What's with the lack of interest lately in the Upcoming section.

[Killswitch]

I've noticed it for a while but now it's almost beyond ridiculous. People claim there aren't games, they don't want to bring games to OUYA and blah blah blah blah blah. Yet they don't show any damned interest when there is the opportunity to do so. Lately I have seen some developers get discouraged and even say they aren't making their game for OUYA anymore because of things like this, we even had a developer request to be removed from the developer group. Do I think it's a good reason? No. But that section used to be jumping, used to be my favorite to go into but now it's a graveyard. I see people are reading the threads but they aren't responding and I don't mean the troll comments, I don't give a damn about the troll crap and I'm pretty much tired of it.

Look at my signature, it has some threads that I have seen people in but no one is saying anything. It's hard enough to try to get people to bring games over (which still makes no damned sense, if there is an a console made for indies and you're indie then you should be putting your game on it). People say they're tired of the weak excuses when people don't bring a game over, well look at the lackluster responses. I can see why people might be discouraged.

I have been emailing and talking to many developers as most of you know, trying to bring developers over and sometimes it's a hard sell when things like this are happening. I know you people are out there, so what's the deal? Lately the biggest reason has been lack of interest and maybe you are interested but if you don't let someone know then how can anyone know you're interested? MAKE SOME DAMNED NOISE.

Thank you
Killswitch

P.S. Not looking for troll responses, you can save that for someone else. Looking for those with a genuine interest in seeing the console get better and be better.

[Triverske]

It's a lot easier to be excited for games that already exist, indie devs are notorious for abandoning games before completion. However I think you're right in the sense that people could get a bit more pumped about upcoming games, as OUYA needs that kind of enthusiasm if the console is going to make it in the long run.

[Victor Coleiro]

I'm not seeing any disparity between the amount of activity in the Upcoming Games section as opposed to a very active section(for this forum) like the General Ouya section.
Am I missing something?

[Jon_TWR]

I can't speak for anyone else, but it's been a rough first year (and a bit) and we're still not hearing any news about the OUYA 2...and OUYA Everywhere is honestly starting to feel like OUYA nowhere. Announce the OUYA 2 or let me sideload OUYA Everywhere to my phone, tablet, Fire TV, etc and. I'll start to get excited again.

So I'm not really putting much time, energy or interest into the OUYA right now, as I don't want to put energy into an ecosystem with what feels like a highly questionable future.

[fireballs]

I think there needs to be a template that has to be followed. I think every game should have a gameplay video. If its not complete enough for some kind of gameplay video then its still needs a good amount of work which might not ever be completed.

The upcoming section should have projects in there because they might not happen. The upcoming games section seems like sifting through crap just to find a single nugget.

[Killswitch]

Some projects are abandoned for the same reason I mentioned, even seen some of them come out later on other systems. Not too worried about that part but if there is no interest shown at all then what? Even a "looks interesting" is better than nothing at all.

I watched the section go from very active to a graveyard the past few months. It's like any other console, you will have projects that make it and those that don't. Funding is part of that also and unfortunately it seems people aren't going the right way about some of it. Seen some games that I thought were sure to get funding but the marketing end of things killed that.

There is a lot that goes into it but if you don't make any noise at all then nothing happens. Some of the games are finished and on other systems but because the lack of SHOWN interest they just forget about it.

[fireballs]

Some projects are abandoned for the same reason I mentioned, even seen some of them come out later on other systems. Not too worried about that part but if there is no interest shown at all then what? Even a "looks interesting" is better than nothing at all.

I watched the section go from very active to a graveyard the past few months. It's like any other console, you will have projects that make it and those that don't. Funding is part of that also and unfortunately it seems people aren't going the right way about some of it. Seen some games that I thought were sure to get funding but the marketing end of things killed that.

There is a lot that goes into it but if you don't make any noise at all then nothing happens. Some of the games are finished and on other systems but because the lack of SHOWN interest they just forget about it.

I check out the upcoming game section a couple times a week, nothing really pops out at me. I see some decent games sometimes but nothing to get excited for. Sometimes I see games that could be amazing but there is no video.

Like you said people are viewing the forum but not commenting. Personally I might be a little harder to impress and some people consider it as negative. I try not to comment too much in the upcoming games section because its one thing to point out the weaknesses and/or mistakes of a corporation and another thing to do that to amateur devs.

If you build it they will come. Its up to the devs to put out great games and great teasers leading up to the game. That's why companies pay some much to create trailers and commercials. As a creator of content you have to draw in your fan base. We can't artificially create the hype. Some of these threads have a couple of simple photos and a brief description of what it is. Really that's your sales pitch?

[Killswitch]

I check out the upcoming game section a couple times a week, nothing really pops out at me. I see some decent games sometimes but nothing to get excited for. Sometimes I see games that could be amazing but there is no video.

Like you said people are viewing the forum but not commenting. Personally I might be a little harder to impress and some people consider it as negative. I try not to comment too much in the upcoming games section because its one thing to point out the weaknesses and/or mistakes of a corporation and another thing to do that to amateur devs.

If you build it they will come. Its up to the devs to put out great games and great teasers leading up to the game. That's why companies pay some much to create trailers and commercials. As a creator of content you have to draw in your fan base. We can't artificially create the hype. Some of these threads have a couple of simple photos and a brief description of what it is. Really that's your sales pitch?

Well...the whole template thing. It shouldn't have to come to that. If you put out a product then you should want people to want to use it/buy it/play it. That's why I keep posting stuff in the dev section on marketing etc. That is a big part of the problem too.

Same with Kickstarters, market, market, market and go to the right places.

Photos may be all that some people can show but at least make it interesting. So yeah......
But then with interest, people post progress and so on, well you'd like to hope so anyway.

[Grimbarian]

I was going to leave this thread well alone - but as the developer who asked to be removed from the developer group, I feel compelled to post my reasoning and input onto the OP.

Apologies in advance, there's no real way to make this short...

It's probably best to kick off with my assumption of what the OUYA would be (and - are you ready for this internet - I now believe my assumption was wrong). I saw the OUYA as a console for first time/small developers. I thought it would be a way for those who wanted to try to make a game,to place their efforts in front of 65'000+ (at launch) players who were interested in finding something new. A platform that those with no money - but the right talents - could showcase their work, and possibly earn themselves a little bit of money/exposure from.

I also believed (again - I think I was wrong here too) that the community here would be like minded and interested in experiencing new games. Something different from the norm. That, given the chance to do so, the community would get involved and excited about fresh new games from unknown talent and feedback to the developer - during development - to create something original and desirable.

At first, there were some great things - No Brakes Valet, Hidden in Plain Sight, Ice Rage - fun, well made, simple games. Some free, some priced nice and low.

The longer the OUYA has been out, the louder the claim for games from already established developers. The OUYA didn't have many of these, and it became clear to me that a lot of OUYA users (dare I say the majority?) were primarily interested in these releases only. Pages and pages of posts for games like TWD and Minecraft, with little love for the new developers. Not only the community here though, through OUYA themselves. Lot of statements about just how many developers they have on board, but little to no exposure for the majority of them or their games, and a heavy focus on developers who had already established themselves. (I understand this from a business point of view)

So, I personally started to question where that placed me as a brand new developer - with lots of demo's and unfinished projects under my belt, but no 'complete' game - and how much of an audience were actually interested in any product I was creating.

The thread (in Upcoming - just to assure you that this is in some way related to the OP) for the title I was putting together was quite bare, so I decided on a test. I was after a collaborative/feedback led development approach to my game. I wanted to create something that, while sticking to my game vision, was able to incorporate requests and guidance from the people I believed would be most interested in my game - this community. I made .apk's available and posted with as much interesting material as I could muster.

There were around 10 downloads in a month, and very little feedback. (Not knocking the ones that DID give feedback - it was extremely helpful and appreciated. Not to mention satisfying to know that people were playing - and enjoying - my game)

So, in came the second part of the test - I took what had been developed for the OUYA and, with some small tweaks, made it available online with about the same amount of promotion.

Over the last 3 weeks, the game has been played around 75'000 times.

I have had it pointed out to me, that this isn't a fair reflection. That if I were to put the game on the OUYA Alpha/Beta Discover section, I would receive more feedback and plays than an .apk on here. If I can muster some enthusiasm to do so, I aim to test this at the start of August.

With that said, it does make you ask questions. Is there the audience numbers to play the game? Is there an interest from the OUYA owners to play this game? What are the expectations of the OUYA audience? Is it the same as the audience for a web game? Do OUYA themselves even want the games from developers like me on their console?

I can, of course, only speak for myself - but the constant posts of kickstarters that may or may not come to the OUYA, the lack of feedback/interest in the individuals that are creating for the OUYA, seemingly little interest from OUYA themselves, and my own experience (I'll be the first to admit my game i not unique or graphically impressive), are the reasons I have little to know interest in making something for the OUYA right at this moment.

It would not surprise me if some of the things I've experienced are the reason the Upcoming section of this forum is perceived as quiet.

[Killswitch]

Matt "I'm too Hollywood to talk to anyone who helped me get started" Thorson, started on OUYA. There are others who started here and now have a chance to be bigger than they thought they could or even get to where they plan to go. We have at least one who is in the WiiU program, a few with Sony and Microsoft and they were first time developers. Hopefully they don't also forget the place they started but it happens. Money is a strange mistress.

APKs do nothing here, we have several examples. It's why some didn't even bother putting one out. Ask all the ones who had an APK if they got more responses from that or from putting it on Discover. This is where Eric will come in...paging Mr Blackburn.

Stop worrying about Minecraft crap. They have an established product that people know and that people don't question, new developers shouldn't even be looking at that or worrying about that. The console needs all types of games from a selling standpoint, if it sells to no one then there is no OUYA. If you have other games it helps bring in more of an audience who will then be able to check out the other games. Steam, which I hate mentioning, now has indie all over the place but it had major games drawing people in. People need to stop worrying about the others and push on. Until guys are out there and making it happen, it's going to be about the other games but why should that stop someone?