Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Update: 6/26/13 It's a day after launch and I see over 15 new games! Although some are ports like Shadowgun, I'm glad to see that more devs are bringing their games to the OUYA. I'll update this review/opinion rant as time goes on. Ouya: A Backer's Opinion I'm a kickstarter backer of OUYA, having a backer number of 44,495. I received my OUYA and extra controller over a month ago. The Console Itself: It looks great to me and feels great also. It has a hefty weight and is heavier than you'd expect. The fan is on the circuit board itself, and the VENTS are BOTH on the top and bottom. I've read and heard so much hate about having a fan on the bottom. There is venting on the top and bottom. The console runs quietly and does not heat up unless playing graphically intense games. The brushed aluminum acts like a heatsink to dissipate heat. With specs like a Nvidia T3+1GB ram, this isn't a ps4 or a "xbone". Current consoles are beginning to gear toward sequels and graphics more than fun and games. Although having a good looking game is good, the OUYA's Tegra 3 chip handles most games well. The laggy games are unoptimized for the T3. I have not gone even halfway full in terms of memory space, and I think the 8GB is sufficient for most people. OUYA has planned to allow expansion via the Usb slot. Controller: I've replaced both of my controllers for the updated retail ones. The controller is incredibly ergonomic. The back of the controller is nice and smooth, and the brushed aluminum has a nice, cold feel. The buttons have a nice mechanical click. They have more travel downwards compared to my dualshock 2 (old controller, I know), and some may think that there is controller lag because of it. The analogs work well, but the surface rubberization and curve could be improves as my fingers start to slide off them during intense gameplay. The D-Pad is soft for my liking, but sensitive and the edges are "sharp" so I don't have a problem pushing the dpad in the correct direction. The triggers are...ok. I've gotten used to their hinge design, but they feel relatively "empty" and not quite as satisfying to press as I'd like. ?Do the Buttons Stick? -In the first run of controllers, they did. The retail ones I have now never get stuck. ?Controller Lag? -In general, it's quite nonexistent with the new OS update released today. If the controller is not within a semi-direct line of sight between itself and the console, then problems can occur. Software: I didn't really dig the orange/purple theme, but I didn't hate it either. Setup was easy, and my WIFI NEVER FLAKED and was COMPLETELY STABLE, contrary to some reports. Kickstarter backers have an account already, and I did not need to put a credit card in. For those that sign up, I do believe you can skip that step with a button listed on the bottom of the screen! The Discover section has been vastly improved and is quite smooth when looking for games. However, as more games come to the OUYA, this section might need a bit of modifying as I think it may be hard to find the good, small games when Games: There is no Google Play store. Personally, I'm fine with that. If you think about it, Google Play apps would rarely work with the controller due to lack of optimization, lack of mapped controls, and graphics which are not meant to be blown up to 1080p. I own an iOs device, and haven not purchased anything that is not free on neither the Google Play Store nor the iOs App store. OUYA's own store has a lot of games, and all are free to try. Most of the games are emulator apps or just plain boring. However, I've been enjoying games like Stalagflight, Bombsquad, Chronoblade, and Hidden in Plain Sight. There are a couple gems on the OUYA in the midst of mediocre games. However, this OUYA excels at emulators. There are many emulation apps and I think that if people wanted an emulation box, this would be a great option. Stuff that can be improved: -The touchpad has no visible edges. -Triggers need a "fuller feel" -DPad Final Thoughts: Would I recommend this console? Yes. I'm seeing many great games come to the OUYA and many others confirmed. Opinion Ranting: 1. In today's day and age, I feel that people are so quick to judge. Engadget, The Verge, and many other tech sites strive to give you content as quick as possible. Unfortunately, these sites are followed by many people and directly influence people's decisions. I was on the very edge of putting my OUYA to ebay after reading the early reviews, even before I got my OUYA. Everyone wants to be quick: finish an errand quickly, finish the game asap. People want to get things done quickly and efficiently, but this leads to errors everywhere. In the end, I'm glad I didn't sell my OUYA and it's been a fun and interesting ride on the OUYA bandwagon. 2. Negativity is vocal and sticks. I've begun to realize that the most vocal OUYA backers are the ones with negative experiences. When something is good, many don't feel the need to talk out because they don't need to...the product is up to their standards. There's nothing to hate or rant about because that product works. It doesn't work that way for negative opinions. I believe that people try to spread the word if something is bad, even if it may be their problem. The negativity sticks to others and outweights the positives 1:1, if you get what I'm saying. Negative-speakers are more vocal and more effective than positive-speakers, even if the negative-s are a minority. Feel free to leave a comment asking for anything.