OUYA - $99 USD Game Console

[Ex-Cyber]

I was mostly speculating. I've tried to dig up more info, but I can (not surprisingly) only find stuff about touch input lag, which pulls in other issues with how the raw touch sensor output has to be massaged.

[ZellSF]

Yeah that's a fun part of trying to find information about Android input lag.

I hope all these new Android gaming devices will lead to bigger focus on input lag and how to prevent it in the OS.

Realistically speaking though, no one cares about input lag.

[DJ Incompetent]

I'm pretty sure Jelly Bean had some upgrades in it specifically to fight input lag. The problem could be solved already. 'Just need a polished game on it to know.

[Friendly]

You are right, there is this: http://www.xoomcommunity.com/component/ ... experience

Project Butter lets the CPU and graphics run in parallel, rather than crash into each other, and has a big impact on both real and perceived speed: the entire interface runs at 60 frames per second on sufficiently fast hardware.
Graphics are now triple-buffered to keep scrolling and transitions humming along, and the processor will swing into full gear the moment you touch the screen to keep input lag to a minimum.

(Project Butter is for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which Ouya will run).

[Ghegs]

New d-pad and other tweaks made to the controller based on feedback from people with dev kits.

[gct]

New d-pad and other tweaks made to the controller based on feedback from people with dev kits.

Nice news, Ghegs. I really hope the team can pull it off with reducing input latency.

[MommysBestGames]

New d-pad and other tweaks made to the controller based on feedback from people with dev kits.

Oh my gosh, I'm so happy they made the thumbsticks rubberized. They were pretty annoying on the dev versions. It was a subtle thing, it's smooth plastic, so you'd have your thumb on it, then move up quickly and your thumb would slip off! Many of us complained in their forums about the controller, and I was not feeling great about the console since the controller is such a big deal, but I have new hope! I like that they responded pretty quickly. I've not used the new one, but if they fixed the thumbsticks and triggers I'd be thrilled. The d-pad.. well I have no hope for that. I'd be completely bowled over if it came out great, but that's probably just because I've been taught in recent years by the Xbox to hate it.

--

Oh, and the Ouya/KillScreen people just ended a contest to quickly make a game for the Ouya.
I created a trippy 4-player party game called 'Pig Eat Ball'. You play as strange pig creatures that fly around the screen trying to eat tennis balls.
Here's some video of it.
http://youtu.be/IkLVdPYws0M

Basics: Eat balls to get bigger. Get 50 to win the level. Boost into someone's tail to make them spit balls. Now balance trying to get your own balls, while attacking others, getting them to spit out balls. Eat balls to get bigger, make others spit them out keeping them smaller. Lots of bouncing into each other. So far, it makes for lots of laughing and shouting.

I'll probably try to release it with the Ouya launch, looking like April(?)

http://www.facebook.com/PigEatBall

[MommysBestGames]

Engadget has some developer predictions and thoughts regarding the Ouya (not just my own, Super Crate Box guy as well!)

http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/01/ouya ... sound-off/

[Dave_K.]

Will this thing play Flash/AS3 games?

[Udderdude]

There is a Flash player for Android, although I doubt they're specifically developing with this in mind. You'd need some sort of joy2key like program to convert the joystick input to the keyboard input Flash is expecting, and convert the touch pad input to mouse input.

So probably not.

[Dave_K.]

Shame as that could open the platform up to a lot more game developers (I know it also means a lot more shit games). Since there is a flash library for Android, would it really be that difficult to write a native loader and key mapper for the joystick? Perhaps some enterprising developer who likes fresh baked pies could research such an effort.

[BryanM]

Listened to a poocast today that briefly mentioned this thing. Cracked up laughing during it.

"One of the games is called "Television". Where, get this, you can use the controller to change the channel."

Say what you will of the Ouya, at least it's given us all a lot of free entertainment.

[Jeneki]

"One of the games is called "Television". Where, get this, you can use the controller to change the channel."

Someone needs to incorporate this into a boss fight.

Boss: "Think you're hot? Try THIS!" (changes channel)

[MommysBestGames]

"One of the games is called "Television". Where, get this, you can use the controller to change the channel."

Someone needs to incorporate this into a boss fight.

Boss: "Think you're hot? Try THIS!" (changes channel)

Ooh... meta/4th wall stuff. Sorta reminds me of Mojo in the X-Men, asking you to reset your Genesis.

Shame as that could open the platform up to a lot more game developers (I know it also means a lot more shit games). Since there is a flash library for Android, would it really be that difficult to write a native loader and key mapper for the joystick? Perhaps some enterprising developer who likes fresh baked pies could research such an effort.

It's a neat thought, but I gotta say the touchpad is not.. like... very enjoyable to use. It's really cool to have it on the controller. And it does actually work. But to use it in with the same speed you'd use a mouse.. I don't think that's going to happen. It's useable for more thoughtful, slower input, but it's touch to use quickly. Maybe we'll all get used to it? But for me, reaching forward with my thumb, off the stick to move around touch pad is definitely strange at least right now. All that said, I do have a preview version--maybe it will be much better after release.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Someone needs to incorporate this into a boss fight.

Boss: "Think you're hot? Try THIS!" (changes channel)

As long as the final boss is FOX News.

[MommysBestGames]

Shame as that could open the platform up to a lot more game developers (I know it also means a lot more shit games). Since there is a flash library for Android, would it really be that difficult to write a native loader and key mapper for the joystick? Perhaps some enterprising developer who likes fresh baked pies could research such an effort.

I've checked with my Flash Oracle, and it sounds like this is pretty difficult, at least for us, and that's just on a technical level (not a policy level). I'm not sure where it stands as far as Ouya Team people are concerned. Hopefully some other studio can do it (that loves pie of course).

I've also asked Ouya team if we can have MAME on the Ouya (assuming someone would make it work there). Not heard back yet officially, but unofficially another dev said that "we don't know yet if we can use emulators". With as hackable as this thing seems to be--way easier than an Xbox 1, I don't think Ouya chiefs have much choice in terms of not allowing emulators. More a matter at this point whether or not they simply condone it.

Hmm... thinking it over, would there be legal issues with an emulator for them? How does PC get around that? Could the same legal reasons apply to a console owned by a single company as opposed to the open PC?

[BPzeBanshee]

Well if Microsoft can't get sued for something not made by them I imagine OUYA Team shouldn't be able to either. They might be able to be approached if say, a program like MAME or a similar emulator got onto the Ouya Marketplace, because that much is definitely under their control and therefore their job to handle.

I think Haze did say that MAMEdev managed to get some MAME product off the Android Marketplace by reporting it once so maybe it's the same deal here.

[Friendly]

They just sent out another update, OUYA will be sold in regular (US) stores from June, three months after the kickstarter backers are expected to get theirs: Gamestop, Best Buy, Target, and also on Amazon.

[Jeneki]

New Ouya every year?

[DJ Incompetent]

[BryanM]

Hahhahaahah heee hee hoo hoo ahh hoo

[Udderdude]

It's out, and the input lag is so bad that even these guys noticed it ..

http://www.polygon.com/2013/3/28/4157602/ouya-feature

Code: Select all

[11:14 AM] <victolap> wireless controllers, android os
[11:15 AM] <victolap> add that to the already laggy hdtv most people have
[11:15 AM] <Udderdude> why would you doooooo thaaaaaaat
[11:15 AM] <Udderdude> 10 frames of lag
[11:15 AM] <Udderdude> 30 frames of lag
[11:15 AM] <Udderdude> 60 frames of lag
[11:15 AM] <ketborad> 999 frames of lag
[11:17 AM] <Udderdude> anchovie unlocked : counterstopped the input lag frame count
[11:17 AM] <trap15> 255 frames of lag

[ZellSF]

Ouya devs don't know one of the most important aspects of a video game console (good controls)? I'm shocked.

Good luck to them though, more Android games with physical controls means I might be able to buy a decent gaming phone some time in the future.

[Udderdude]

Also look at the controller :D

[DJ Incompetent]

Wiimote Pro Controller hack in 1000....999....998....997....

[Skykid]

Hahhahaahah heee hee hoo hoo ahh hoo

Manson preorders Ouya shocker.

[louisg]

Ouya devs don't know one of the most important aspects of a video game console (good controls)? I'm shocked.

Good luck to them though, more Android games with physical controls means I might be able to buy a decent gaming phone some time in the future.

Most engineers and realtime performance are like oil and water

[Friendly]

The lag issue sounds bad, but the folks at Engadget (who usually are not clueless morons like Polygon) think it's fixable by June.
http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/28/ouya-hands-on/

I think they shouldn't ship it like that...

Better luck with Ouya 2 next year?

[ZellSF]

engadget seems to think interface lag and game input lag is the same thing, so I'm not sure I would trust their wild guesses on when it will be fixed.

[Friendly]

On the bright side, that leaves us with a tiny, low energy consumption XBMC player with hdmi that can be controlled via bluetooth, for $99.