, better sound, and finally yes better graphics. All these things require resources, hardware isn't just about graphics, its about immersion and experience.

Can you imagine this console running a burnout game at 60fps?

I still don't know if this name is terrible or amazing.

If it's a success, awesome! If it's a failure, it's a weird, relatively cheap piece of rare gaming lore to show off to people to prove just how much of a dumb collector I really am.