Forget the OUYA. Welcome to Mad Catz MOJO

- Amazon, Google Play, TegraZone
- Tegra 4
- 16 Go
- micro SD
- Bluetooth Smart 4.0
- 2 USB
- HDMI
- WiFi
- 99$


http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/07/mad-catz-ceo-announces-project-m-o-j-o-android-gaming-console/
http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/07/e3-2013-mad-catz-project-mojo-android-games-console-revealed

 

It looks very interesting, I am a little worried though about the fragmentation of the Android platform.

 

Yes, but this one is most compatible what is already in place.

 

I think its high time google came forward with a specification for controllers, or at minimum a proper controller api that unity can support natively, that actually works. This alone should fix the majority of fragmentation, then ouya, gamestick and now this, can just update to it. Otherwise they'll find it hard to court developers for what is essentially another consumer droid device.

 

This.

Also, am I the only one that wants a Galaxy Note with PSP style controls built in?

EDIT: sorry, that was way off topic.

I think that the Ouya model is sound, but their background sucks and Madcatz is at least halfway there. What we really need is Google hopping in.

 

This could be good maybe they will actually put a decent cheap console, unlike the ouya which is already obsolete before it even launches

 

hmm,looks like we have a plenty of devices. But we need plenty of games too, to generate market;and with games I meant real games. Specially some exclusives killer apps.Create the reason to get the platform,you know :grin:

 

I agree with everyone here. And I'm not so excited about the Ouya now since Mojo will have Tegra 4 and I'm presuming a better controller as well as has mouse support for the touch interface.

 

I have mixed feelings about the MOJO. The hardware looks nice, but it will be running stock Android. What I like about the OUYA is that it has its own system and software. I still don't know if the MOJO has its own marketplace along with the other Android marketplaces.

 

Heard about this several days ago . It actually uses Google Play and will have a virtual mouse in the release version... as both a developer and as a consumer it's a very attractive package. It's assumed to be packing a Tegra 4 chip as well and pricing at ~$99-129. People will be able to buy games from the Play market and have it for their phone, tablet, and living room with one purchase, which is a great value proposition. I actually view Ouya having its own system/software as a negative, since it segregates it from the broader Android market.

 

I know that it is a positive, but what I like about OUYA's closed interface is that it is not already saturated. The Android Marketplace doesn't have extremely strict regulations, so a lot if junk gets in. The biggest thing that would solve this issue would be if they had a store exclusively for the console besides the preexisting markets, as to give it its own fresh start.

 

+1 what hippo and IcyPeak_S said

Google needs to sort this out - or its fragmentation over and over again

 

That, is the UGLIEST console ever to grace the earth. Okay second ugliest besides eSfere.
They can't even keep the edges aligned and straight! No matter which angle you look at it, there is just something wrong about it. I would be more bother by the look of that console than to play the game! Why can't people design a nice box anymore?

 

I imagine the following scenario : A small experienced studio wanna make an AAA game for Mojo.
If they take advantage of specs to make a stunning but demanding hardware wise game, it will run on this device only. Or perhaps a couple more, that either exist and I am not aware of, or will appear. The average price at Google Play market is 1-10 dollars.

The small studio makes game for a profit. Nice assets needs nice artists that take nice money. Plus clever programmers and all the other necessary people who get paid for their services. Content needs money and the game produced is expected to earn money.

The market is small and the profit margin at 1-10 dollars per piece is bad.

Say they publish in desktop and consoles too. If a game has decent specs to compete in the consoles - desktop AAA market, that means huge budget, strict timeline and big expectations. Why bother with an emerging platform ?
Not every title needs to be an AAA obviously, but without AAA titles, this platform will not have something to offer in plus, vs the rest of Android devices.

It is always funny to make predictions, perhaps we see a flood of AAA titles for this device or people prefer to play existing games on Mojo, or a semi AAA route is followed, stunning graphics with not so much content, a la Infinity Blade. Or something completely different happens and this platform proves worthy. I just do not foresee it.

 

I said this a few times in the OUYA thread, but this is only the beginning. The only reason the OUYA team is able to get this stuff going is because it's a very low hanging fruit. Others will realize the demand, and you wont be able to turn around without hitting a new android based console in a year or two's E3.

The OUYA will very likely be drowned in a market full of clones and compatibles. Some likely don't remember, but that was a thing in the early 80s, consoles were actually "easy" to put together and easy to make compatible since most were done with off-the-shelf parts. In fact, a big showstopper to the movement was precisely that the hardware got so complex it was impossible to do compatible software anymore. Android as a common open source OS is removing that issue.

So expect a lot of these things to pop up left and right. Only the ones backed up with big household names may survive in the long run.

Don't be shocked if Logitech and Samsung are next.

 

It's safe to say AAA isn't coming anywhere NEAR these devices. PS3 and 360 still have a lot of life left. They're still a focal point as they'll still be sold. Then there's the new generation of consoles. I mean, if you want a console market full of buyers you don't look for people who buy cheap stuff. Apple learned this a long time ago.

Having said that, I am keen to support devices such as Gamestick. In fact the more these places have their own stores with proper curation, the more likely it is a good developer will invest in them.

If it's just going to tack on the google play store then you can forget it, because developers don't really want to compete with malware infested fart apps. It costs money to bring good quality apps to a device, why increase the risk of not making your investment back?

Also, even if a developer breaks even, they have lost a lot of money. With that in mind, if you spend a low ball budget estimate of 5k, and it took you 2 months, do you think you'll make that 5k back? if you do, then you're still missing 2 months of time that could have been money.

TLDR version: curated unique markets are good for developers.

 

http://www.tegrazone.com/

 

The external case for that micro-console is not very appealing. The OUYA's design aesthetics are far superior. That said, MadCatz does have a long history of developing 3rd-party game controllers, so they have a much better chance of having this thing ship with some really good controllers. (one area where the OUYA is a bit weaker) And at the end of the day the external design isn't THAT important to most people. The feature set is also quite nice, while maintaining a competitive price point. (the former is important to developers, the latter is important to consumers)

MadCatz could have something here. As an experienced video-game hardware developer, they are well placed to support such a platform. I will be interested to see how they fare.

As an indie Unity developer, I can say that any game I design for the OUYA that is focused on controller-input I would be quite happy to port over to this MadCatz console as well.

 

The problem is you can buy any game off the google, amazon so probably people would just buy the already popular games rather than buying something unique for that device. If you already got a popular game you might as well port it over but if not i wouldnt bother.

 

It's like ps4 vs xbox1 arguments on an inverse micro scale.

 

Exactly like that

 

Also don't forget to add UNU to the growing list.

 

I bet the ouya devs are pissed about this...

kinda lame another established company just jacked their idea and manufactured it, it happens though

 

The android platform is a mess. It's becoming more more a hassle to release on such a fragmented platform. I can't keep up with all the devices I'm expected to support.

 

I agree, one or two devices, ok, but before the year's out there'll probably be 10, and not necessarily compatible. For example ouya has to use its own SDK in Unity.

 

Why does everyone want their own console.. the console market wil be as badly saturated as the app market in a couple of years time

 

This might not be a bad thing, more competition and variety is good. But, these new consoles are essentially the same thing with slight tweaks, Android based clones which really don't bring anything new to the table. I have a hard time believing a lot of these will make a profit though. It makes sense for people to own a PS3, Xbox360, and a Wii because of different play styles and exclusives. However Ouya seems to be the only Android console that has exclusives. Basically, I think natural selection will deal with the clones.

 

Monopolies can be bad for consumers, but when you get excessive competition like with android devices then a lot of the competition wont be driven to improve and reduce prices by their competitors, but instead be driven out of business but maybe not before taking extra time from developers to try to support them. And many of the ones that do manage to survive wont have enough money to improve their product much.

Thank Zeus at least esfere failed because there's no way I'd support it's crappy touch-based controller.

 

I would like an Android tablet with thumbsticks and buttons similar to Sony PSP.

 

I bet they are, but at the end of they day they 100% achieved their objectives - they bought indie games to TVs. While it was almost certainly going to happen eventually anyway, the reason it's happening now and like this is because they started the ball rolling. Mission accomplished.

Plus, they got their company something like $21 million along the way ($6m from the Kickstarter, $15m from investors afterwards, and whatever they've done in pre-orders on top of that.) So while it's now a crowded and competitive market (which is actually often a good sign) I'd still say that they're the clear leader. Plus, as has been said, there's absolutely nothing stopping them from refreshing their hardware in 6 months. What's important in the long run is not the hardware, because everyone will be in a constant race to update that every 12 months anyway. What's important is having users and developers on board, and OUYA are in the best position for that. (Though I'll admit to being less than impressed with some of their behaviour.)

What's more, those of you who think the hardware is important, go and look at all of the more successful iOS titles. The vast majority of them don't target just the latest hardware.

 

Putting aside the mostly irrelevant fact that this thing is absolutely hideous and... whoopie, it plays games from the mobile market (no thanks). Has anyone here ever actually used Mad Catz hardware? They're awful! I have been disappointed by this company with every single purchase until I just swore them off altogether.

 

Also I think all those cloes will sooner or later distill the essence of what the market accepts and rejects. Looking through the presentation I think the Mojo already is sort of too weird with the mouse replacing the touchscreen. It feels like too much emulation and only for people who are willing to have some trial and error experiences.
That's what will filter the good ideas from the only theoretically good ones, though. Right now I am not so sure if the OUYA really will be obsolete by release already.

 

I really like the possibility to create a game for a console, the royal league of gaming (not because its better than PC gaming, but consoles are primarily made for gaming). But most indies can't get access to big consoles (like PS, XBox, Wii) so OUYA, MOJO etc. are great opportunities. Afaik SteamBox could also be in reach for many indies.

OUYA was released to the public a while ago. Any experience regarding porting and profit? Did it pay off?
Next version of OUYA is planned for 2014.

Regarding MOJO I think it is not the best decision to support all apps from the markets. Mobile and console gaming need very different GUIs (button sizes) etc. Bad PC<->console ports get bad ratings. Unported mobile->console ports?
What about portrait only apps? As a player how can I determine if an app runs well on my TV screen?
Bad ratings ahead…

Divide and conquer. But may be OUYA has enough power to iterate and improve. Let's see if Google, Samsung, etc. also take their part.

You'd probably like my editor extension xARM.

 

Lots. And the winner was ... OUYA. The most successful products on OUYA may have made $10K. Barely. So, by the time you get down to even the 10th or 20th most successful title, yer talking peanuts. From a devs point of view, OUYA was a failure. We are seeing a repeat of earlier decades, and past history shows that customers can only support a few consoles in the end.

Gigi

 

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/202967/Developers_speak_The_Ouya_four_months_later.php

 

Does anyone here know how many OUYAs were sold? Can't find anything.

Thanks. Interesting read.

 

Ivan said that he found an article on gamasutra saying that they were making a few grand a month off ouya games a month -- although I cant seem to find that article

 

They need a dedicated store, else people will never find the games for this on google play or amazon. And why should i kinda be "forced" to support the other platforms, just silly

 

This HDMI Android gamestick is head shoulders the way to go for Android Apple should do the same. People that don't and won't consider the expense and hassles of a console and all the DVDs/BDs would plug a WiFi with flash into their HDMI ports. They'd give Sony, MS, Nintendo a run for their console money in a few years.

With a timer and the HDMI port you can even have the TV turn on at specified times to remind to take medicine or monitor warning online and blare out the proper precautionary measures to get people to sheltered locations (hurricanes, tornados, and so on...). School Lesson plans downloaded and submitted so on...

 

Probably the most wrong this i've ever seen. Most of those programs and stuff you used as examples are 3rd party standards... Opengl is not Apple, Thunderbolt is not Apple, USB 3.0 is not MS and AFAIK AVI is not MS either, jeez at least use stuff those companies made.

Especially when Macs have USB 3.0 and PC has Thunderbolt.

EDIT, What I swear I Am Da Bawse posted something here.

 

Because having your own console means you can dictate your own standard, and making it advantageous to you down the road. It is a reason why Apple/Microsoft and many corporations always try to set their own standard (Quick Time vs AVI, DirectX vs OpenGL, Thunderbolt vs USB3, OSX vs Windows...etc etc). By comparison, if you don't set your own standard, you are effectively just making an 'appliance' - a commodity that can easily be replace by any of the competitors and this usually leads to vicious price war because that's the only way for product differentiation... which also usually leads to a terrible outcome due to razor thin profit margin and eventually leads to exiting the market all together or bankruptcy.


Looking at the Android console space, both Ouya and Madcat (and various others) are not offering ANY real advantage or features that you can't get from Android tablet or phone. They are basically superfluous product that consumer really don't need.

 

I am merely pointing out companies set their own standards contrary to open standards, I did not imply they INVENTED the standard. Each comparison is merely an example on its own to show why they set their own standard against either open standard or competitor product. They are in no way imply they are the inventor. I certainly didn't say Apple invented OpenGL (that was SGI); nor Thunderbolt, but Apple did set Thunderbolt as their standard (and trademarked it) on their platform. And you are quite wrong about AVI too LOL, it was invented by Microsoft. Learn to read (AND research) before you post mate

 

No, these are all pretty much open standards... like jeez dude, Thunderbolt is actually forced on Ultrabooks, its standard in PC and Mac. USB 3.0 is standard in everything and so is Open GL. Looks like you are right about AVI but its pretty standard everywhere now as well. A pretty S*** point to make about making there own standards when pretty much everything you said is available on both PC and Mac, even Windows can be installed on a mac lol. Perhaps learn to pick some actual standards that nowhere else uses.

 

Do you have English comprehension problem Tyler?



You do know what "comparison" mean right? When I say "DirectX vs OpenGL" - DirectX being a Microsoft's own graphic API - it is compare to the open standard OpenGL API. Being a Microsoft proprietary technology - DirectX (Direct3D included) means they can limit, control and dictate whatever they want in regard to DirectX, to their own business profit. An example is how they use DirectX10 as Windows Vista exclusive, forcing users to upgrade their OS in order to play modern games. Had this being OpenGL (not being in their control), people would not be so willing to upgrade to the latest. In fact, DirectX has become a "major selling point" for Microsoft to sell their operating system now (they even go as far to make popular games such as Halo 2 DX10 exclusive).

Same goes with Thunderbolt being a property of Intel - WHO CHARGE A LICENSING FEE for anyone wanting to use Thunderbolt technology, compare to USB 3's royalty-free licensing arrangement. Same goes with Quick Time vs AVI - where in this case, Both Apple and Microsoft are patent holders of their respective technology and can dictate and force users to use their own platforms which is to their own commercial advantage (they don't at this moment).


Last not the least :

Again, just because those standards (specifically, the proprietary one - eg. DirectX, AVI, Thunderbolt) are avaliable to both PC and Mac now, does not change the fact these companies are using it to their own commercial advantage and can charge for licenses or change the arrangement in the future however they wish. Another prime example is how iPhone/iPad (be able to connect to) iTune is avaliable to both Windows and OSX platform, but to be able to develop for iPhone/iPad, you would have to legally buy a Mac.


For Ouya and Madcat, what they trying to do is to create their own standard so that developers have to cater to their specific design - which if luck would have it, have a lineup of popular games that's only avaliable to their platform. This would create commercial opportunity and force user to buy their hardware in order to play their game.

 

This thing is terrible; steer clear.

 

Wow, $250? As if anyone would buy some random console for that price...

 

http://obscurehandhelds.com/?p=2169

http://obscurehandhelds.com/?p=2398

 

Their are many 'Android watches' selling for between $50 and $200 and $$$ and such a console isn't technically too different.

It's a matter really of marketing and luck. Well to be honest, it does seem if Google or some famous person came out with something like the gamestick and asked Google Play for a 'GameStick' store that is a substore of Google Play (in the sense it was GameStick compatible not that they'd take any profit) it'd stand a good chance.

A lot of people don't want to fool with browsing through these stores:

http://venturebeat.com/2013/08/26/7...e-for-iphone-android-and-windows-are-zombies/

Excuse the misrepresentation of 'Zombies' in the article. The writer is trying to get views.

I'd say though 700k of 1.2m is overly optimistic. I'd say far less than 200k are actually profit making to the point of paying salaries (or enabling early retirement ;-)

 

Not very encouraging read. It seams to become more and more a gamble. Indie-golden-age is over, back to Publishers?
Let's hope stats are better in the games category.

 

Indies can self-publish on all major consoles and PCs. The failure of terrible hardware like the Ouya and Mojo doesn't change that.