Review Ouya - game console and gameplay footage

Last July, a games console Ouya collected on Kickstarter $ 8,5 billion, and now it is ready for release. Already at the end of March for the first sets of supported device on Kickstarter poisoned by their recipients.But if you missed kraudfandingovuyu campaign, do not worry: the company confirmed that on June 4, the system will fall into the key stores the US, Britain and Canada (Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and others). In honor of the release Ouya He invited the press to admire the final product, and play it in a couple of games.



Accessories

The console itself is not very different from of 3D-models, represented by many months ago, but the controller has undergone major changes.Originally planned concave sticks, D-pad-round and raised the touchpad. Now convex joysticks, the touchpad - flat and D-pad - cross. The shape of the controller is rather unusual, but because of some gravity it a pleasure to hold in your hands, and the buttons are fairly taut and responsive.



Triggers somehow square, but are comfortable and pressed with a distinct sound.Two AA batteries are covered with metal panels that can be changed to other (way to arrange the controller to your taste). And there is the console itself.As a controller, it is well assembled - the quality is clearly superior to the price of $ 99.Those who supported the project on Kickstarter, get the black version of the device engraved with the names of those who donated $ 10,000 (for example, the author Minecraft Notch and Robert Bowling alsoknown as FourZeroTwo). The rest will get a lighter gray version without engraving. The device is compact - no more than a fist.



It connects to the TV via HDMI-connector and to the Internet - for the integrated Wi-Fi or via twisted pair. In the console has a USB and microUSB-socket, so that the internal memory (8 GB) can be increased.

Interface

Interface Ouya as succinct and expressive as the console itself. When it turns on, the menu offers four simple options: Play, Discover, Make, and Manage. This crisp and clear design is very different from the congested Xbox Dashboard. iTunes. App Store and most of the gaming portals.

Downloaded games are found in the menu Play, you can download new to Discover, the setting changes to Manage. But the most interesting and unusual menu appears Make. Through it, game developers can upload new builds his creations, download the latest tools from Ouya and other programs for development.



Creating games is only a small part of the audience of the console, so Ouya CEO Julie Urman quickly noticed that the option Make (as others) will eventually change. When developing games under Ouya It will be available for more social elements, and the authors, according to Urman, can use this menu item to "interact with gamers directly or upload beta versions of games."

Buy Games Ouya too simple and convenient.Home shop is divided into several "flexible" category, which may change once a week, a month, or other period of time (Ouya will evaluate user behavior).The key slots on this page deals with, among others, Kelly Santiago, head of developer relations Ouya and former president Thatgamecompany.In our presentation on the page present category "Hear Me", where the game got the best soundtracks. By Halloween it can easily be replaced by a section with the most terrible games, and at other times - someone's author selection or review of a new genre.

Those who are interested in only the best from the repertoire Ouya, It will cost the list of categories, but others may have caught the "sandbox." It is a kind of Wild West store - in this section start new releases.Having collected a lot of likes or caught the eye of the curator of the company, they are able to move to one of the main categories. This is a sensible system: imagine that the game of Xbox Live Indie Games would automatically fall into Xbox Live Arcade!



Aesthetically pleasing interface store - perhaps largely due to the options that the console is not yet supported.At launch there are no achievements, chat, global system for search partners, friends list and other social elements. Urman told us that some of them will be in the framework of an update "this year."

Play

At the moment, the least impressive side Ouya ... he is a list of games. Now it is primarily a mobile releases like "infinite begalki» Canabalt, zombie apocalypse simulator Organ Trail and insane action-platforming Gunslugs. Also available are several notable releases such Final Fantasy III from Square Enix and The Ball by Tripwire Interactive. Of course, we should remember that the system will only start officially on June 4. In the hands of developers are more than 8000 devkitov OuyaSo that the library has all the chances to be filled in time.



Most of the games are good, and I'd love to play them on your phone or tablet. But there is a big difference between killing time at the mobile device and the so-called "game in the living room."I like Canabalt, but only when the food in the bus or make a break from work. Not sure that this love extends to include the need for a couple of sessions of the console.

In addition, the Ouya No exclusives. The company quickly notes that many games "are exclusive to the TV." That is, yes, you can play Save the Puppies on any Android-device, but only Ouya It allows you to view the picture on the TV. That's just it's not quite true (there are different ways to display the mobile gaming to the big screen), and besides, such exclusivity is not present. Devices sold by them available programs; Ouya - Elegant with excellent console controller and a variety of good solutions, but without fundamentally new games for gamers its value is limited.



Playing Ouya It started from the 3-5 seconds. On sorokadyuymovom screen all what we played, it looked fine. And most importantly, all the games under Ouya must provide something free, users were able to try them out before buying. This may be as in conventional demo Final Fantasy IIIAnd can - the ability to make purchases within the application, pay at the request of the developer, subscription or exit the episode.

Images from the new console Ouya gameplay

Tags: 2013. Games News. News Hi-Tech
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