Before I get started with this blog, I'm going to define a couple of terms.
Developer/Dev - Company who creates a game
Publisher - Company who advertises, manufactures, and distributes hard copies of a game
Independent/Indie Developer - A Developer who sells their game without help from a publisher
Console/Platform - A device that can be used for gaming (Xbox, PlayStation, PC, etc.)
Port - A version of a game for a console (other than the one it was originally developed for). Can also mean the action of making a port.
Development/Dev Kit - A license and set of software tools that allow a developer to port their game to a console. Dev Kits are sold by the manufacturer of the console to game developers.
Open Source - A hardware or software item whose copyright license states that it can be used or modified by anyone as long as credit is given to the creator.
Many people don't understand how games (or many types of media) are created and sold, and a knowledge of that is required to explain why the Ouya is so revolutionary in today's world of mass commercialization. When you start a game, usually two or three little "intro videos" will play. It's a common misconception for people to think that EA developed the game just because their logo flashes on the screen first. EA is both a publisher and a developer, which means that many of the games with their logo stamped on the front are actually developed by somebody else (Dice, Maxis, and Popcap are just a few devs who publish through EA). In fact, very few companies at all are capable of publishing their own games (I can only think of seven off the top of my head). This is because most publishers and console manufacturers charge so much for publishing and dev kits that new game studios don't have a chance at getting their game on a popular console. This keeps new ideas from getting in to the mainstream, and something needed to be done.
This is where the Ouya comes in. The Ouya is a console for the TV, made completely with open source hardware and software (running android OS). On release, the Ouya is set to be priced at $99, and has been purpose built to bring independent games back to the TV. Because the technology to make a game on an open source android platform is so readily available, the dev kits are very cheap, and almost anybody can do it. I think it's amazing that Indie games are making a comeback into the mainstream, and I'm posting the Ouya's website for anybody who's interested.
http://www.ouya.tv/
Developer/Dev - Company who creates a game
Publisher - Company who advertises, manufactures, and distributes hard copies of a game
Independent/Indie Developer - A Developer who sells their game without help from a publisher
Console/Platform - A device that can be used for gaming (Xbox, PlayStation, PC, etc.)
Port - A version of a game for a console (other than the one it was originally developed for). Can also mean the action of making a port.
Development/Dev Kit - A license and set of software tools that allow a developer to port their game to a console. Dev Kits are sold by the manufacturer of the console to game developers.
Open Source - A hardware or software item whose copyright license states that it can be used or modified by anyone as long as credit is given to the creator.
Many people don't understand how games (or many types of media) are created and sold, and a knowledge of that is required to explain why the Ouya is so revolutionary in today's world of mass commercialization. When you start a game, usually two or three little "intro videos" will play. It's a common misconception for people to think that EA developed the game just because their logo flashes on the screen first. EA is both a publisher and a developer, which means that many of the games with their logo stamped on the front are actually developed by somebody else (Dice, Maxis, and Popcap are just a few devs who publish through EA). In fact, very few companies at all are capable of publishing their own games (I can only think of seven off the top of my head). This is because most publishers and console manufacturers charge so much for publishing and dev kits that new game studios don't have a chance at getting their game on a popular console. This keeps new ideas from getting in to the mainstream, and something needed to be done.
This is where the Ouya comes in. The Ouya is a console for the TV, made completely with open source hardware and software (running android OS). On release, the Ouya is set to be priced at $99, and has been purpose built to bring independent games back to the TV. Because the technology to make a game on an open source android platform is so readily available, the dev kits are very cheap, and almost anybody can do it. I think it's amazing that Indie games are making a comeback into the mainstream, and I'm posting the Ouya's website for anybody who's interested.
http://www.ouya.tv/