The Ouya console is doing something that Microsoft, PlayStation, and Nintendo have often frowned upon: encouraging modification for pirating.
The creators and developers of Ouya are supporting modding, which can lead to so many types of mods.
But what is the downside to encouraging people to mod their Ouya consoles? Using the modded console to play homebrew and pirated games, which can be easily achieved, the reason why Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo see a fine line between creativity and breaking the law.
It can be argued that modding isn’t too different from jailbreaking an iPhone, but if it is done to play homebrew and pirated games, then modding the Ouya could become controversial.
Modding won’t just be hardware based either, modding can allow benefits past just hardware changes, such as testing user made titles, or even backing up purchased games.
The creators of Ouya have even stated on the kickstarter page:
Have at it: It’s easy to root (and rooting won’t void your warranty). Everything opens with standard screws. Hardware hackers can create their own peripherals and connect via USB or Bluetooth. You want our hardware design? Let us know.
The Ouya itself is a low grade console, but modding it can make the console on par with a 360. Who’s to say modders won’t make it on par with the 360 just to play pirated 360 games?
Kotaku’s Jason Schreier asked Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman whether their development partners are worried about piracy – her response was: “No the developers haven’t said they’re concerned. Developers should know that—despite the openness of our platform—all paid content on Ouya will require the user’s payment to be authenticated by us. We want developers to be rewarded for the value of the games they make.” She says every game will have optional DRM, which makes it even more likely for pirating to occur.
Anyone who has knowledge of building or upgrading a computer can easily learn steps they can take to mod their Ouya. The console won’t be the same as a gaming computer in terms of specs, but the options for customization are a part of what makes the Ouya unlike other consoles.
Don’t like the memory? Swap it out. Want a new motherboard? Upgrade it.
I was skeptical at first about the Ouya, but after learning so much about the capabilities and versatility of the system, it might just be a precursor to something bigger among the future of consoles.
I don’t think Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft really have anything to worry about. For most of their customers, modding a console would be on par with performing brain surgery.
For the most part Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft don’t have to worry about modders too much. Ouya is allowing and supporting modding, they will most likely run into more cases of pirating and running illegal games, films and software.
The concept of a low cost development kit means developers may have to implement “Pay to Win” in their games in order to make revenuem, which is difficult to create a player base in the long term. If Ouya owners start modding to pirate, or play games illegally, it will directly effect developers negatively, and may cause some developers to cease making games for the console.
>The Ouya itself is a low grade console, but modding it can make the console on par with a 360. Who’s to say modders won’t make it on par with the 360 just to play pirated 360 games?
This is a satirical article, right? If so, good job. Very funny read.
I wasn’t certain the satirical theme would be noticeable..
so the company behind OUYA takes a 30% cut of all sales and offer optional DRM, funny for something that is supposed to be disruptive their software model sounds exactly like Steam.
>The Ouya itself is a low grade console, but modding it can make the console on par with a 360. Who’s to say modders won’t make it on par with the 360 just to play pirated 360 games?
>The Ouya itself is a low grade console, but modding it can make the console on par with a 360. Who’s to say modders won’t make it on par with the 360 just to play pirated 360 games?
>The Ouya itself is a low grade console, but modding it can make the console on par with a 360. Who’s to say modders won’t make it on par with the 360 just to play pirated 360 games?
Please kill me, it hurts to live.
gattocak, I hope you realize that was satirical.
Sarcasm doesn’t carry as easily in writing as it does in speech. And looking at what we are exposed to every day in video game journalism I think it’s understandable that some thought you were serious.
That’s understandable.
I had a feeling it was, but just the mere concept of it was enough to kill me inside.
Fuck yeah, can’t wait to upgrade my ouya with new RAM to emulate ps3 games in glorious 1080p
BEEN SPENDING MOST MY LIFE, LIVING IN AN OUYA’S PARADISE
>Emulating PS3 or 360
Wouldn’t that require some serious CPU power? Both 360 and PS3 runs on 3.2 GHz CPUs, not to mention the difference to emulate the hardware difference (50-60x the CPU frequency). The current CPUs runs on 3.0-3.3 (around 4.1 with overclocking, current record being something on 7.X using liquid nitrogen cooling)