Android TV: Google Getting into the Microconsole Business

why is firetv flawed? I know a bunch of people chomping at the bit to get one so they can xbmc mod it (apparently the price : hardware ratio is insane on it)

e: also rip ouya 2012-2014

I would call Ouya a complete success (from a personal, not business perspective) if VLC didn't require that stupid pain-in-the-ass touchpad to use. Apparently it's some kind of limitation of the Android version that they can't just use buttons? I don't really know for sure, but it's annoyingly close to being just what I wanted it for.

James

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

It's the opposite of fragmenting. It's bringing all those devices together with a single compatibility standard, market, and user experience.

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So the $50 GoogleTV Jam is going to play a game as graphically intensive as the $200 G+ Deluxe?

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

No one is saying you're going to be playing Uncharted on this. You're going to get sub-$20 games, and a lot of quick and casual experiences, same as cell phones. No disagreement there.

I think kids and parents are going to be a big market. It makes sense for a lot of the displaced Wii crowd, because it's cheap, quick, accessible, and already integrated into the TV experience. It's going to make a lot more sense to scroll down and download Timmy something to play than to go to the store and buy a $200 console and a $50 game on a disc.

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You say this like the displaced Wii crowd is wandering aimlessly. They're not. Timmy has a cell phone and plays games on it. He plays them on the school bus, in the cafeteria, on the couch while his parents watch tv.

He doesn't need to play the same games on the living room tv.

You could say the same about tablets and phones, but you'd be wrong. This will probably be good for multiplayer games and that sort of thing which don't work well on the phone.

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Originally Posted by Error

Welcome to the glorious Console Master Race.

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They need to organize a pride parade in preparation for their marginalization.

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Originally Posted by James

I would call Ouya a complete success (from a personal, not business perspective) if VLC didn't require that stupid pain-in-the-ass touchpad to use. Apparently it's some kind of limitation of the Android version that they can't just use buttons? I don't really know for sure, but it's annoyingly close to being just what I wanted it for.

James

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The OUYA has exceeded my expectations as far as how many fun and fairly good games have come out for it. Of the pre-Fire TV Android consoles, it's got the best overall offerings since the MOJO has so many issues just getting shit to run, while the GameStick has fuck-all on it. Being able to sideload stuff greatly adds to the library of stuff too even if there are far too many games that are just trash - like Man Boobs Are Candy Corn HD, which has turned into a running joke on the HG podcast.

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Originally Posted by Engadget

The company behind crazy devices like the Razer Edge and Project Christine is getting into game console creation as well. Razer's employing Google's Android TV initiative to create a game-focused "micro-console" and it's arriving this fall. So, what does it do? Razer's only offering a teensy bit of details, but what we know thus far sounds impressive. The micro-console can "stream movies, music and other apps for large-screen entertainment," says Razer, "with an emphasis on gaming." Sounds a lot like Amazon's Fire TV, no? The difference here is that Razer's also promising "hardcore" gaming, though we're not hearing exactly how it will pull that off just yet (we asked!).

The same goes for what's inside the Razer micro-console in terms of horsepower and connectivity -- we've got no idea just yet. Internal storage? No idea. Price? Same situation. Actually, what Razer's saying is, "In keeping with the spirit of Google I/O, we will not be discussing specific product details at this time." Pretty funny you guys!

Anyway, in terms of gaming-specific applications, we also don't know how you'll control games on the device. Bluetooth game controllers? A custom controller? While we expect it'll support Bluetooth, Razer's not saying just yet. As for interface navigation, that'll be handled by the Android TV app you heard about earlier today. There's also some form of voice control, which we expect depends on your phone's mic (though it's always possible one's built into a custom gamepad -- we've got a lot of questions!).

Razer's not offering hands-on opps today, and the image you see above is actually a render. As a result, it'll be a few before we can offer more details on Razer's first console experiment. For now... well, it sounds neat, right? Razer makes nice hardware and knows how to cater to gamers.

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Link

This seems like a fair bet to be the flagship gaming device for this platform.

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Originally Posted by Engadget

The micro-console can "stream movies, music and other apps for large-screen entertainment," says Razer, "with an emphasis on gaming."

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That should definitely help it distinguish itself from other gaming devices.

Breaking news: We've found a way to do nothing new. Further updates as progress warrants.