To Couch or Not to Couch, that is the question.

[Killswitch]

As you know, there has been a renaissance when it comes to couch gaming. If you ask me, OUYA had a big part in that because after the Wii fell off the map, the void was there. The big dogs didn't focus on this and Wii U was just coming onto the scene. You had Towerfall, Bombsquad and others and people were taking notice even if they were trashing the OUYA at the same time. But some of those games started going to other places and well the rest is history. OUYA has a game that they helped bring to reality that is now on PS4 and making a buttload of cash, unfortunately that help wasn't reciprocated but it is what it is.

Every time some of us look at a game that might be fun to play with others, those games aren't available to us because those others have to be on the same couch. For some reason, developers are completely ignoring multiplayer systems and when you ask, they don't even consider it. Do I know the answer? No. Some are new developers and think it's hard, some are experienced and aren't taking the time to put in the work for whatever reasons but we keep hearing monetary reasons as the main answer but if you had multiplayer on some of these games you'd sell more. Or the ones that are only couch player, if you had single player, you'd sell more.

Hopefully some of you who are producing games do take this into consideration. The guy who is helping out on finishing the coding for Astra Etherium did the Nuggeta part himself and it took him roughly hours to get it done. I didn't touch the Nuggeta part, it was all him and it took maybe a day or two in terms of work hours. If you look in the contest section at the Toto Temple contest that we just had, people had their list of 3 people ready to go and it would be nice if those people could be sitting next to each other throwing couch cushions, flipping popcorn bowls, controller raging and all that but sometimes it's not that easy.

Figured we might need a little poll to see just who is out there and who is and isn't couch gaming. Just a little informal poll to see how members fall on the scale.

[timmytot666]

Couch gaming here. Hotseat games like advance wars or simultaneous games like toto temple, muffin knight, Super Cosmonauts, are all things I play with my fiancee cause we love the co-op stuff.

[Nadious]

Major couch gaming here. In fact, that's all I mainly use the Ouya for. Friends love to come over / ask me to bring the Ouya and we play.

[Pat1986]

once in a month. thats why i prefer good single player games.

[Jayenkai]

\o I've done two!
Trying to implement multiplayer, whilst keeping up AGameAWeek rate is a bit of a struggle, if I'm honest. You need extra menus and things to allow each player to join the game, and that's ... well, it's just not fun at all!!
But when I can, and when it feels right, I take the time to do it. I'm currently working on a multiplayer TRON/LightCycles game, which needs just such a menu system.
.. I hate menus! grrr..

Couch Gaming is fun, and I hate that MS and Sony have both done everything they can to strip it away from consoles. Online is ok, but being able to thwack player 2 with your controller, for stealing the powerup, is always going to be the better experience.

[rosse119]

\o I've done two!
Trying to implement multiplayer, whilst keeping up AGameAWeek rate is a bit of a struggle, if I'm honest. You need extra menus and things to allow each player to join the game, and that's ... well, it's just not fun at all!!
But when I can, and when it feels right, I take the time to do it. I'm currently working on a multiplayer TRON/LightCycles game, which needs just such a menu system.
.. I hate menus! grrr..

Couch Gaming is fun, and I hate that MS and Sony have both done everything they can to strip it away from consoles. Online is ok, but being able to thwack player 2 with your controller, for stealing the powerup, is always going to be the better experience.

Space Popcorn two player!...nuff said Jayenkai

[fireballs]

As you know, there has been a renaissance when it comes to couch gaming. If you ask me, OUYA had a big part in that because after the Wii fell off the map, the void was there. The big dogs didn't focus on this and Wii U was just coming onto the scene. You had Towerfall, Bombsquad and others and people were taking notice even if they were trashing the OUYA at the same time. But some of those games started going to other places and well the rest is history. OUYA has a game that they helped bring to reality that is now on PS4 and making a buttload of cash, unfortunately that help wasn't reciprocated but it is what it is.

Every time some of us look at a game that might be fun to play with others, those games aren't available to us because those others have to be on the same couch. For some reason, developers are completely ignoring multiplayer systems and when you ask, they don't even consider it. Do I know the answer? No. Some are new developers and think it's hard, some are experienced and aren't taking the time to put in the work for whatever reasons but we keep hearing monetary reasons as the main answer but if you had multiplayer on some of these games you'd sell more. Or the ones that are only couch player, if you had single player, you'd sell more.

Hopefully some of you who are producing games do take this into consideration. The guy who is helping out on finishing the coding for Astra Etherium did the Nuggeta part himself and it took him roughly hours to get it done. I didn't touch the Nuggeta part, it was all him and it took maybe a day or two in terms of work hours. If you look in the contest section at the Toto Temple contest that we just had, people had their list of 3 people ready to go and it would be nice if those people could be sitting next to each other throwing couch cushions, flipping popcorn bowls, controller raging and all that but sometimes it's not that easy.

Figured we might need a little poll to see just who is out there and who is and isn't couch gaming.

Just curious on what you would expect them to do and what qualifies as help?

I would argue that a search of Towerfall will bring back more than a few OUYA links and OUYA gets to brag about being the system that gave Towerfall and Matt their stage.

[DrunkPunk]

When both of my controllers worked fine I played multiplayer games quite a bit. Now, not so much. I might get off my ass and pair some PS3 controllers to the OUYA but until then it will be very rare.

being able to thwack player 2 with your controller, for stealing the powerup, is always going to be the better experience.

[Nitrogen_Widget]

couch gamer here.

[Kaimega]

I have no friends, my fiance loves OUYA and loves to game on it every once in a while, but between the hundreds of bewjeweled games (lol), it makes it a bit tough...

..hmmm... Animal Battle!!