ll, that whole Android microconsole craze flared out quickly, didn’t it?
st a week after Ouya announced plans to bring its gaming platform to other devices, Bluestacks has revealed a major shift in business models for its Gamep console. Instead of just selling consoles directly to consumers, Gamep wants to offer the product to cable companies, who can then bundle gaming into their existing TV Internet services, according to TechCrunch.
For this purpose, Gamep has come up with a new console design. The console itself is a small HDMI dongle that plugs directly into the television, not unlike Chromecast or Roku’s Streaming Stick. The controller is w-shaped like a stard TV remote, but the front panel looks sort of like a Super Nintendo controller, with a directional pad four face buttons.
Gamep will still deliver pre-orders to customers who placed them, Gamep’s bsite still appears to be taking pre-orders as of Tuesday, but it’s not clear whether the stalone console will remain available directly to consumers after the pre-order period. Gamep’s plan is still to charge $7 per month for access to hundreds of games, instead of charging per game.
Gamep was one of several attempts to strike it rich with Android-based gaming machines. Following the early Kickstarter success of Ouya, competitors such as GameStick Mad Catz’s M.O.O. entered the fray, promising a wealth of cheap, indie games to play on your television.
But so far, there isn’t much evidence that these consoles are gaining any traction. None have released sales figures, last week Ouya said it would bring its games to other devices, starting with Mad Catz’s M.O.O. ile Ouya will continue to make hardware, CEO lie Urhman referred to the stalone console as a “reference design” in an interview with Slashdot. In that sense, Ouya’s own console will take a backseat to other devices, such as televisions streaming set-top boxes, that might decide to carry Ouya’s catalog.
ile it seems like a failure for the small, open, indie console, perhaps this is the best way forward. Other gaming services such as Steam Xbox ve proved long ago that the best way to promote smaller-scale games was to tie them to something more popular, such as a catalog of larger-scale games or a broader entertainment platform. It’s tough to justify turning on an Ouya or a Gamep—let alone spend money on it—but as part of something larger, the small-scale game console dream could live on.
