Interesting concept, hopefully it will also see the light of day.

"built to be hacked":

http://www.theverge.com/2012/7/2/3134004/ouya-a-99-hackable-android-game-console-designed-by-yves-behar
http://angel.co/ouya#overview

Why on earth AMIGA Inc. does not think about projects like these (Raspberry Pi comes to mind, for example) to revive the Brand? Well, I just answered myself after 1 second.

Doh.

@Shufflepuck

+1 ...

BAZILLION!

@trans

Actually, I am curious. How does one go about getting something like a Raspberry PI designed and manufactured?

@trans

Eh, you design it and they you find someone with more money than you to guarantee the manufacturer their income, then you set it into production and start selling it.

Notice the slight (but important) difference to hobby projects, which go like "you design it, manufacture it in as large batches as you can afford and then sell it".

The problem is that to avoid loosing money you need to make sure there won't be ANY product recalls/reimbursements, hardware fixes or even support cases, OR you make sure you have sufficient profits to pay for a few mistakes. As the product matures and you start trusting it, you can lower your profits to make more sales.

Now, if you're NOT a hardware designer, you obviously need to hire someone to do that part as well. Which sort of begs the question: Are you stinking rich?

Now, what's your business plan?

_________________
This weeks pet peeve:
Using "voltage" instead of "potential", which leads to inventing new words like "amperage" instead of "current" (I, measured in A) or possible "charge" (amperehours, Ah or Coulomb, C). Sometimes I don't even know what people mean.

@trans

Angel Investors, a solid business plan with proper financial projections to 1, 2, 5, 10 years, good communication skills, solid relationships with suppliers, moral integrity, business assessment tools, guts, reliability, and a vision that can trickle down to reality

@Shufflepuck

Small update, the Ouya console reached $950,000 Kickstarter funding goal in 8 hours:

http://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/7/10/3149813/ouya-console-meets-950000-kickstarter-funding-goal-in-8-hours

And it's now at $2,289,209:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ouya/ouya-a-new-kind-of-video-game-console

Last edited by Shufflepuck on 11-Jul-2012 at 09:46 AM.

It's over 3 million now, with 28 days of kickstarter left.

I too have always wondered why Amiga Inc or CUSA didn't go this route. I've been hoping for an 'Amiga in a chip' game console for quite some time, and kickstarter would logically seem to be a way to fund it (as it costs a lot for the ASIC stuff).

But as seen here, funding is possible.

I've also thought that the whole concept Amiga and now CUSA has been taking has been wrong the entire time. Well, in Amiga Inc.'s case, that is on multiple levels, but anyway... instead of trying to revive the Amiga as a desktop, they should have gone the gaming route.

They could have been a gamepark handheld, small netbook, etc. years ago, before either existed.

In OUYAs' case, call it an Amiga gaming system, merge android with Aros (either hosted, or some level of compatibility), pack it with old games, and there ya go.

But when it comes down to it, it's easy to see why Amiga and CUSA hasn't done anything like this. They don't actually create anything. They never have (not counting snowman maker). They'd need some ability, staff, and engineering skills to come up with something unique. Instead we got Amiga as a tax dodge, or whatever they were for... and CUSA is rebranding PCs as Amigas.

Perhaps Hyperion, depending on what rights they have, could have done something like this... AmigaOne Gaming System, perhaps? At least they created something themselves with their OS.

Last edited by Nameless on 12-Jul-2012 at 12:57 AM.

I remember contacting Amiga, Inc. way back in the day not long after they were making their first attempt at revival after the fall of Commodore, and then again each time the last Big Plan would fall through and a new one was erected. I would read about all their new plans and always realize the same thing. They couldn't see the big picture and it simply wasn't going work. So I would write them and try to provide advice explaining that they needed to look past the hardware and the OS. These were just mediums, not products in themselves. Rather the hardware and OS needed to commoditized and made at available at the lowest cost possible. The money was to be made on things built to top of that, not by selling the hardware and OS itself.

Of course, they would always respond (if they responded at all) with they same refrain. "We have great plans. We know what we are doing. Just wait and see."

Yea. Now here we are. Something called OUYA and Google are doing what Amiga could have done a decade ago --building a lowly fun machine for the masses. And what is Amiga up to? Still trying to resurrect the GOD Computer.

Honestly, it would be funny if it weren't just so unbelievably pathetically sad.

Last edited by trans on 11-Jul-2012 at 10:26 PM.

I'm wondering if there is a better forum for this since the General Technology category states clearly: "No Console Threads".

That said, I think that this and the Android Hosted version of AROS would make a nice computer.

I wish some team would do the same with AOS compatible PPC HW.
Perhaps C=USA would need to be involed because it has the "Amiga" name.

Ofcourse this OUYA has Android application base to start with, and it makes the start a lot easier.

I imagine company like Freescale should be interested in getting THEIR PPC chips to consumer devices, like IBM has managed to do with their PPC chips.

And... also AEROS could function as building block if x86 Fusion chips would be used as the base. To get opensource linux content + AROS content to every TV.

_________________
- KimmoK
// For freedom, for honor, for AMIGA
//
// Thing that I should find more time for: CC64 - 64bit Community Computer?

@Nameless @trans

You read my mind! We're on the same page, I was starting to write down almost the exact same thing

@KimmoK

PPC hardware will always be to expensive for the masses, it's not capable of reaching a USD 99 price point like this console aims at (well it's probably possible but not likely to happen).
AmigaOS4 price alone is more than the complete offering from OUYA

_________________

@Troels

Firstly there should be the affordable HW with opensource/free/android whatever content.

Then if it starts to go out in tens of thousands, I doubt AOS4 licence for it would need to be USD99. Actually, AOS (or MOS or whatever) could be buyable from webshop.

Let's see if those PPC chip makers get interested in higher volumes...

btw. LimePC has been sold below USD99 some time ago, and wasn't PPC efika damn cheap some time ago?
There exist 1Ghz chip for efika upgrade for a few tens of USD, stick in a PCIe GFX card and you could have affordable PPC computer.

_________________
- KimmoK
// For freedom, for honor, for AMIGA
//
// Thing that I should find more time for: CC64 - 64bit Community Computer?

@KimmoK

Quote:

Firstly there should be the affordable HW with opensource/free/android whatever content.

Who would want that if you have ARM? I mean, why would developers get a PowerPC board? There is no strong Linux presence, there's no Android, there are no customer-market that buys about one million of ARM-based devices.

Quote:

I doubt AOS4 licence for it would need to be USD99

Why would anyone get OS4 license? Really, explain that to me: an Android hacker would buy AmigaOS4 because? Linux developer would do it because?

There's no interest in AmigaOS4 outside nostalgic niche, sure, the hardware situation does not help, but even with that solved there are no legions of developers who would like to jump onto such foreign platform.

Quote:

btw. LimePC has been sold below USD99 some time ago, and wasn't PPC efika damn cheap some time ago?

LimePC died at birth, Efika went nowhere. This is a demonstration of demand that PowerPC hardware running *migaOS commands.

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OpenWindows Initiative. Port PS3 hardware to bananas. For free. Join today and receive expired $50 cupon from AI!

I only found out about this yesterday. They've exceeded their $$$ goal and perhaps on the way to production now. I wish them luck. It reminds me of how I saw the C64 back in '82-83.... so many open possibilities.

BTW, direct link...
http://www.ouya.tv/

Plaz

Last edited by Plaz on 10-Aug-2012 at 12:44 AM.

@Plaz

I see some major games developers are onboard now: Square Enix, Namco Bandai, Robotki (ex Infinity Ward), along with "indies" like Cliffhanger and Rapture.

The OnLive service/platform will be available on Ouya as well. Overall is shaping to be a nice little gizmo, with many possibilities or at least it is a breath of fresh air / slight departure from the traditional monolithic major players approach (Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft).

It's just that the free-to-play or IAP model is sometimes annoying, but hopefully not every single game will leverage on that.

I also like the controller quite a lot, but I'd like to read opinions on the responsiveness and usability of the touch-pad it has in the middle (from the pics it seems quite unreachable with the left thumb while holding the joypad with two hands):

http://kotaku.com/5933370/you-can-now-pre+order-the-ouya-console

I do hope a small dedicated demo scene will grow on this thing, I'll probably get one and try to run AROS hosted on it

BTW, is it just me or the name OUYA seems quite stupid?

http://soundcloud.com/playouya/ouya

After Yahoo and Wii the trend continues..

Last edited by Shufflepuck on 10-Aug-2012 at 09:39 AM.

@opi
>>Firstly there should be the affordable HW with opensource/free/android whatever content.
>Who would want that if you have ARM?

Why would ARM be better? So far PPC SoC has more MIPS + PCIe.

>there are no customer-market that buys about one million of ARM-based devices.

Also OUYA will start from 0.
When you can connect your cell phone to TV to play a game, not every cell phone gamer want to spend on OUYA to do the same with it.

>I mean, why would developers get a PowerPC board? There is no strong Linux presence, there's no Android,

There is Android for PPC and linux might be stronger than for ARM. At least for industry, PPC is still stronger.

If people are lunatic enough to buy silly ARM devices for geeky purposes, I see no reason why not MIPS or PPC as well.
And when those SAM boards still have silly amount of industry features and if ACube is profitable with it, I think there is some PPC demand.

>Why would anyone get OS4 license?

There are those 5 million people that remember their Amiga computer. Perhaps 10% would like to try it again if it was cheaper.
+ if they get chance to see it in mature state, it should blow them away with insane speed when compared to desktop linux.

>Really, explain that to me: an Android hacker would buy AmigaOS4 because?

Desktop features?

>Linux developer would do it because?

Speed? Simplicity? "name"?

>There's no interest in AmigaOS4 outside nostalgic niche, sure, the hardware situation does not help, but even with that solved there are no legions of developers who would like to jump onto such foreign platform.

Rerto business is billiondollar business. There is some interest towards any niche platform.
(remember that even Rasberry wants AmigaKickstart for PI)

>>btw. LimePC has been sold below USD99 some time ago, and wasn't PPC efika damn cheap some time ago?
>LimePC died at birth,

The HW is still available. But surely the used SoC was too weak for Linux.
Efika can now be redone with 1Ghz PPC + latest PCIe GPU.

No one in their right mind should consider game console production profitable beside Nintendo+Sony+M$. But I bet there are tens of consoles in production + OUYA. INSANE!!!!

But with 100& negativity we get nothing. No Rasberry PI or OUYA would have happened in the hands of pessimist.

Last edited by KimmoK on 10-Aug-2012 at 03:02 PM.
Last edited by KimmoK on 10-Aug-2012 at 03:00 PM.

_________________
- KimmoK
// For freedom, for honor, for AMIGA
//
// Thing that I should find more time for: CC64 - 64bit Community Computer?

@Shufflepuck

Quote:

Why on earth AMIGA Inc. does not think about projects like these (Raspberry Pi comes to mind, for example) to revive the Brand? Well, I just answered myself after 1 second.

Because they don`t think.

ABout the console: will buy one, will support it, hope there will be great ARM Linux foer it, MOS even.

_________________
Future Acube and MOS supporter, fi di good, nothing fi di unprofessionals. Learn it harder way!

@Shufflepuck

Quote:

I see some major games developers are onboard now

Will they stay long is the question. On an open platform like this, it might be tough for the bigger guys to make money.

Quote:

BTW, is it just me or the name OUYA seems quite stupid?

Definitely not market shattering, but better than wee. Remember all the fun folks had when that was announced? "Oh-Yeah".... it'll do. Seems like it will make a nice little hackers box to me.

Plaz

Last edited by Plaz on 11-Aug-2012 at 01:51 AM.

Am I wrong in thinking that, basically, this is a Android tablet device without a screen but with a way to connect it to a big screen and a custom made game-controller?

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