Ouya: Seriously Misunderstood?

If you recall my previous post, I discussed the importance of digital distribution and new media in general in terms of bringing back artistic expression - primarily the non-commercialized kind - and opening the door for content creators. Now, I'm not sure if you noticed, but that post was surprisingly scarce on the topic of video games. That must have been surprising. Fortunately, I have every intention of addressing that subject in this post, but it may not be what you would expect.

So, a quick recap is in order. We know that Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo hold all of the power in the console gaming war, to a point where no other company has really even bothered to try breaking down the barriers that this monolithic trifecta has erected in the console manufacturing industry. Why? Well, it's all about money, folks! Let's assume I'm an independent developer, who has just created a really cool game, but I don't really have the financial backing to publish it. So I choose digital distribution, but I would really love to have access to the console gaming market, as my game interfaces better with a controller than with a mouse and keyboard (let's just ignore the existence of PC joysticks, for the moment). But Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo don't like the price tag I want to put on it, and once they've told me what it's worth - not near as much as a big budget AAA game from 2K Games, I would wager - they tell me how much I must give them for each digital copy sold. While anything beyond that is speculation, something tells me it's not a pretty number, due to the amount of disgruntled Indie developers digitally distributing their games through console markets.

Enter the heroic underdog, Ouya. If you haven't heard of it, Ouya is a new company that managed to net over $8.5 million in Kickstarter funding for its self-titled prototype game console. Now, this console has been met with mixed responses thus far, including critics who do not believe there is a market for the Indie-developed games that Ouya claims it will feature. Personally, I love innovation, and this is exactly what I was referring to when I spoke about putting power back into the hands of the content creators; in this situation, the content-creators are the "little guys," the ones who have been bullied into following a tried-and-true method of game design that, while fun and engaging, is bringing true innovation to a stand-still for the sake of hitting the jackpot with each subsequent release. Our creative talent is being snuffed out as we struggle to have the next Call of Duty title ready to launch by the holidays.

Ouya is giving Indie developers the opportunity to bite back by injecting their games into the homes of consumers on a relatively affordable console. Call me an optimist, but I believe the open-source software will help Ouya achieve success in the long run, as well. The best part is, Ouya is attempting to penetrate the console gaming market around the same time that the "Big Three" of video games will be releasing their next generation of consoles. Bold, Ouya. I like boldness, too.

So what do you think? Will this innovative piece of technology pack a punch, or will it fizzle in the face of the indoctrinated masses who just want to play the next Modern Warfare?