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The Daily Roundup for 02.28.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
OUYA's Kellee Santiago talks game publishing, her new role as Head of Developer Relations
When Kellee Santiago resigned from her previous gig as president of thatgamecompany, she left behind a job running one of the most highly acclaimed indie game studios in the industry. But she left on a high note, having helped craft Journey -- not just one of the best games of 2012, but a high mark on the medium. Her next move is similarly bold, taking the reins of the Android-powered OUYA console's digital content library as "Head of Developer Relations." On Santiago's LinkedIn profile, she describes her new job as, "curator of content for the games section on OUYA" (among other things); a job she's plenty qualified for given her time on the board of the Indie Fund (an angel investment group of successful indie game devs). "This role seems almost like a logical extension of everything I've done up to this point," Santiago told us in an email interview this afternoon. Indeed it does. In her new role at OUYA, Santiago will be "working with many developers globally and in different capacities," she said, as well as managing the digital library that users at home see. "I'm very passionate about empowering new voices in game development so we can have more variety in game content -- that's what initially led me to co-founding thatgamecompany, and Indie Fund, and working with the Independent Games Summit, and IndieCade," she added. The job of course includes courting devs, even if that means OUYA assists in the funding and publishing of those devs' games. "OUYA is doing both," Santiago told us -- that's no doubt assisted by the $8.5 million OUYA pulled in during its Kickstarter funding campaign. Despite her passion for indies, she said there's no "arbitrary restrictions for developing on OUYA," and that her guiding principle is identifying, "developers and content that for whatever reasons wouldn't be able to exist on any other console." In other words, there's no reason one of the biggies -- think EA, Activision, Ubisoft and others -- couldn't get in on the action. Square Enix has already promised a variety of titles, so it seems a given that others will sign on. One developer who's still curiously uncertain about the console, however? Santiago herself. Though she teased on Twitter earlier today that she'll, "still be making stuff, too," and not to worry, she wouldn't offer us any more details about her plans for development on OUYA. Again, it seems a given, but we can't help but want to know more sooner than later.
Ouya ships to Kickstarter backers March 28, Kellee Santiago joins company
If you bought an Ouya console from the Kickstarter drive, you will actually get the thing you bought soon. The consoles will begin shipping out on March 28, the company announced today. The retail launch is still set for June.Ouya will be supported by games, including an exclusive title by Kim Swift and Airtight Games (Quantum Conundrum) and a new project by Minority Media (Papo & Yo). And to attract even more talent to the diminutive console, thatgamecompany co-founder Kellee Santiago also announced that she's joined the company as head of developer relations.
OUYA shipping to Kickstarter backers on March 28th
OUYA announced this afternoon that its Android-powered game console is shipping to Kickstarter backers starting on March 28th. The company took to its Kickstarter page to announce the news, which says, "Parts are in the factory and assembly lines are buzzing." When the console starts arriving to folks who supported the Kickstarter campaign -- wherein the company raised just over $8.5 million dollars -- there'll be a lengthy list of launch games (around 500 last we heard) and more on the way. Alongside news of the console's launch date for backers comes word that Portal creator Kim Swift is developing a "brand new, exclusive title" for the console, and Papo & Yo dev studio Minority Media is also stepping up with a new game. Both Tripwire Interactive and nWay are also bringing games to the OUYA, with the former working on two games and the latter working on one (action-RPG ChronoBlade). If that weren't enough, Journey developer Kellee Santiago was announced as the newest high profile OUYA employee, wherein she'll "lead developer relations." Santiago has a short history of high impact in the game industry, having helped create thatgamecompany (developers of Flow, Flower, and Journey) as well as leading an excellent TED Talk. She also appeared in this Engadget Show. Beyond working to entice devs to OUYA, Santiago said on Twitter that she'll still be making games. "I will still be making stuff, too, keepin' it real, don't worry," she wrote. And that's to say nothing of the console's future; company CEO Julie Uhrman told us at DICE 2013 that the OUYA will see annual hardware refreshes, akin to mobile phones. We've yet to get our hands on the device, but we've heard good things from developers who got their early units back in December. Should you wish to hear even more about the OUYA ahead of its late March launch, Uhrman is joining Engadget on-stage for our first ever Expand event in a few weeks -- snag your tickets right here!
The Daily Roundup for 02.18.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Create Game Jam declares its winners, picks the cream of the OUYA crop (video)
Kill Screen wanted to jumpstart OUYA game development with its Create Game Jam, and it turns out that there were more than a few takers -- 165, to be exact. That makes the grand prize winner, FreeLives' Strange Happenings on Murder Island, something special. The top-down action game's dinosaur rampages and Minecraft-like art were wild enough to earn the developer $20,000 and a head start in what's increasingly becoming a crowded field. Other developers weren't entirely left out, as winners in specialized categories still received $5,000 each. There's no guarantee that the results of Create will resonate with gamers in the long run; if they lead to a better selection for an untested console, though, they'll have been worth the effort.
The Daily Roundup for 02.14.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Informal OUYA game count: 481 and growing
You can sometimes gauge a game console's short-term success based on its launch lineup; many of us know the pain of having to choose the least terrible game of a small bunch while we're waiting for a better selection. While we can't vouch for how the OUYA will fare for quality, Eddie at OUYA Forum has done the legwork to prove that there won't be any problems with the Android console's quantity. He's checked with both OUYA and developers to confirm that there are at least 481 games headed to the fledgling system, as of this writing. The clear majority of these are smaller indie titles that won't dampen Sony's enthusiasm for next week, but that's not necessarily a problem -- the abundance mostly hints that there could be a few gems for early adopters, even if there's a lot of fluff.
OUYA CEO sings the praises of NVIDIA, says OUYA will be 'best Tegra 3 device on the market'
OUYA and NVIDIA have a kind of love thing going on right now. The $99 Android-powered game console designed by Yves Béhar's fuseproject is powered by NVIDIA's Tegra 3 -- this much we already know. What we didn't know is that the folks at OUYA are working directly with a team of folks at NVIDIA on the project, and that NVIDIA is helping the company to max out its Tegra 3 processor for use on a console rather than a mobile (no battery dependency means the little chip can go much further than usual). "The partner that we've worked the most with, that is incredibly supportive of developers, NVIDIA, they have multiple people on their team dedicated to our account," OUYA CEO Julie Uhrman told us in a recent interview. She was responding to a question regarding partnerships the company's forged to make OUYA a reality, such as the aforementioned involvement with Béhar's fuseproject studio. Despite the OUYA running Google's mobile OS, Uhrman said, "We haven't worked very much with Google." As for NVIDIA, however, the American chipmaker is going all in, helping the OUYA to be the, "best Tegra 3 device on the market," according to Uhrman. That praise isn't all one-sided, of course; NVIDIA had praise to heap as well. "We have a dedicated team working with OUYA to ensure that Tegra 3's performance is being maximized. They've been amazing to work with," NVIDIA senior VP of Content and Technology Tony Tamasi told us. "The rich catalog of optimized and differentiated TegraZone games -- along with the work being done with developers -- ensures a flourishing ecosystem is in place and continues to grow." That support is unlikely to end with this year's OUYA. Uhrman said her company's console, unlike the big three console manufacturers, will launch anew annually, following the mobile model. And that model means beefier internals, such as NVIDIA's Tegra 4, announced just over a month ago at CES. In so many words, we very much expect NVIDIA and OUYA's lovefest to continue.
Ouya game approval process to begin this month
Ouya developers should be in for a relatively simple approval process for submitted games, CEO Julie Uhrman tells our friends at Engadget. Once games are submitted, they will be checked for "intellectual property infringement, and malware, and excessive pornography," says Uhrman. "Ultimately it's a quick review and you're in the storefront in one capacity or another."Uhrman says the internal review process should begin in the "middle-to-end of this month." With Ouya Kickstarter backers set to receive the first consumer Ouya units in March, let's hope the turnaround is as quick as Uhrman implies. Assuming it is, there's plenty of time for the Ouya to build up its library before the full retail launch in June.
The Daily Roundup for 02.08.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
OUYA promises quick game approval process, reviews start by the end of February
OUYA CEO Julie Uhrman's promising a quick, simple approval process for games on her company's upcoming Android-powered game console, the OUYA. She told us in an interview this week: "It's similar to mobile: they'll submit their games, and we'll review for intellectual property infringement, and malware, and excessive pornography. But ultimately it's a quick review and you're in the storefront in one capacity or another." That's not the only mobile model OUYA's following; Urhman already said the OUYA hardware will iterate on an annual basis, similar to the mobile market. Despite the console's impending March launch to Kickstarter supporters, OUYA's yet to begin reviewing games for its storefront. "We literally just opened the ability for developers to upload their games into the store," Uhrman explained. The review process isn't too far off, however -- she's predicting a "middle-to-end of this month" timeframe. "We're building that right now," she said, when asked who's staffing that approvals process. "We are a start-up like any other start-up, it's just-in-time business." The first consumer-ready OUYA consoles are planned for a March launch, with availability at retail to follow in June. The $99 console made a big splash on Kickstarter, eventually raising over $8.5 million when the original goal was a meager $950K.
The Daily Roundup for 02.07.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Expect new Ouya console every year
Ouya is expected to iterate every year, taking advantage of annual price drops on components for the $99 Android console."As it relates to iterating the console and refreshes, our strategy is very much similar to the mobile strategy. There will be a new Ouya every year," Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman told us at DICE today. "There will be an Ouya 2 and an Ouya 3. We'll take advantage of faster, better processors, take advantage of prices falling. So if we can get more than 8GB of Flash in our box, we will. And in so doing, make sure that all games are backwards compatible."Regarding the specs of the Ouya 1, she said, "We're launching on the Tegra 3. It's a quad-core A9 chip. Because it's not a mobile device, we don't have to balance power for battery life. So when all four quads are running, it's 1.6GHz. It's gonna be the best Tegra 3 device on the market."Games will be tied to a user's Ouya account, so even if customers upgrade annually, the plan is for them to own their content from one console to the next. Ouya also announced earlier today a partnership with Double Fine Productions and Words With Friends creator Paul Bettner. The Ouya console will be available in June.
OUYA following mobile model: 'There will be a new OUYA every year'
There will be a new OUYA next year, and the year after that, unlike the traditional game console model, where new hardware ships in five- to seven-year generational increments. "Our strategy is very much similar to the mobile strategy," OUYA CEO Julie Uhrman told us in an interview this afternoon, following her DICE 2013 speech. "There will be a new OUYA every year. There will be an OUYA 2 and an OUYA 3," she added. One potentially featuring the recently revealed Tegra 4, perhaps, rather than the Tegra 3 powering the first units? It sure sounds like it. "We'll take advantage of faster, better processors, take advantage of prices falling. So if we can get more than 8GB of Flash in our box, we will," she explained. But don't fret, nervous game buyer. Uhrman assured us that "all the games will be backward compatible" going forward. When pushed on how this will work, she said, "The games will be tied to you, the gamer," (like Steam is now) rather than tying your game licenses to the hardware you purchased (like, say, Nintendo's Wii U). The first OUYA, set to launch for Kickstarter backers this March and at retail in June, comes with a quad-core A9 Tegra 3 that's been maxed out to 1.6GHz. Uhrman pointed out that, because of OUYA's home console form factor (which plugs into a wall, rather than relying on a tiny battery), the console will be, "the best Tegra 3 device on the market." It also doesn't hurt that OUYA's working directly with the Tegra 3's manufacturer, NVIDIA. She said that NVIDIA has a group of folks dedicated solely to getting the chip driving the OUYA to run at its highest capacity ever. We'll find out what that means when we get our hands on the console later this year. Should you like to hear more from Julie Uhrman ahead of that launch, she'll be speaking at Engadget's Expand event this March. Grab your tickets right here!
Ouya partners with Double Fine and 'Words With Friends' creator
Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman announced at DICE today that the Android-based console will partner with Tim Schafer and Double Fine Productions, along with Words With Friends creator Paul Bettner. Double Fine will bring The Cave and Reds to Ouya, while Paul Bettner's Verse studio is currently in development on two unannounced titles for the console."Ouya and Verse are nothing less than The Return Of Console Gaming. The last big wave was mobile ... Words With Friends is the most played game across all mobile platforms," said Bettner. "And yet I believe we're about to see another disruption even bigger than this last. Gamers want the App Store in their living room. Ouya will be the first to deliver it, and it's going to change everything. Again."There are currently no release dates for the games by Double Fine of the Paul Bettner projects. The Ouya console will be available in June.
OUYA working with Psychonauts and Words with Friends creators, The Cave also enroute
OUYA CEO Julie Uhrman took to the stage at DICE 2013 today to reveal two new partnerships, one with Psychonauts creator Tim Schafer's studio Double Fine Productions, and the other with Words with Friends creator Paul Bettner. So far, that means both Double Fine's Reds and The Cave are headed to OUYA, while Bettner's Verse studio only announced it was working on two unannounced titles. "I believe we're about to see another disruption even bigger than this last," Bettner said, referring to his previous work in the mobile game space. "Gamers want the App Store in their living room. OUYA will be the first to deliver it," he said. The OUYA arrives in March for Kickstarter backers, and in April for the rest of the world (even later for retail). It's unclear exactly when Schafer and Bettner's games will arrive on the Android-powered console, but we'd expect The Cave to be there sooner than later (it's already available on other platforms). Update: This post originally stated that Tim Schafer created the Monkey Island series, when in fact it was created by Ron Gilbert. While Tim Schafer worked on the Monkey Island series, he is not its creator. Sorry about that, readers (and Ron Gilbert)!
Ouya comes to retail in June
The Ouya officially launches in June, and several retailers are lined up to sell the wee Android console both online and in physical stores. Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and GameStop are all taking pre-orders starting today, with the console plus controller priced at $99.99, and an extra controller $49.99.Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman said Kickstarter backers get their orders delivered in March, pre-order deliveries go out in April, and June sees the official launch. When asked about other console launches coming this year, Uhrman said the aim is for Ouya to find its own place in the market, and not to outdo the likes of Microsoft and Sony."We don't need to beat Xbox or Sony or any console that enters the marketplace," Uhrman told the Wall Street Journal, "We need to carve out our own niche. Ouya offers a very different value proposition to the gaming you can currently experience. It's a box designed specifically for the television that leverages the screen, we support 3D gaming, HD, we support the controller, we added a touchpad to the controller. The kind of content you'll see on Ouya, it'll be inventive and creative and has never been on the television."
OUYA will come to stores for $99 in June after Kickstarter, online pre-orders ship
Whether you missed out on the OUYA console's initial Kickstarter frenzy, (and still open pre-order window) or are just waiting around to see what kind of games are available on the Android box this spring, it should still be easy to find one very soon. The company has announced that it will be available at retailers including Amazon, GameStop, Target and Best Buy for $99.99 this June, with pre-orders opening up later today. CEO Julie Uhrman informed the Wall Street Journal's Digits blog that additional controllers would be priced at $49.99 alongside the consoles at its official launch in June, with a "large suite" of gaming titles. She declined to reveal the exact number of systems already ordered, but proudly pointed to the OUYA as a box that will inventive and creative content that has never before been seen on television.
Indie developers discuss the Ouya experience thus far
With Ouya developer kits now out in the wild, our friends at Engadget decided to see what developers think of them so far. Nathan Fouts of Mommy's Best Games praises the system for its open development system. As an example, he noted the "brutal" certification process Mommy's Best had to overcome in order release Serious Sam Double D XXL on Xbox Live Arcade. "I'm happy to release the game there, but it's a nice break to have fewer restrictions," he said.Meanwhile, Jerrod Putnam of Tiny Tim Games is excited by the prospect of a unified, widespread Android platform. Whereas Android development usually requires developers to worry about compatibility across multiple devices, all with different specs, Tiny Tim can develop for Ouya "without having to also target thousands of other devices." He does admit that the Tegra 3 chipset in the Ouya will quickly be surpassed by newer chips, but that is simply the nature of consoles. Along the same lines, however, the static nature of the Ouya will allow developers to maximize its potential.Right now, the biggest question is how the Ouya's business model will play out. "There are still a few unknowns that will ultimately decide how Ouya pans out," said Rami Ismail of Vlambeer. Much will depend on curation, he said. "Too strict risks alienating creative developers and too loose and you end up with a minefield of terrible apps similar to the Android Play Store." Fouts added that another hurdle will be twofold: Convincing developers that there will be an audience for Ouya, and convincing potential Ouya owners that it will have a large enough library of worthwhile games.
