[07.19.12] OUYA gains support from Handy Games

OUYA

There's no denying the incredible success the new gaming console, OUYA, is having on Kickstarter. It's now surpassed $5 million in pledges from over 40,000 backers. Yesterday, they gained yet another, this time with a little more prestige behind it. Handy Games, the company behind Guns 'n' Glory, Aporkalypse, and Super Dynamite Fishing, is now backing the OUYA full force.

Handy Games has joined five others in the top-tier pledge level on the Kickstarter page. Not only that, but they've vowed to bring several of their popular Android titles over to the OUYA. Markus Kassulke, the CEO of Handy Games, has a very strong opinion about mobile gaming that he's not afraid to share.

"When HandyGames started out more than 12 years ago, no one really took mobile gaming seriously. It was pretty much seen as joke. Now, more than a decade later, I don't think that these are tears of laughter running down the faces of all those big publishers and console makers who see the very core of their business model pummeled by the onslaught extremely affordable indy games on smartphones and tablet PCs."

He's right though. Lately, many big name publishers have spent more time focusing on mobile gaming and less on their console or PC counterparts. Along with the creators of the OUYA, he too thinks it’s about time these companies start to feel the pressure from smaller competitors.

"OUYA has the potential to be every bit as disruptive to the traditional TV consoles market as smartphone games were to the handheld console business. It’s yet another nail in the coffin of walled-garden ecosystems and traditional publishing models.”

Christopher Kassulke, another CEO of HandyGames, is also in agreement.

"Over the past year we have been working hard to take our games beyond the mobile space. OUYA is a perfect match for our long-term strategic goals, but it's not just the business side. We strongly feel that the OUYA team has a vision of the future of gaming that is very similar to our own. It's not about powerful hardware or big brand names, it's about innovation and great gameplay and openness to developers and users alike. OUYA gives us just that, a chance for independent developers to flourish and experiment on a platform that is affordable to users and open to free-to-play and freemium models. We see huge mass market potential here and we’re already looking forward to attending the OUYA launch party!

So not only is openness something that gamers want, apparently it's something that some developers want too. Between the potential support from Mojang, the blessing from the likes of Jenova Chin and Adam Saltsman, and the now confirmed support of Handy Games, the OUYA is gathering an incredible amount of momentum.

Despite the doubts of many, it now seems there's no way the OUYA won't be made. Clearly, it's something that gamers want, and clearly, the demand and financial support is there. The only question that remains is, "can they pull it off successfully?" for the sake of the gaming industry, let's hope the answer is yes.

Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you!

[06.06.11] Review: 'Aporkalypse – Pigs of Doom'

Handy Games

Aporkalypse - Pigs of Doom for Android

Rating:

5 Stars

Handy Games steps up to the plate for a third time with Aporkalypse – Pigs of Doom. They have built themselves a sterling reputation after their two previous releases, Guns‘n’Glory and Super Dynamite Fishing both received 5 star reviews. Looking at their previous work, one could only expect the best from this crew. Aporkalypse is a little different from their other work, though. Instead of being primarily action-based, Aporkalypse focuses on the puzzle genre, giving you plenty of time to relax and think about what moves you want to make. You have four friends to help you on your journey to save the world, as well as a guardian angel and devil to help you accomplish the feat of fulfilling the prophecy of the four pigs of doom.

The Good:

Just looking at this game, you know it has to be good. The graphics are rich and colors are vibrant. Nothing is confusing about the layout, the interface, or the game world. The game runs very smoothly, but has a few game-tweaking options in case you have a less powerful phone. The premise is simple: solve the puzzles (to save the world) and gathers some coins along the way. The game has a built-in tutorial to teach you how to play the game, and even if you get lost and confused along the way, there’s a very extensive help section. Aporkalypse is incredibly goofy, without feeling foolish, and the puzzles are relatively easy, yet still satisfying.

The Bad:

The music gets a little bit annoying sometimes, but you’re typically focusing on the puzzle and not it, so it just floats off into the background. There’s also a different sound when you complete a level and at the main menu.

Bottom Line:

Look above closely. That’s right, “The Ugly” is missing. That should pretty much sum it up for you. Go now, and download this game before it’s too late. No, I’m not talking about before it’s no longer free, I’m talking about before the Aporkalypse happens! This game is worth the $0.99, if you weren’t lucky enough to get it free, so get out there and save the world!

Aporkalypse – Pigs of Doom was created by Handy Games and is Amazon’s free app of the day for6/6/11. It typically sells for $0.99