Remember OUYA and how there was a time when some people seriously believed that cheap Android powered consoles would take over gaming and disrupt the incumbents, Sony and Microsoft? Yeah, those were the days. According to TechCrunch, one of OUYA’s founders, Muffi Ghadiali, has decided to leave the company. He was in charge of the teams responsible for the OUYA hardware. Before working for OUYA, he used to be an Amazon employee, working on the team responsible for the Kindle. So tell me this, when one of your brightest hardware engineers leaves, what message does that send out?
Taking a step back, let’s focus on Android gaming. Is it even a viable space? Sure it is, and the numbers from independent App Store Analytic firms like App Annie confirm that, but if you’re a small developer or you’re working for a small indie company, it’s still the case that you’re better off going iOS first and Android later. That’s not to say Android isn’t a great platform, but I think we all know that piracy is rampant and support costs are a nightmare.
Will Google ever release an OUYA like product? Never say never. According to a six month old article on The Wall Street Journal, the search giant is working on a gaming console. That article also said it would be out by the fall of 2013, which obviously didn’t happen.
