Ok looking for a bit of Android testing.

[bcass]

The Android ports should be pretty simple to get working on the Ouya. The question is, will it be worth it? Are people going to buy that console so they can play Android games on a bigger screen with proper controls or is it mainly going to be used for emulation/hobbyist/streaming?

[gilesgoat]

At some point in some future possibly there will be an Ouya, so far the impression I got about Ouya is
that is "okeish but not particulary brilliant" ( actually some seems to say it's not even that good for what
it should be intended for - play games ).

I can't see why "in theory" being and Android device why one could not just run the existent Gridrunner
Andorid on it, but probably there are some "particularities" of the Ouya making it different enough so it won't ?

Anyway we'll see, we are keeping an eye on the Ouya evolution, market and all still all looks a bit
"indefinite" early to say what's worth what's not you'll never know if you don't try.

However atm we are fully on "that other project" so it will have to wait a little, meanwhile some things will improve a bit ?

[bcass]

I think you can sideload any existing Android app onto it, but unless they've got controller-specific code, there's not much point. I don't think the touch-panel on the controller is an especially good substitute for a touch screen.

[Misfit]

Anyway we'll see, we are keeping an eye on the Ouya evolution, market and all still all looks a bit
"indefinite" early to say what's worth what's not you'll never know if you don't try.

I have a feeling that the only good time to be in the Ouya marketplace will be early on as the Kickstarterse will be desperate for things to buy and play on their new toy.

Then either it will go the way of the current mobile marketplaces, too busy for many things to get noticed and do well OR die a quiet death as the only users are those that want it for emulators and XBMC.

I guess at the latter.

[bcass]

Anyone making an Android game basically gets an Ouyo version to release for free with very little effort though (adding controller support) so I reckon you'll see a lot of games being supported for it. I doubt anyone is going to be making big bucks from it, but if you're releasing for Android you might as well spend 10 minutes adding controller support for Ouya (if your game is compatible with classic controller style inputs).

But yeah, I can't see this thing taking off big time either.

[gilesgoat]

Can anyone here confirm me or tell me if he/she tried to actually run the actual version of Gridrunner ON THE OUYA and what happens ?

All I have seen so far it's been a "pretty laconic" tweet of someone that said he did and worked "half of the time" ..

"Half of the time what does it means ??".

About controllers well "I think I have done all the CANONICAL thing by the manual" I mean using the
supplied OS APIs and such.

"If it does not work blame the ()*$)(#!*@ OS not me"

BUT in the case of Andorid this is PRECISELY the case, I would NOT be suprised at all if the Ouya
running version of Andorid is someway lightly different in places enough to cause strange crashes.

But yeah if someone can try Gridrunner on Ouya and tell me what happens.

About the first come first get something, I tought/talked about that with Jeff LONG ago.

Well .. MAYBE ( but who really knows ) MAYBE "the only moment you could make
some name/position/money etc. " MAYBE is 'at start' .. because probably after that "all gets
bezerk as usual" and "usual shit applies".

Jeff decided anyway to "wait and see first" .. my impression is "I don't know" .. nobody knows
really, overall "my personal impression ?" .. "the usual" .. "if something gets big is a matter of
pure luck more than anything else" ..

I repeat there will be LS stuff on Ouya at some point, sure why not, but really "I don't expect any
miracles out of it", I MAY be wrong of course, we'll see when we'll be there .. but I think stuff is
going to be quite a bit "chaotic" in there.

It's NOT about the SW, it's NOT about the HW .. it's about 'all the rest' where my "faith" crumbles.

I have the impression/feeling that even if you'd put "pure gold" in there is not going to make that good.

But yes, to being with, if someone could give me some more detailed feedback/test about what
happens when you try to run Gridrdunner as it is on the Ouya that would help me a bit

[gilesgoat]

Managed to talk with someone that has an Ouya and tried Gridrunner ..

Ah .. "sillyest of all things" .. the Ouya is orientation locked horizontal while Gridrunner is a vertical game.

You can play the vic/c64 version but not the new one as there's no way to 'flip' the screen.

The only solution would be some 'letterboxing' but there's also the thing for a 'proper' test you'd need
an Ouya and the plava to install and have it working the Ouya SDK.

Which I had a very quick look ( to install the SDK ) seems another of those plava things.

So I think at this point is going to take a while before I can do anything.

[random_dave]

On my Nook Simple Touch, as it has no orientation sensor i downloaded Screen Rotation Control which allows me to force an orientation, which might get it at least into the new gridrunner, but i would imagine that it will be a less than optimal experience unless you have a 90o rotation on your monitor/tv stand

Perhaps though, they may have coded the OS in the way that android is implemented on the Odroid-U2, which will put it in portrait mode, but the gpu automatically scales it to a pillarboxed output in the widescreen signal

[gilesgoat]

Someone with an Ouya managed to send me some pics, I can see that basically "the orientation is the problem", so it all works except you cannot switch to the
portrait mode and play the new Gridrunner, only the C64 and VIC20 ones.

Now I repeat "at some point" there will be an Ouya I may try some fix, "quick and dirty suggestion" been I could add a key/something on the current build and/or
making a new one to allow a "letterbox mode".

Rescaling/stretching obiviously won't do the only possible solutions would be :

a) a "letterbox" mode, getting the best aspect ratio/etc.
b) a total redesign of the game to go on a horizontal screen

Now B at the moment is completely impossible and "worse" all the games from Goat Up up to Super Ox Wars are "vertical" ( i.e. designed for tablets or phones ) yet they
do well on OSX in "letterbox" format.

I'll see what I can do ( about 'a' of course, 'b' no way ) .. the only problem is the super tight/busy schedule we already have with this Vita thing.

At some point in a not too near but probably not too distant future there will be an Ouya as well, I heard that "if you forget about the controller" ( that seems to
be quite a bit shit ) and you go for a PS3 controller and/or something else "it's ok" actually even a bit faster than a Nexus 7.

BUT

I had a quick look at the SDK setup and such looked to me a bit "oh no that's another nightmare of I need N days to have stuff set up that works and I can write SW on".

Let alone I wonder how hard is going to be to take the Eclipse project and/or more it into the Ouya.

I can't do it right now at the moment, that's basically "the problem".

[bcass]

It's perfectly acceptable to simply add borders to left/right of the screen to maintain the original aspect ratio when played on a 16:9 screen. Cave do it all the time and they charge £60 for the privilege! One nice option would be to allow the user to rotate their screen too so they could play it full screen, or "TATE" as shmup fans would say.

[gilesgoat]

It's perfectly acceptable to simply add borders to left/right of the screen to maintain the original aspect ratio when played on a 16:9 screen. Cave do it all the time and they charge £60 for the privilege! One nice option would be to allow the user to rotate their screen too so they could play it full screen, or "TATE" as shmup fans would say.

Take your time, no rush but if you could find for me a "what's the quickest way to set up the Ouya SDK"

[Chirpychicken]

Hi Giles

I just found this and thought it might help its a guide on how to setup the Ouya ODK from someone who was struggling to find out information.

http://www.talesofpeople.com/blog/how-setup-ouya-odk

I look forward to seeing some of the Llamasoft stuff on the Ouya store

Its a great little machine honest

All the best
Dave

[Chirpychicken]

Just found this guide on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIknKJiakk4

[gravy]

Ooof

http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/16207 ... ole-gaming

[bcass]

Most people aren't making anything on Android either, so it doesn't come as a big surprise really. Like the article states though, if you're already developing for Android and want a few thousand extra sales you might as well add controller support (if your game is suitable for controllers) and release on Ouya too.