Final Fantasy III to be released on Ouya

Flintlock

Flintlock

Pro Adventurer
Did we all miss this piece of news from last week?

BBC News said:
Square Enix backs Kickstarter-funded console Ouya

Upcoming Android-based console Ouya, funded via crowd-sourced funding website Kickstarter, has received the backing of one of the world's biggest video games developers.

Square Enix has promised to provide its Final Fantasy III game for the console's launch in March 2013.

Users will be able to plug the $99 (£63) Ouya directly into their TVs.

An analyst said other publishers were likely to follow Square Enix's lead.

Ouya exceeded its funding target within a day of the project being announced in July. The console has so far received more than $5m (£3m).

Its TV connectivity could be especially appealing to publishers, IHS Screen Digest analyst Piers Harding-Rolls told the BBC.

"The landscape for devices that are connected to the internet and that enable playing of games on the TV is evolving rapidly," he said.

"Ouya is only one of many different connected TV devices that are emerging as alternative or incremental distribution channels to the dedicated consoles.

"Traditional games publishers such as Square Enix are keen to diversify into these new channels if the investment is minimal, as it represents a low opportunity cost that might have significant upside.

"As such it is very likely other publishers will also be looking closely at the Ouya platform as a potential distribution partner."

For now, Square Enix, also known for its Dragon Quest and Tomb Raider titles, plans to release only its 1990 classic role-playing game on the console, but it said it was considering creating more content.

"This will be the first time gamers outside of Japan can play FFIII [Final Fantasy III] on their televisions through a console," Ouya's creator, Julie Uhrman, said in a post.

"We're promising to deliver Final Fantasy III like you've never seen it before."

Gaming service Onlive, which offers a cloud gaming platform, has also announced its support for Ouya. The console will run Onlive's on-demand games service right from the start.

The system allows users to play games without owning a traditional console.
Click to expand...

I think that's pretty big news. I had previously been doubtful that any major commercial publishers would want to release games for the console, due to the likelihood of them being hacked and pirated, but I guess I was wrong. Now I'm just wondering what payment model Square Enix are thinking about. I can't imagine anyone wanting to pay $60 for an Ouya game, so it will either have to cost a lot less, or generate revenue in a different way altogether.
 
Strangelove

Strangelove

AI Researcher
AKA
hitoshura
I suppose they might release it at a similar price to the app version for iOS and Android they have released already?
 
Flintlock

Flintlock

Pro Adventurer
Claudia Wolf said:
I suppose they might release it at a similar price to the app version for iOS and Android they have released already?
Click to expand...
Of course, that thought hadn't occurred to me at all. It makes complete sense.

How much is that price, out of interest?

<-- not a smartphone owner (yet)
 
Strangelove

Strangelove

AI Researcher
AKA
hitoshura
It sells for about $15-6 normally (I think £11-2 in the UK, not sure on Europe). The higher price there ($16) is based on the slightly more expensive iPad version, which might be a better analogue for this console.
 
Lex

Lex

Administrator
Yeah it's £10.99 in the UK on iPhone. I bought it last year (but I don't remember it being that expensive). I'd be very surprised if it wasn't this version being released on Ouya.
 
Lex

Lex

Administrator
Yeah I'm pretty sure I paid £7.99 or something for it. Still expensive by iPhone app standards but I suppose it is quite nice. And really long aswell. Got stuck on the getting small bit though, then got bored and turned it off.
 
Strangelove

Strangelove

AI Researcher
AKA
hitoshura
The price is in line with games you would download from the Playstation Store, and it is basically a full console (albeit handheld) game. But idk there is something about apps that makes the price seem like a bigger hurdle.

(Or maybe that's me being weird about apps in general. I'm still not sure how I'm supposed to save my game data if I want to get rid of the apps for space so I just leave them on and it annoys me.)
 
Cthulhu

Cthulhu

Administrator
AKA
Yop
In theory (actually I should check this), stuff like game data is synchronized / backed up with your itunes when you save it, and restored when you re-add the app to your phone. But this is theoretical, I actually have no idea, :monster:.
 
Lex

Lex

Administrator
All applications and data for those applications are backed up to iTunes every time you plug it in. If you delete an app then redownload it the data stored on iTunes will return to it, yes. But you can't delete an app then get it back by synching with iTunes, which is annoying and confusing. The headaches I used to get from customers calling tech support for "WHERE HAVE MY APPS GONE I THOUGHT EVERYTHING GOT BACKED UP" - ugh.
 
Tennyo

Tennyo

Higher Further Faster
My PSP can connect to my TV.

But I never use it anyway. :P

Or is this not the same? *is confused*

Would I be plugging a phone into my TV?
 
Flintlock

Flintlock

Pro Adventurer
Lin Beifong said:
My PSP can connect to my TV.

But I never use it anyway. :P

Or is this not the same? *is confused*

Would I be plugging a phone into my TV?
Click to expand...
The Ouya is (going to be) an "open" console that runs on Android. That means a lot of mobile games will, theoretically, be compatible with it straight away. I say theoretically because they have all been designed for small touchscreens, not 40-inch 1080p TVs and consoles with physical controllers. They will have to be adapted.
 
Lex

Lex

Administrator
I actually think it's a really interesting concept, and if done right could become incredibly popular.

Seems to be going in the right direction already with Square's endorsement.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom