OUYA Console Presentation
 

What is OUYA?

OUYA is a new kind of game console for the TV that upends the console market: by bringing the openness of mobile and Internet platforms to console games for the first time.


OUYA is:

• A game console that plugs into your TV, and includes a beautifully-designed game controller
• Built on Adroid, with a custom user interface and game store
• Open to any developer to publish a game – unlike any of the current game consoles
• Powerful enough to play great games in HD – with a Tegra3 chipset
• Designed by Yves Behar and fuseproject – made Jambox, SAYL chair, other award-winners

For gamers – a powerful but inexpensive alternative to traditional consoles, with great games:

• Inexpensive – priced under $100
• All games are free-to-play (with in-game items, paid version after free trial, etc.)
• Well-designed controller – standard controller with a touchpad
• Will play great games – from AAA to indie – including hardcore and more mainstream titles
• Can support other Android apps – will launch with TwitchTV (live-streaming for games, watch games like StarCraft and League of Legends on your TV)

For developers – this is your console:

• Supported by respected developers: Notch (Mojang), Brian Fargo (inXile), Adam Saltsman (Canabalt), Ed Fries (original Xbox team), and others
• Any developer can publish a game – every console includes an SDK, no extra fees
• Custom OUYA SDK will be built on standard Android platform, with links into OUYA game promotion and in-game purchase API
• Developer chooses pricing, as long as initial download is free (standard 30% to OUYA)

For hackers – built to be hacked:

• Rooting the device will not void your warranty; easy to root; every unit has a debug console
• For hardware hackers, opens with standard screws; USB port for making peripherals; PCB designed to hack (clearly documented test points)


OUYA the company:

• Founded by Julie Uhrman, who started in the video game industry 10 years ago (GameFly, IGN, Vivendi Universal)
• Raised money from individuals, no venture capital – investors include Jay Adelson, founder of Digg; Joe Greenstein, founder of Flixster; Hosain Rahman, founder of Jawbone; Eric Hautemont, publisher of Ticket to Ride and other award-winning board games

About Julie Uhrman:

Julie Uhrman is a video game entrepreneur. She is founder and CEO of OUYA -- an innovative gaming console that enables any developer to publish a console game by bringing the mobile app model to the TV. OUYA is a powerful, beautifully designed, open and inexpensive alternative to traditional game consoles. Julie started in the game business ten years ago. Before launching OUYA, she held several executive roles with video game companies such as GameFly, IGN (where she led digital distribution and business development) and Vivendi Universal. Julie loves to play games: she plays platformers, 3rd person shooters and she loves playing games on a TV. But the last few years, she's played more on mobile phones, because that's where the action's been. She wants to go back to playing on a TV. By combining a classic console format with the ease-of-access of open mobile SDKs, Julie seeks to make OUYA the open pathway for all developers – AAA and indie alike – to bring their craft to the world.

About Yves Béhar

Yves Béhar is a design entrepreneur who believes that product, digital and brand design are cornerstones of any business. He is the founder of fuseproject, the San Francisco and New York based design and branding firm he established in 1999. He is also Chief Creative Officer at Jawbone, where for the last 10 years his products, brand and communications work has made the company a leader in wearable and audio consumer electronics. His other collaborations with renowned partners such as Herman Miller, GE, Puma, PayPal, SodaStream, Samsung, Issey Miyake, Prada and many others have received international acclaim. Yves Béhar believes that design should be a force for positive social and environmental change. He is well known for his humanitarian work on projects such as One Laptop Per Child and See Better to Learn Better. For each of these he was honored with the INDEX award, making him the only designer to have received the award twice. Béhar's works are included in the permanent collections of museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Centre Pompidou and the Art Institute of Chicago. Béhar is a frequent speaker on design, sustainability and business topics; he has given talks at TED, the World Economic Forum in Davos, and the Clinton Global Initiative. Béhar is currently the artist trustee of the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, has garnered over 200 awards, and was named a Top 25 Visionary by TIME Magazine.



OUYA TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Console

• Tegra 3 -- Quad-core processor
• 1 GB LPDDR2 RAM
• 8 GB on-board flash
• HDMI connection to the TV at 1080p HD
• WiFi 802.11bgn
• Bluetooth LE 4.0
• Enclosure opens with standard screws
• Ethernet

Controller

• Wireless controller with 2.4Ghz RF
• Standard game controls (two analog sticks, d-pad, eight action buttons, a system button)
• Touchpad, for porting mobile games more easily
• 2x AA batteries
• Enclosure opens with standard screws

OS and software

• Android 4.0
• Custom TV UI
• Integrated custom game store -- find and download games (and other apps)
• Includes SDK for game development
• Ability to root device without voiding warranty