The Android console OUYA started shipping to the backers recently. Some of the kickstarter units have already been shipped, and ended up in the hands of popular websites, who all wrote reviews about it. Although most of these sites were very clear about the fact that they were reviewing an “early” product, the average-to-very-bad feeling that got out of these reviews certainly impacted lots of potential buyers.
The article on The Verge in particular, was especially harsh. Although the review’s content itself seems fair, the final mark (which is what will stick in people’s mind) of 3.5 out of 10 is the equivalent of a nail in the coffin for such a young company.
From systems that could keep your beer cool, to oddities trying to get in on the popularity of VHS and laserdisc, you’ve got some very, very weird video game consoles out there.
I had the LaserActive... it was a nice collectors piece but not very practical. Especially when it came to needing recapping. I think i paid all of about $50 for the floor model from an incredible Universe back in the day. I ended up selling it many years later for $300 at the time due to it needing a new laser and the aforementioned recapping.
An honorable mention not on the list would be the VM Labs Nuon. It basically looked like any regular DVD player but it had ports on it for controllers to play specific games. one of which is still exclusive to it with Tempest 3000. It also offered nuon enhanced DVD movies with extra content not accessible by regular players.
Virtual Boy, Sega Nomad, Ouya and the other troubled game systems that nobody bought.
How has this article missed out Sega's Dreamcast and Nintendo's Wii U, two consoles that were actually superb devices in their own right, but were seen as failed due to lacklustre sales at the time of release?
Wonder how long before Stadia appears on the list surprised the Ngage is not on that list
Talk about a blast to the past.......I remember trying the virtual boy at Toy R Us and it was cool but I did feel slightly disoriented afterwards......good article.
The Ouya, a failed Android gaming console from early in this generation, is getting a second lease on life thanks to Internet archivists and some new software.
That's pretty cool they were able to bring it back. It sucks when something online only gets killed.
I got mine when it first launched, however it wasn't good for anything other than retro emulation. I couldn't sell the thing fast enough. Managed to get almost all my money back selling it on eBay.
I guess the Stadia launch is bringing back memories of other failed consoles/services.
They shouldn't have put it out for sale until it was ready then.
It's an extremely overhyped and overpromised poor imitation for a console that banked on the mobile craze and on the resentment towards big console makers to deliver something that's less powerful than most cellphones and plays almost exclusively half-crappy cellphone games on a bigger screen.
The Kickstarter pledges clearly said "GET AN OUYA", not "GET AN early unfinished OUYA", so what has been delivered is by all means and purposes what has been tested and judged is a finished product that has simply been found wanting and that some are trying to make excuses for.
There's no difference between reviewing the ouya now and reviewing any game or console shipped to the media before release, on top of it, the Ouya has already been shipped to customers (backers), so it's officially a released and sold product. Shops are simply getting it later.
Why exactly should people go easy on it?
I just don't see this really making it. But they had a ton if support from the kick starter.
Has anyone seen the film The Producers?
It's about two guys who embezzle money from investors in order to put a stage show on. In order for them to make money from the show the show has to flop.
The real question is: is it ok to ship an unfinished product? And, even worse, ship it to the guys who funded it in the first place. People who didn't give a cent to help the Ouya will get the better version of the hardware.