????Ouya的表現超級棒。硬件新創企業Ouya于今年早些時候在大眾融資平臺Kickstarter網站展開募資活動，目標是融資95萬美元。最終，Ouya獲得了足夠關注，所募資金一舉超過了850萬美元。

????Ouya是一家位于加州洛杉磯的初創企業，Ouya這個元音單詞的讀音頗為有趣。該公司希望通過銷售廉價游戲系統來顛覆傳統游戲機市場。Ouya的游戲機依托于谷歌（Google）Android系統，將搭載四核處理器，配備1GB內存、8GB內置flash存儲、HDMI接口、Wifi無線連接，以及無線遙控手柄。與微軟（Microsoft）、任天堂（Nintendo）和索尼（Sony）不同，Ouya并不打算銷售游戲卡，它將采用應用程序商店模式來銷售游戲，而蘋果正是依靠后者成功地在游戲市場站穩了腳跟。

????Ouya的支持者（目前共有64,416人）顯然認為這個想法很有前途。剛剛獲得資金支持的Ouya宣布，新游戲機有望于明年三月上市。咨詢公司DFC Intelligence的分析師喬治?克尼斯稱：“通過Kickstarter網站來開發一個全新的硬件平臺，這絕對是個新穎的點子。最終籌集到的850萬美元徹底震驚了我們。一般情況下，我們會認為這類游戲機產品純屬異想天開。”

????事實上，Ouya并不是第一家嘗試開發開源視頻游戲主機的公司。它的不同之處在哪？那就是，幾乎沒有一家公司哪怕堅持到了原型階段。例如，Indrema 曾打算推出基于Linux開源系統的L600 Entertainment System游戲機。不過，這家公司除了生產新聞稿，幾乎沒拿出任何東西。Ouya則大不一樣，它已經籌集到了資金，獲得了廣泛的關注，而更為重要的是，一些知名公司已經和它達成了合作意向。

????Ouya得到了《最終幻想》（Final Fantasy）系列開發商Square Enix和《刀魂》（Soul Calibur）系列開發商Namco Bandai的支持，因此一些高品質作品的推出成為可能。這對于吸引付費玩家至關重要。克尼斯認為：“如果他們能為Ouya帶來一些AAA級的大制作，那么其價格確實對大眾玩家非常有吸引力。當然，想在成熟市場站穩腳跟絕非易事，一場艱苦卓絕的戰爭在所難免。”

????不過，Ouya表示，它的目的不僅僅是占領市場。它希望通過改變市場來改變人們游戲的方式。Ouya首席執行官朱莉?烏爾曼稱：“我們的目標是挑戰游戲市場的現狀。”Ouya并不使用定制硬件，從而避免了傳統游戲主機的開發周期，而且還有助于降低產品成本。“在傳統游戲機上，購買兩個游戲的錢就超過了一臺Ouya游戲機，更不要說Ouya的游戲還是免費的。”

????Ouya表示會在游戲機發售時提供游戲，這個時間點對任何新視頻游戲主機都至關重要。上月，Ouya宣布與OnLive達成合作，后者的游戲流媒體服務將為Ouya提供游戲。每一款游戲都是免費的——至少試玩版是免費的。烏爾曼強調：“我們提供的每一款游戲一定免費。”之后，開發者們可以決定如何獲得收入。不過，讓游戲免費可以避免盜版，而且這也有利于獨立游戲的開發。

????任何懂Android編程的人都可以直接在Ouya上開發游戲，這一點與微軟（Microsoft）Xbox 360、索尼（Sony）PlayStation 3或是任天堂（Nintendo）的Wii都不同，后三者都需要游戲開發者使用特定的軟件開發套件才能進行游戲開發。

????當然，這也可能加劇競爭。“這個特點使得準入門檻極低，可能會有人闖進來，然后擊敗他們，”咨詢公司M2 Research的首席分析師比利?皮金警告稱。“雖然這個舉動迎合了開源市場，但我預計會出現其它基于Android的娛樂系統。”

????同樣，不難看到，Ouya這樣的游戲系統可能很容易被內置到電視中，而不僅僅是連接到電視上。調研公司IHS Screen Digest最新發布的《游戲情報服務洞察力報告》（Games Intelligence Service Insight Report）指出，全球消費者在聯網電視上玩視頻游戲的支出到2016年將增至16億美元，而就在2012年，該數字僅為8,800萬美元。只需一個小小的飛躍，Ouya就可以內置到聯網電視中，后者的數量將從2012年的1億部增至2016年的8億部。烏爾曼稱：“我們相信盒式游戲機只是過渡產品。它將來會被電視內置芯片和處理器取代。”

????現在似乎萬事俱備，只欠東風，Ouya剩下的就是發售了。“我們將數量上調至8萬，。”烏爾曼稱。“籌集到更多的錢意味著我們能在首個銷售日提供更大數量的產品。”這樣一來，裝機量也應該會更大，這是每家游戲機制造商成功所必須的。皮金說：“這個系統搭建在Android上，Android平臺十分強大，但也非常開放。這可能預示了我們未來的走向。”

????譯者：項航

????It could be the ultimate high score. Hardware start-up Ouya began a Kickstarter campaign earlier this year hoping to raise $950,000. In the end, it generated enough excitement to bring in more than $8.5 million.

????The Los Angeles, California-based startup with the funny sounding, vowel-laden name aims to upend the traditional console gaming market by selling a low-cost gaming system. Based on Google's (GOOG) Android operating system, the system will feature a quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB internal flash storage, HDMI and Wifi connections as well as a wireless controller. Ouya won't be in the business of selling discs -- unlike Microsoft (MSFT), Nintendo (NTDOY) and Sony (SNE). Instead, the company will adopt the app store model that has made Apple's (AAPL) products into a gaming phenomenon.

????Ouya's backers -- of which there are currently 63,416 -- certainly think the idea has merit. The newly funded company announced that it is on track to deliver the console in March of next year. "The idea of starting a new hardware platform via Kickstarter is definitely a new idea and we are impressed with the final $8.5 million tally," says George Chronis, analyst with DFC Intelligence. "Normally we would dismiss such console products automatically as just another attack on windmills."

????In fact, Ouya is not the first company to attempt creating an open source video game console. The difference? Few that tried even made it to the prototype stage. The Indrema L600 Entertainment System was to be based on the Linux open source operating system, for example, but the company produced little beyond press releases. Ouya by contrast has raised money, massive amounts of interest and most importantly has lined up crucial partnerships.

????With support from publishers such as Square Enix, the developer of the Final Fantasy series, and Namco Bandai, the developer of the Soul Calibur franchise, the system could line up some quality titles. That will be crucial to attract paying players. "If they can get some knockout AAA titles for the Ouya, they do have a price point to appeal to the masses," added Chronis. "Of course, it is a major uphill battle to get any type of traction with these types of devices in established markets."

????But Ouya reportedly is looking to do more than just get traction. It is looking to change the way the games are played by changing the market. "What we did is challenge the status quo of the video game market," says Julie Uhrman, CEO at Ouya, who noted that the company is avoiding the traditional console development cycle by not using custom hardware, and offering a more affordable system in the process. "For less than the cost of two games on traditional hardware you are getting a system where the games will be free to play."

????Ouya has also made sure that content will be there at launch, a crucial time for any new video game system. Last month Ouya announced a partnership to provide content from the OnLive game streaming service. And every title, every game will be available -- at least as a trial -- for free. "All the games that we're offering have to be free to play," Uhrman stressed. After that it will be up to the developers to determine what revenue stream to adopt, but by making the content-free should discourage piracy while also encouraging independent game development.

????Unlike with Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3 or Nintendo's Wii, which all require game developers to have special software development kits to write software for a game system, the Ouya allow anyone capable of programming for Android to develop games directly from the console.

????That could also open the door for competition, of course. "This presents a very low barrier to entry, someone could come in and knock them out," cautions Billy Pidgeon, principal analyst with M2 Research. "While this plays to the open market, I expect that there will be other entertainment networks that can be built up from Android."

????It also isn't hard to see that game systems such as Ouya could very easily be built into the TV, instead of just connecting to it. According to the recent IHS Screen Digest Games Intelligence Service Insight Report worldwide consumer spending on video games on connected TVs is forecast to grow to $1.6 billion in 2016, up from just $88 million in 2012. It would require only a short leap to see Ouya built into those connected TVs, which could grow from 100 million in 2012 to 800 million by 2016. "We believe the box is temporary," says Uhrman. "We see this going to chips and processors inside the TV."

????Now all that's seems left is for the company to start selling the device. "We upped quantity to 80,000 units," said Uhrman. "Raising more money just means we get to deliver more units on day one." That should in turn create a larger install base, something every console makers must have to succeed. Says Pidgeon, "This system is built on Android, which is robust but is also open. This could be an apparition of where things go from here."