Android-based micro-console Ouya is now available in both the US and Europe, and brings with it the ability to play specially-adapted smartphone and tablet games on your TV. It also comes with support for various emulators which allow you to play retro titles on the system — so long as you source the ROM files yourself, of course.
The team behind the console caused a bit of a PR stink prior to launch by tweeting an image of Super Mario Bros. running on the system.
Up until recently, UK retailer GAME even went as far as to feature an image of Super GNES — a SNES emulator available for free on the Ouya online market — on its listing page for the console. However, the company has now removed the offending image.
Here's the original image on the site:
And here's what it looks like now:
It's not known if this is just a case of common sense or if Nintendo itself has applied pressure to GAME to remove the image.
Nintendo continues to monetize its prestigious back catalogue of retro titles via the 3DS, Wii and Wii U Virtual Console services, and is presumably less than happy with the fact that its consoles are now sharing store space with a machine which gives users the option to obtain and play these very same titles for nothing.
[source eurogamer.net]
Comments 20
That's good, they shouldn't advertise emulators even though it not the emulators that are illegal itself, but there's not very many homebrew SNES games at all.
To be honest, the OUYA was never about emulation for me.
I have lots of systems that can handle that task.
I have an OUYA to play all the crazy little things people make.
If emulation is one of the main draws of a console, then you have a serious problem with content. Emulation only hurts the game developers on the Ouya. E.g. Final Fantasy 3 is one of the top games on the Ouya. Why pay $16 for it when you can get emulate all of them up to 9 for free?
@Bulby
Well the OUYA doesn't exactly emulate the DS version of Final Fantasy III very well, which is the one Squeenix put on there.
I was surprised to see that on their website and wondered how long it would take a complaint from Nintendo to remove it. Turns out it was about a week!
Also it's ironic that they were promoting the very thing that harms their business - piracy...
Oh? Uh? YAwwwn
I find it highly ironic that they'd even advertise Nintendo games as a draw in the first place.
There are so many people that hate Nintendo in general just because it's the "in thing" to do right now that I doubt it would help them sell anything.
Unless, of course, most of those haters are just liars who don't want to be SEEN playing Nintendo games......
I suppose they needed to try something to sell this poopy system
Okay I support Ouya but I do not in any way support emulators being in an ad that's bs.
I noticed this, was considering bringing it up. Glad you noticed though; it's outrageous.
Ouya is outdated tech, with a limited shelfspan. The 299 nVidia shield is a better investment or a Tablet with HDMI out even.
There was no need to pull the image. Emulators aren't illegal, illegal use of them is.
@yuwarite
But the OUYA costs much much less than both.
I'm surprised they've managed to hold onto any third party support, especially from companies like Square-Enix who are directly affected by emulation. Considering many of their NES and SNES games are available to buy legitimately for current generation hardware, why would they want to support a system that supports piracy?
And posting your system playing Super Mario Bros on an emulator is supporting piracy, not emulation, no matter how hard you try to legitimize it with technicalities.
@Strongo9 Show me where I can find a netbook for $99 then. I've got a quad core AMD laptop running windows 8. Cost me $599 last fall. The newer touch models are even more pricy. Ouya has a quad core ARM and only cost $99.
BTW, I love my Ouya, but it would not surprize me to see the emulators vanish if Nintendo has there way. Then people will just get around it by side loading the original emu apps and Ouya won't be liable for hosting them anymore. Nintendo, don't bully the little guy. Focus on beating the PS4/Xbone and their flip-flop DRM policies (which either company can decide to enforce at any time).
Common @StarDust you know @Strongo9 means that you don't need to buy an Ouya if you already have a PC.
Edit: For emulators that is.
@Hetsummani Keyboard and mouse sucks, as does "touchscreen" control to emulate buttons. Hooking an HDMI cable and USB controller adapter up to my laptop to play games on an HDTV is an awkward setup at best. Ditto for pairing a bluetooth controller (PS3, Wiimote, etc) to a tablet, not to mention the majority of apps don't support this kind of setup. BTW, I don't own a single "tablet" device, unless you count the Wii-U gamepad. I use an old flip phone for making calls and a 3DS for "portable" gaming. Best of all my phone has no touch screen to get bludgeoned to bits if I accidentally drop it or cram it into my pocket with a bunch of keys. rubber protectors will not adequately protect the touch screen from blunt force trauma.
Ouya is perfect for me, but I mainly bought it as an indie games console. I don't even use the EMUs that much since I own the actual original consoles with loads of actual cartridges. I also got flashcarts for the Atari, NES, Fami, and SNES that I can play imports, hacks, homebrews, and super rare / unobtainable games on.
Well done GAME, promote piracy.. [Follows with slow clap]
If people are buying an Ouya for emulation, then that's not a very good deal. Indie devs have more to offer than that. Usually I'll buy a virtual console game for the compatibility, now hd graphics.
Looks like a really deep meaningful list of games.... (sarcasm)
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