Check out my talk with Adam below. I think he has as much fun making games as we do playing them. Hidden in Plain Sight is a local multiplayer (up to four players can join in the fun) party game wherein you discover yourself, slip in amongst the crowd, and knife-hand chop your sneaky friends.

If you want to check out more about Adam, you can read it here:

http://adamspragggames.blogspot.com/

@AdamSpragg

Enjoy OUYA’ns and have a solid weekend.

Kellee

D.B.F. (Developer’s Best Friend)

OUYA

Nicoll tells us how he began developing the game, why OUYA intrigued him, and how he received his funding (another Kickstarter success story!). He also describes some of his influences while he enjoys one of his favorite pints — and believe it or not — there is a “Love Story” that brought Fist of Awesome to life.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the game, here’s the skinny:

FIST OF AWESOME is a time-travelling-lumberjack-em-up, a sorely underrepresented genre by anyone’s metric. It’s a modern homage to classics like Streets of Rage and Final Fight, but with more time travel and lumberjacks.

The hero, Tim Burr, is a forest dwelling tree feller who gets caught up in a needlessly complex interstellar plot to enslave Earth by populating history with homicidal wild animals  The game takes place over a number of time periods, features original 2D art and animation throughout, and is to my knowledge, the only game that lets you punch a full grown grizzly bear in the face.

To find more information about the game, please visit:

http://ifightbears.co.uk

Follow Nicoll @nicollhunt

Also, if you haven’t already, take a look @ Nicoll’s video that he put together for us:

http://youtu.be/0_kgRin-pKo

Enjoy OUYA’ns and have a solid weekend.

Kellee

D.B.F. (Developer’s Best Friend)

OUYA

BAWB here — your OUYA games guy.

When I’m not talking to devs about their cool projects, I enjoy soaking up some of the awesome content available on OUYA and making semi-awkward video diaries in the process. As a few of you may already know, I’ve been cataloguing these adventures in a semi-regular YouTube series, humbly entitled: “BAWB the Games Guy.”

You may have seen a couple of these behind-the-scene glimpses into the OUYA-verse already. In them, I feature a few games and talk to members of Team OUYA about what it is they actually do here. I aim to continue doing this, so I’d love any and all of your input. In particular, what questions you might have about OUYA’s inner sanctum. Please leave any questions about our inner workings below–from server functionality, to discoverability, to favorite games, to favorite team beverages; whatever you think engineers, developers, QA peeps and gamer nerds might know–and I’ll do my best to get to the bottom of things.

I’ll answer what I can in upcoming episodes, and–until then–I invite you to join us again as we read some fan comments, gab a bit with Stan and–as always–PLAY SOME VIDYA GAMES.

Check out the latest episode of BAWB the Games Guy (above) where we turn up the wubz to 11 with Dub Wars, travel to the darkest reaches of the murkiest depths in Deep Dungeons of Doom, gather up the family in a special Mother’s Day bonus sneak peak at Save the Puppies, and I’m pretty sure Stan threatens to beat me up.

Until next time, Internet.

BAWB Mills

OUYA Games Guy

So, what does this mean for you?

It means we’ve got additional resources to make OUYA everything it can be.  It means that we can increase production to meet our demand and continue to support game developers who are building innovative and exclusive games for OUYA.

Also, as you know, we’ve been shipping our early backers their units, gearing up for our official launch in June. The demand we’re seeing from gamers and our retailers is beyond our expectations, so, to meet all this demand, we are shifting our launch date by three weeks to give us time to make more OUYAs. Our official launch date will be June 25th. This change in ship date does not affect backer shipments. We’re still on track to have units shipped to our early backers – from both Kickstarter and OUYA.tv preorders before the end of May.

It keeps getting better!

Julie

An OUYA exclusive from Airtight Games

Please make sure to check out the trailer on our YouTube channel!

Soul Fjord is a randomly-generated dungeon crawler with rhythm-based combat set in a fantasy universe where the genres of 70’s Funk and Soul meld with Norse mythology – complete with lounge Dragons, Disco Wizards, and one badass Viking named Magnus Jones. In Soul Fjord, you play as Magnus Jones, a legendary warrior valiantly slain in battle. When the Valkyries arrive to bring him to Valhalla, the hottest club in Yggdrasil, they reveal that Magnus has been left off the guest list–and won’t be invited to Ragnarok, the party that’ll end the world. Magnus must fight his way up the World Tree to salvage his reputation as the baddest Viking in town, and gain access to Valhalla.

In addition to the trailer, check out these  behind-the-scenes videos of  Kim and team on their development experiences so far.

As a fan of Portal and Quantum Conundrum, personally, I was REALLY excited when I found out Kim Swift and Airtight Games were interested in building an exclusive OUYA game — a free-to-play experience for the living room (and the Soul music references also speak to my heart :) ). Fellow fans will recognize the personality and craft that’s become the Airtight Games experience. I’ve played some early builds so far, and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

As always, your DBF,

Kellee

Last week, we started shipping units to our early backers, but there is still much to do (we’re listening, promise) and we are on it.

I want to make sure you know what we are building, when, and to keep you updated on how we are constantly evolving and incorporating both your feedback and our learnings.

So here goes:

Early units

We received early feedback from developers when we sent out the developer consoles. Now we want feedback from you. The software, store, games will continue to evolve and grow, and as early backers who have exclusive access during this period before launch, we want you to be a part of that process.

We will continue to obsess over quality and performance. For example, we are considering adding additional magnets to the controllers so that the faceplates are more secure–no more falling off during shipments!

Got more suggestions? Because you will have exclusive access to the system while it’s in development we want to hear from you. We want you to love it!

Software (R)Evolution

Our software is constantly evolving. Right now, the team is focused on optimizing the performance of our software (this means responsiveness). In addition, we have a host of features we’re working on for the June launch. Here’s a glimpse at some of them:

• External storage for games

• Simpler game install process

• More metrics for developers

• Controller support for video players

• More payment options

UI Experience

Our UI is simple. It will stay simple. We want it to be easy (and OBVIOUS!) for you to know what to do on OUYA. However, as more games come in, we will continue to work on discovery and curation of current games. More on this as it unfolds from Kellee :).

Communication

For some, these blogs aren’t enough. So write down all your questions and hit me up at my Reddit AMA the first week of May.

Games and Apps

Over 100 games and counting and they run the gamut — exclusives to OUYA, new developers, experienced developers, ports, you name it. We LOVE it. That’s the whole promise of OUYA: A world of great games among which you are sure to find new favorites!

We’ll be sharing some some of the most anticipated games hitting DISCOVER soon.

Keep cool and OUYA on!

Julie

And by “we” I mean you. OUYA wouldn’t exist without you.

Just last summer, we shared an idea for a simple, beautiful, powerful game console that lets any developer publish a game for the TV. We were driven by our love for couch gaming. And when you (and the rest of our early supporters) rallied around us, you inspired us.

We got here together.

Today, we honor you. Today we start shipping our early backers their OUYAs. And at our unveiling event this evening, the first of you will get to see OUYA in the flesh (or, metal, as it were).

Thank you.

Thank you for your encouraging words, for your belief when doubters doubted, for your feedback and ideas, and for your trust. And, I have to personally thank the OUYA team for the sleepless nights and sacrifices they’ve made to make OUYA for you.

A couple things our team wants you to know when you get your OUYA:

• When you first boot it up, you’ll experience our first update :) This will either be super fast (seconds) or allow you to get a drink (minutes) based on your connection speed. Eventually, we want to do these updates in the background…
• You’ll need a credit/debit card to download games. All games are still free to try. Your card will only be charged if you buy content you love. We do want valid payment information for everyone. This is to ensure that game developers can get paid when you love their game.
• OUYA supports up to four controllers (you can always get more at http://ouya.tv). And, because we support Bluetooth, you can pair other devices as well.  We are testing now and will start publishing a list of devices soon.

This is only the beginning.  Today begins an exclusive preview period as we gear up to launch in June. We’ll continue to add features, refine the user interface, and keep building the software as we head toward our retail launch — now announced for June 4.

We hope that you, our founding backers, continue to shape OUYA as we prepare to launch to the masses. Your feedback, to date, has been incredibly helpful and as you know, we’ve acted on many of your ideas and suggestions. We want your feedback on these first units. You know how to find us — but we are also creating forums keep the convo going.  In fact, we are planning an “AMA” (ask me anything) on Reddit to get your ideas. We’ll do this in April (date still TBD), after you’ve had time to give OUYA a whirl.

Start checking your mailboxes daily as these units roll out over the next few weeks. You’ll get an email when your console ships out of our factory. Keep in mind, it’s a rolling shipment, and consoles will be arriving at houses every day for the next several weeks.

Once your OUYA arrives: get playing!

As of 7:59 p.m. PT, there are already 104 published games on OUYA (all still free to try), like Final Fantasy III and some new surprises we think you’ll love: Beast Boxing Turbo, Stalagflight, Knightmare Tower, and even one called Save the Puppies. There are already a few entertainment apps, too. You can watch the TV shows and movies you already own with XBMC and Flixster, or watch games streamed through TwitchTV.

And developers are releasing new games for OUYA everyday. Eight thousand developers have created developer accounts with us so far.

Our hope is to see these game developers express their most creative ambitions through OUYA. We can’t wait to see what they unleash on our TVs.

OUYA on…

Julie

P.S. In case you missed it, as part of making OUYA the most open game platform around, we just announced that we published all the diagrams you’ll need to 3D print an OUYA yourself! Thanks MakerBot (who has a sweet 3D printer, and runs the Thingiverse community site)!

First of all, hello! This is my first official OUYA blog post, and I couldn’t be more excited to work with all of you.

Devs, as of today, any game you upload to OUYA on http://devs.ouya.tv will be available for real on OUYA when units start to ship on March 28. This means the games you have in the store after today will be in gamers’ hands when they receive their OUYA units — starting first with our Kickstarter backers, and continuing on through June when we launch to anyone and everyone who wants to get OUYA.

Those of you who uploaded a game during our test period — thank you for helping us work out the kinks — we are now resetting the store from those early uploads and starting over fresh!

Here’s how it will go down:

• You submit your game on http://devs.ouya.tv
• We will review submissions (as quickly as we can!). See our Content and Review Guidelines on the dev portal — that’s what we’ll be checking it up against. Don’t worry, it’s a pretty brisk read.
• You will be notified by email when your game is ready to go live, or if there are any issues.
• After you go live, OUYA allows you to update your game, as often as you like, at no cost to you.

And here’s where it gets interesting!

We want to help developers make their games known. So, if you publish your game before March 28, you’ll be eligible for a special promotion.

We will take the top three games (by total gamer time spent playing during the first six weeks that OUYA is in gamers’ hands), and… make you famous! OUYA is investing in a series of short documentaries to tell developers’ stories. We want to share your process, ups and downs, everything that goes into making the thing that you love — and that game we love to play.

If your game is one of the top three in the first six weeks, then one of those documentaries will be about you. We will rely heavily on these documentaries to tell people about OUYA, and we’ll share them far and wide as part of our launch marketing in June leading up to the holidays — everyone will know your name, your game, and where to play it ;)

Can’t wait to play your games! We’re truly honored to have you as our inaugural developers.

- Kellee
@KelleeSan

OUYAs will begin shipping to Kickstarter backers on March 28. That’s right. Parts are in the factory and assembly lines are buzzing. We’ll gradually ramp up production as we make sure things are working. (Our full launch is still set for June, which is when OUYA will be available in stores!)

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of you will receive your OUYA, and you’ll get to start playing right away. You will also get to watch OUYA evolve over the coming weeks and months. We’ll continue to add new features, refine our user experience, and bring on more games. As always, we appreciate your feedback (and apply it), so keep it coming.

Keep a lookout in your inbox for an email from us. It will have your tracking number and estimated delivery date. Might take a few weeks to get to everyone. We have a lot of OUYAs to ship!

Games! Games! Games!

“Yeah, yeah, but can you tell me anything more about what games are coming?” Yes, we can:

Kim Swift — of Portal, Left 4 Dead, and Quantum Conundrum notoriety — and Airtight Games are developing a brand new, exclusive title for OUYA! Kim writes: “We truly feel that this platform will give us the freedom to fully realize the funky, unique game we have in mind. Though the title will definitely appeal to core gamers in terms of skill and difficulty, it really has a completely unexpected, imaginative slant that’s totally at home on this console. Expect an official announcement soon!”

Minority Media, developers of the critically acclaimed Papo & Yo, will deliver their in-development adventure puzzler to OUYA this fall. This is the first game (that we know of) designed to take full advantage of the OUYA touchpad and buttons simultaneously. We’ll need a name for this new style of gameplay. Controlpad … Touchutton … hmm.

Ever play Killing Floor or Red Orchestra 2? Do you like first-person shooter puzzle games as much as we do? Well, we’re excited to announce that Tripwire Interactive is bringing The Ball to OUYA in March. They’re also working with OUYA on a new, exclusive title. I could tell you more but then I’d have to … well, you know how the saying goes :).

And last … if you’re anything like us, you believe that action and role-playing go together like peanut butter and chocolate. Right? RIGHT? … I’m glad we agree because ChronoBlade is coming to OUYA! We’re working with nWay to bring this beautiful new action-RPG to OUYA’s big screen TV experience. ChronoBlade looks great, and the skill-based combat system puts the “action” back in action-RPG.

Also (whew this is a heavy update!) we announced the winners of the 10-day game jam we did with Kill Screen, called CREATE. We were blown away by these games and can’t wait to see them on OUYA. Check ‘em out:

• CREATE Grand Prize: Strange Happenings on Murder Island (Free Lives)
• Most Surprising: Television (Laboratory Games LLC)
• Four Bright Buttons and Two Sticks: Bombball (E McNeill)
• Most Immersive: Whispering Willows (Night Light Interactive)
• Pop Your Eyes Out: Pipnis (Santa Ragione)
• Best Couch with Friends Games: 2D Cube Zombie Platformer (Molinware)
• Best Game Created Using Unity Engine: Stikbold (Team Stikbold)

We shipped our developer consoles on time, so developers could get developing — and our software package to make games has already been downloaded by developers 22,000 times.

A couple weeks ago, with our friends at Kill Screen, we launched a 10-day “game jam” called CREATE that challenged teams to make game prototypes for OUYA. We’re writing to all of you today so we can share the 166 entries. You can check them all out here.

If you find one you like, let your friends know. Sharing your favorites will help developers win recognition, prizes, and get them one step closer to completing their OUYA game.

We’ve selected a crack team of industry pros to pick the winners, like Phil Fish of Fez, Felicia Day of The Guild, and more. They’ll choose from a variety of compelling game prototypes. We’re seeing dungeon crawlers, action RPGs, brawlers, 4-player shooters, TCGs, platformers, word games, puzzlers and some other cool stuff ya just can’t put in a category.

Dev teams hail from all over the world – from France to Canada, Germany to New Zealand, U.S.A. to South Africa and more! Whoa. We will announce winners in a couple of weeks.

If this is what OUYA developers can do in 10 days, imagine what they can do once OUYA is out in the wild…

Taking it one day at a time,
Julie

Oh, and P.S. If you didn’t already hear, we’ve improved our controller based on feedback from OUYA developers. Thanks to these brave warriors, OUYA keeps getting better.