On Sun, Jun 30, 2013 at 6:46 PM, Adam Bolte <abo...@systemsaviour.com>wrote:
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > Hi Matt, > > On 30/06/13 17:35, Matt Giuca wrote: > > Thanks for a clear and detailed summary of your Ouya experiences. > > No worries. Right back at you. > > > > It sucks that there are journalists going around saying that the > > Ouya is less restrictive than it actually is (for certain, > > apparently randomly selected, customers). > > Yes. I have noticed this too. When I first turned on the device, there > was a large firmware update that needed to be applied, so possibly in > doing that it has changed the initial sign-up behavior for those of us > who only very recently received our Ouya devices. > > > > Fortunately, instead of a credit card, you also have the option of > >> using a pre-paid credit code. These were apparently available > >> during pre-order, and can be brought from various places online. > >> eg. > >> > >> http://www.game.co.uk/en/ouya-10-credit-232744 > >> > >> So while some available credit must be verified (which I'm not > >> defending - this aspect of the Ouya console sucks), it seems that > >> you don't have to hand over your credit card to Ouya to store > >> indefinitely if you don't want to. > > > > But then I have to pay them more money up front (which I don't feel > > they deserve right now) and also wait for a physical card to be > > shipped internationally. > > You're right. Hopefully cdkey-hut.com or some such will add Ouya > support soon, so we can pay anonymously and without waiting on > postage. Still would have to pay something up-front though. > > > > I'm happier to get a general-purpose debit card. At least then I > > can use the credit elsewhere, not just on Ouya. There are cards > > that do not require opening a full bank account from Australia Post > > and Woolworths. I'm trying to decide which one is better. They both > > have some nasty drawbacks (like credit expiration and cancellation > > fees). > > Interesting. I haven't looked into them, so know nothing about them. > > > > I would definitely configure a PIN just in case I don't find myself > > mashing the "shoot" button and a dialog pops up and I accidentally > > mash the "Buy for $100" button. > > I'm pretty sure that there isn't any game on Ouya at that price. From > game.co.uk, "Every OUYA game is free to try, but unlocking the game, > additional features or extra play time can cost between £1 to £20". > I've been quite impressed with how cheap the games are priced at so > far. Your point still stands though. > Well, this post I linked to: http://www.reddit.com/r/ouya/comments/1fygl2/warning_3_yr_old_son_just_cost_me_300_dont_let_it/ says that there was a game (EMUya) that charged $100 on a single payment. (For unlocking "cheat mode" no less, what a ludicrous amount of money. Any in-app purchase that expensive can only be designed to trick people or their kids into buying it.) > > > >> And that's Ouya's thing - every game must provide a no-cost > >> playable component. If purchases could not happen in game, I > >> expect commercial game developers might have good reason to be > >> scared of people just playing demos and not making purchases. So > >> it is clear to me that this mandatory credit was deliberately > >> enforced as a marketing factor above all else. > >> > > > > Yeah. I get that, and it's a good "hook" for them, but I still want > > to be given the choice, as a consumer. Don't give me this bullshit > > about it being "more convenient" for me when you're forcing me to > > do it. Me having to spend a week researching debit cards is > > certainly not "more convenient". > > Yep. "We're forcing you to do this because we know what's best, it's > more convenient for everyone, and what's best for everyone is best for > you too" is a shockingly unconvincing response by the Ouya crew. > > On second thoughts, perhaps the Ouya crew are correct - only they mean > that it's more convenient *for them* to make us do this. > > > > In the context of a game console, I'm pretty happy with the Ouya. > >> There have been a few surprises (such as the built-in track-pad > >> on the controller which I only discovered by accident), and of > >> course "Make" being right on the main menu where you can run your > >> software builds from. Already I have more games on my Ouya then I > >> have for my Wii-U. > >> > >> - From a free software perspective however, it's been somewhat of > >> a letdown. Apparently, the boot-loader is locked. > > > > > > Really? That's not what their Kickstarter page says: "For hackers: > > root it. Go ahead. Your warranty is safe. Even the hardware is > > hackable." > > Hmm.. perhaps that link is wrong. I found a forum thread which > contradicts the previous link: > > http://forums.ouya.tv/discussion/1380/recovery-mode/ > > "The issue is not that the bootloader is locked... The issue is that > there is no way to tell the bootloader to interrupt normal boot and > enter fastboot mode. Devices usually have a hardware button > combination to do this." > > > > That's even more troubling if it isn't even possible to change the > > operating system if necessary. > > So it looks like it's possible - it's just not easy, and not easy to > recover from when things go bad. > > - -Adam > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > Version: GnuPG v1.4.12 (GNU/Linux) > Comment: Using GnuPG with Thunderbird - http://www.enigmail.net/ > > iQEcBAEBAgAGBQJRz/BkAAoJEE2M/Tk0piBIN0sIAICJRbQ+X37TcRvp/yf/C+Rn > aWT9rBXXlGn5h9vN+N6uEisLFnokJ8eb49wpJkGg9hNCNMGW1IP523MW2FTLRRWt > QTJqTh0jkHpSi2USRkL0R6xuKTwbSWqjeACi0we3yDtiZTPb3AySOW0ekM/snSLE > Fod7ixNVQRfZXrX7HUeJB636pkmdfbmRe9sIHn6bFZK+79MT6xc+crSf1ZnY0vlV > yb2YQDRU/tsBeWD4VKNbrOctmk9ZOtl0CTxujwhPQYDcpP3pybj08oI+9UKEt1Ev > VmR0+1qhI0tyRX8I6GVoeKt6hCHNMqTpeunraDLe/WEbf9uY0aoTCiXqyqdPces= > =PVn4 > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > _______________________________________________ > Free-software-melb mailing list > Free-software-melb@lists.softwarefreedom.com.au > > http://lists.softwarefreedom.com.au/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/free-software-melb > > > Free Software Melbourne home page: http://www.freesoftware.asn.au/melb/ > _______________________________________________ Free-software-melb mailing list Free-software-melb@lists.softwarefreedom.com.au http://lists.softwarefreedom.com.au/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/free-software-melb Free Software Melbourne home page: http://www.freesoftware.asn.au/melb/
