Ouya News: Launch with Nintendo 64, SNES, and NES Emulators and a Video Streaming Function
This week, backers of the Kickstarter project Ouya can expect their own consoles starting March 28. However, there has yet to be any word on exactly what titles they'll be enjoying once the console is in their hands.
TechCrunch reports that, while major titles are not yet available--or announced--backers who will receive their consoles on the first day of shipping can already enjoy the an NES emulator, which has already been submitted for review and is slated to become available for the console at the launch.
It seems that Ouya will be running on emulator support for the meantime, with the N64 emulator already sanctioned and included in the Ouya store.
Digital Spy adds thaa Ouya will be supporting an open-platform submissions for its software, so that developers can easily update titles even after having gone live to the public.
Even if it's not original content for the time being, it's a good way to showcase support for the console. Hopefully more original titles will be created for the console as its retail reach and distribution moves forward to greater coverage.
Optimistic support or cautious play?
While Ouya seems to be gearing for success, it seems that even those who have put faith in the console seem to be treading cautious waters.
Latinos Post reports that Gearbox Software CEO Randy PItchford, one of the Ouya supporters since its Kickstarter days, is still iffy about the future of the console, particularly regarding its potential audience and players.
Considering how many big names and upcoming starters are trying to get some traction in the industry, it seems more developers are trying to check their options and the potential of the console, before putting any manpower or work in creating targeted games for it.
"I think Ouya is great. I contributed to it on Kickstarter; I have a dev kit. Some people are playing with the kits around the studio," said Pitchford to Latinos Post. "I'm not sure how much effort to put towards that because... I don't [know] how large that audience is going to be yet. And we have to be responsible."
It seems that a lot will really be riding on the shipping and retail release of the console before developers make an official move.
More to Ouya than gaming
Perhaps it's to set itself apart from what's already in the gaming industry, or maybe it's to provide another channel to garner audiences into the industry.
Gizmag reports that Ouya seems to be taking a step towards making the console into a set-top box. CEO Julie Uhrman said in an interview at SXSW that video streaming is a possibility that they are looking into, with native apps up for grabs to boot.
This includes Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, and Google, with the streaming app supposedly to be available either at the official launch in the US in June or just a little after that. Does this mean that, aside from the official launch of the console, Ouya is also looking at video streaming this year?
Seems like a possibility, considering how far the company has taken the $99 console to great heights. What should be observed in the next few weeks would be the shipping, which, if everything goes well, Ouya's future plans for the console may not be all that farfetched.