They say ideas come from having passion. If that’s true, then maybe great ideas come from having a dream. So what happens when a group of video game developers have a dream that one day, independent game developers could break free from the limitations of developing mobile games and actually create awesome console games?
The console market is about to be rocked to its core. In today’s gaming world, creating an epic game requires the budget of a number one Hollywood action flick. To top it off, game developers are bound by licensing agreements, limited software capabilities and restrictions on creativity. In other words, the console gaming industry is ruled by the likes of Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo and there is no sign of them loosening their grip any time soon.
And then there’s mobile gaming. Smartphones and tablets have taken the world by storm and the gaming industry has responded well by making thousands of games that require no more than your thumbs to play. More importantly, mobile gaming has opened the doors for many independent game developers to get their games into the user’s hands—literally.
The people behind OUYA believe that while mobile gaming is a force to be reckoned with, the console market is still the leader in producing high-quality games. Their main philosophy is that there’s something special about playing video games on the “big
screen” at home.
“Deep down, you know your best gaming memories happened in the living room.” That statement struck a chord with me because it’s true. Mobile games are nice and fun to play when you’re on the subway or bus heading to work…or maybe when you’re waiting in a 3-hour line at your favorite theme park. But I still believe that true gaming comes in the form of a powerful machine hooked up to a nice big television where all of your friends can watch you play and even join in.
OUYA is a console gaming system that is powered by Android. The concept set out to bring the current mobile gaming business model to the living room. Game developers can bypass the typical roadblocks of bringing a game to market by using OUYA’s open design. Every OUYA console is a dev kit ready to be cracked open and explored to the hilt. OUYA founder, Julie Uhrman welcomes hackers to “tweak the box and make it their own” while also reminding us that game creation shouldn’t rest only in the hands of big industry players.
One such example is a small-time game developing company called Hashbang Games. Originally, they set out to make games for mobile platforms given the fact that they are a small outfit without the ability to financially create and release a game on a major gaming console. Thanks to OUYA, Hashbang Games can now bring their titles to the living room.
Their latest game, Orbital Blaster was originally set to debut only on Android tablets and phones as well as on the iOS platform, but now they can add a full-scale console system to the mix. The game features the player as commander of a spaceship and its crew lost beyond their home galaxy. While trying to return home, they are faced with enemies of all kinds. Using a variety of weapons and special power ups, you must fight your way through the onslaught of spacecraft seeking to destroy you. While this game will undoubtedly be visually captivating on the small screen, imagine how amazing it will look on your big screen! Because of OUYA, this thought will become a reality.