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Ouya Thread


phaxda

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The only Ouya thread I could find was the unboxing one, which seems to mainly be pre-release info and some grumbling about yearly upgrades. I got my Ouya a few weeks ago and am actually liking it a lot so wanted to start a new point of discussion.

 

I am intrigued by the possibilities. I know the opinion from some is that these are just oversized cell phone games, but I have an Android phone and I hate it for gaming. I am currently carrying a DS XL for Mario Kart action. The only game I play on the phone is that silly Dragonplay Poker which is stupid, but poker is a weakness and I want to get to 10 million fake chips.

 

www.reddit.com/r/ouya is where I've been going for most of my Ouya info, but I am looking for some classic gamer perspective here. So far I have found the emulation to be great--the only thing missing right now that I would love is better 8-bit support. I've been using my Wii as an emulation machine, but the Ouya has so far been much easier and has easily passed the "wife test"--she can get on it and play some retro games without too much hassle. The default controller is also much better (on the Wii I am always having to dig out a classic controller).

 

I've got XBMC installed, which is pretty great. Very good instructions.

 

We've enjoyed playing many rounds of "You Don't Know Jack."

 

The controllers are OK. Not great, but not horrible. It runs quietly. It does not take up a lot of space. When I have time for games, it's definitely in the mix.

 

If they ever get friends lists and all of that sorted out (so far this is the most serious weakness in my view), my Ouya username is the same as here.

 

Really interested in hearing the impressions of others!

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It's an okay system. I'd give it about a 6/10 rating right now because I'm just starved for games and never expected that to be an issue. I refresh this page multiple times a day hoping for something new and really interesting. It's just easier than turning the box on which really doesn't happen much.

Flashout 3d is about all I've found in the ouya store that I really liked. Riptide GP that I side-loaded is right up there too.

 

So many games are in that retro "8-bit" style that I don't care for. Small dev shop doesn't mean "looks like squares" (see above games)

 

Other than the games, it's an okay system. It doesn't seem to do much with my user name which bugs me. There are no friends or built-in chats. No way to compare my scores to others unless the game provides their own system which no doubt needs to be signed up for independently. I'm still having issues with scaling on my TV--some of the games seem to detect it and correct but most do not.

 

I'm fine with the controller. The triggers are a bit fat, but otherwise I haven't got any complaints about them.

 

Most users seem to be after XBMC or emulators, and I really have no interest in those, so there really isn't much to do.

So that's probably why my overall reaction is pretty "meh" with the hopes that soon the library will take off and that will change.

Edited by Reaperman
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I'm definitely intrigued by this thing as an emulation box. Not all flash carts are as easy to get or as high quality as the harmony cart so this would be an easy way for me to play tons of games on my TV. And at $100 USD it is cheaper than some flash carts.

 

After that literally everything else it could do and run would be a bonus. I'm interested in getting it for the FF3 port alone, though I'd like to see that other Final Fantasy game available at some point. I think I've fairly settled on getting one as the price is definitely right, so now I'm just waiting for the retail launch.

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I only hope they fix the wifi issues, and add a boot recovery, as it is if you get a botched update or Modding went wrong there is no boot recovery to unbrick the system, a bootable recovery mode should have been done before any consumers received a unit. I think they want to add friends lists and achievements before a boot recovery.

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I'm definitely intrigued by this thing as an emulation box. Not all flash carts are as easy to get or as high quality as the harmony cart so this would be an easy way for me to play tons of games on my TV. And at $100 USD it is cheaper than some flash carts.

 

After that literally everything else it could do and run would be a bonus. I'm interested in getting it for the FF3 port alone, though I'd like to see that other Final Fantasy game available at some point. I think I've fairly settled on getting one as the price is definitely right, so now I'm just waiting for the retail launch.

 

These people hope to deliver for Algus:

http://www.oriku.com/emuya.html

 

It'll also be a platform to purchase homebrew Nintendo games. MAYBE someday Atari 2600 too :) I offered some of my previous titles as freebies.

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Maybe we should get a good games to try list going. :P

 

I just ordered a larger SD card for all the emulators. Haven't had time to play around with them much as I'm waiting on the card.

 

You can side load a ton of shit it seems. I think the console can only improve with time and with upgrades etc.

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I will be getting one when they hit retail in a few days.

I've heard complaints of input latency. Can anybody address that question?

A few games suffer from it--for example pinball arcade is unplayable last I checked--but my guess is that specific title is doing something weird with the controller. otherwise the 'all over latency' that early review consoles had seems to be gone. (I've heard zen pinball can be side-loaded quite well for the pinball addict) Everywhere else, Ouya controller feels about as snappy as any standard wireless to me. More recently than the latency were the deadzone issues, but I checked mine and those seem to be resolved now too.

 

Though I'm fine with the controller, I will say they've made some 'unique' design choices with it where maybe they should have stuck a little closer to 'standard.' (battery placement, triggers, faceplates, touch pad, home button placement) I also wish it had some form of vibration feedback.

Edited by Reaperman
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The sad fact is that quite a few games will require you to be connected to the net in order to boot the games. Some might boot you out when or if your connection drops, some might have limited play if you are not connected.

 

http://ouyaforum.com/showthread.php?3199-Off-grid-gaming

 

I know that FF3 requires a net connection to boot, and exits when your connection drops.

 

A few developers are talking about going this way as well.

 

I do believe a few doesn't do this. A few people are talking about a wall of shame for devs and games that have it.

Edited by madmax2069
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Still waiting for my Ouya. I received my "its in our distribution center" mail 18 days ago, I received the "on the move" mail 10 days ago, and it's still not in the DHL tracking system. Ugh.

 

 

I've got XBMC installed, which is pretty great. Very good instructions.

 

Awesome! Just bear in mind that's a build using software decoding, so larger resolution videos may suffer framerate issues. The adventurous can find a hardware accelerated version that's quite far along over here.

 

 

I just ordered a larger SD card for all the emulators. Haven't had time to play around with them much as I'm waiting on the card.

 

I thought it didn't have an SD slot, just USB. Is that wrong?

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I thought it didn't have an SD slot, just USB. Is that wrong?

 

Hmm could have sworn I saw it or maybe I was thinking of something else (I did buy a 3DS recently). I guess I'll be using the card for the Nintendo.

 

I wonder what they will do with storage options.

 

Edit: I wonder if an adapter and a hub would work.

Edited by cimerians
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Found out the developers are aware about the concern over a recovery option. Basically said it's on the "to do" list.

 

Online DRM seems a bit hazier. It's not required like Sony but they facilitate it if the developer so chooses. Also, it's unclear if games that have online features must also phone home. The smart option is to gracefully hide online features that aren't available.

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Found out the developers are aware about the concern over a recovery option. Basically said it's on the "to do" list.

 

Online DRM seems a bit hazier.

 

Yeah, they should have had a boot to recovery mode from day one, one of the posts said they are debating it, its low on the priority list, that is if they decided to implement it, because its not set into stone.

 

Yes DRM is the sole choice of the dev, I only hope that they figure out a way to make it happen without net connected DRM, most of them are talking about DRM that requires a net connection (aka not being able to play off the grid).

Edited by madmax2069
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I arrived home after a busy day at work to find my Ouya had found its way to my home, just in time for the weekend. Excellent timing.

 

For those of you waiting in frustration, my DHL tracking never worked. I see that the Ouya folks have sent a mail out with alternate tracking links, so check your inbox.

 

I unpacked the unit, setup the controllers, updated it, and was downloading trial games in no time. (no credit card required) Then I left it with the kids and went off to do some chores, and haven't managed to wrestle the thing back from them. Right now they're playing some BombSquad and laughing their heads off. I'll have to buy that one.

 

More than I dared to hope for so far, and I haven't even had the chance to load up emulators and xbmc.

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So pinball arcade got it's second update today. Anybody with more motivation than me want to redownload and see if they got rid of the lag?

 

So... what about google play and other android markets?

Play is a no-go

Amazon's got a great store. Aptoide is a pain but with better selection.

I've tried a few others too. Generally these side loaded stores have lots of stuff and very little of it works well with controller. Do your research first, and only about 3/4 of the games you sideload will be total disappointments.

Edited by Reaperman
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Heck the first thing I'm going to try to sideload is Critical Strike Portable (that is if its not already on the ouya store). And its totally free.

 

I would love to see a good racing game on ouya. Hoping more of a racing sim with online play, at least LAN play.

 

I know many side loaded games usually have to be launched on a touch screen device and go into options and enable controller and then transfer it over, some only seem like they don't work because you have to use the touchpad to navigate the menus, because you can't with the D-pad or thumbsticks.

Edited by madmax2069
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So pinball arcade got it's second update today. Anybody with more motivation than me want to redownload and see if they got rid of the lag?

The crushingly bad lag is now gone from this title--I just had a good lengthy play on it.

It uses a ~3/4 press of the lower analog triggers rather than just using the upper digital triggers, so it doesn't feel as tight as I think it should. There's no button config either. Still I was hitting my targets and not having to think half a second ahead just to put flipper to ball.

 

It also seems like the physics are a bit odd when I try to cradle the ball. Still well worth a play. I may even buy a table or two on this one. It was really bad before this latest patch, but now IMO it's one of the better games on the system. It just doesn't seem to be as good as it could be yet.

Edited by Reaperman
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The crushingly bad lag is now gone from this title--I just had a good lengthy play on it.

It uses a ~3/4 press of the lower analog triggers rather than just using the upper digital triggers, so it doesn't feel as tight as I think it should. There's no button config either. Still I was hitting my targets and not having to think half a second ahead just to put flipper to ball.

 

It also seems like the physics are a bit odd when I try to cradle the ball. Still well worth a play. I may even buy a table or two on this one. It was really bad before this latest patch, but now IMO it's one of the better games on the system. It just doesn't seem to be as good as it could be yet.

 

For me I can't pull the plunger back to even play the game. Either its a bug or my RT stick isn't working. You know of any other games that uses both sticks? Like a robotron type game or something?

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For me I can't pull the plunger back to even play the game. Either its a bug or my RT stick isn't working. You know of any other games that uses both sticks? Like a robotron type game or something?

uh oh. That's weird.

 

IIRC critical missions swat (an fps) uses both sticks.

neon shadow (fps, currently sideload only) uses both

there should be a twin stick 'genre' down in the discover section. IIRC there was one with a red cube on it that was quite functional.

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I had some issues with the controller where the bottom analog triggers kept getting stuck under the top digital triggers. Fixed it by grinding down some useless tabs with my Dremel drill. Only caveat is now you can see parts of the circuit board through the cracks between the triggers.I also had to grind away about 0.5mm of plastic material from the bottom of the controller case to prevent the triggers from scraping, as well as widening the four holes for the action buttons. Lastly, I sprayed some silicone lubricant spray (never use WD-40 on plastics) on the sliders, since the analog triggers had this horrible squeaky sound. Lubing them cured it completely. Now my controller works flawlessly. Overall, I feel they really needed to delay the Ouya due to the previous controller issues.

 

For me I can't pull the plunger back to even play the game. Either its a bug or my RT stick isn't working. You know of any other games that uses both sticks? Like a robotron type game or something?

There is a brand new update that fixes the plunger issue along with adding 4 new tables. Previously, I had to flick the controller hard forward to get the plunger to work, and sometimes the ball would barely roll up the tube. My right thumb got sore from flicking it multiple times just to get the ball into play. Also, they should consider a further update to allow the use the top digital triggers for the pinball flippers, as the digital buttons are much more responsive and less "spongy" than analog. It's hard to make a precise ramp or target shot with analog control. After all, the pinball controls on real tables are in reality digital buttons. When I used to play the Pinball Hall of Fame Gottlieb collection on Game Cube, I held the analog triggers down so that they were resting on the microswitch.

 

BTW, I downloaded a crap-ton of tables. There's only currently 4 tables I don't have, which mainly consist of a couple of packs with retarded tables included. Dr Dude seems like it would be a fun table if I was like 10, but as a 32 year-old man, I can't stomach it, and a couple other bland/obnoxious colors/stupid themed tables I refused to download. Other than that, the vast majority of tables I've tried are really great addicting gameplay. I hope they release High Speed, as I have the 8-bit NES version (along with Pinbot) which boasts some truly awesome gameplay for an 8-bit pinball sim. I also bought the pro version of Scared Stiff so that I could access the uncensored audio in the operator's menu. Also a bit of a let down, I finally got around to signing up an account with Pinball Arcade, only to find that none of my previous high scores uploaded. Apparently, only high scores you achieve while logged in are posted. My scores are nothing to right home about, but it feels good to compare the lists and note that "I did better on this table than X percentage of users." I managed to achieve a rollover on the "Big Shot" Table (100,000+ points) and currently have all standard goals and 3 out of 5 wizard goals completed. Still my all-time favorite pinball table is the Gottlieb classic "Black Hole."

 

I unpacked the unit, setup the controllers, updated it, and was downloading trial games in no time. (no credit card required) Then I left it with the kids and went off to do some chores, and haven't managed to wrestle the thing back from them. Right now they're playing some BombSquad and laughing their heads off. I'll have to buy that one.

I would be weary for the time being, of letting the kids play with your Ouya after you have input your payment credentials. Currently the only security measures they have preventing unauthorized charges to your credit card, is you have to select a purchasable upgrade (which is usually preselected for you) and hit the green (O) button to display a confirm payment dialog, then hit (O) again to submit payment. Hopefully they will add a feature to require inputting your account password to submit payment in a future update (it would make me feel a lot safer if my Ouya got stolen), but for now, charging your card is literally as easy as hitting the (O) button three times.

 

The sad fact is that quite a few games will require you to be connected to the net in order to boot the games. Some might boot you out when or if your connection drops, some might have limited play if you are not connected.

 

http://ouyaforum.com...Off-grid-gaming

 

I know that FF3 requires a net connection to boot, and exits when your connection drops.

 

A few developers are talking about going this way as well.

 

I do believe a few doesn't do this. A few people are talking about a wall of shame for devs and games that have it.

This is indeed unsettling. One of the reasons I bought the Ouya (I purchased it from Atariage member DatonaUSA) was due to the openess of the console, knowing that it would still be a great piece of kit even if it failed, since with the included built-in ability to side-load apps, it has the potential to become a great homebrew / console emulator similar to Dreamcast if it doesn't succeed in the market. Now I've got a craving to disable my router and attempt to load Pinball Arcade. It would suck to lose access to TPA in the future seeing as I spent good money unlocking all of those pinball tables. I could see myself plugging in the Ouya 10-20 years from now just to play some good old-fashioned pinball.

 

Oh, and thanks for the heads up; now I know for sure not to get FF3, especially since my DSL tends to sporadically crap out for a minute or two every now and then. Stupid 3D remakes, IMO the original isometric 2D sprites look way better than low poly 3D anyway.

Edited by stardust4ever
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