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OUYA Closes $15 Million In Funding Led By Kleiner Perkins, Boasts 12,000 Game Developer Sign-Ups

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Today, gaming console and software company OUYA announced that they have closed a $ 15 million round led by Kleiner Perkins, and with participation from the Mayfield Fund, NVIDIA, Shasta Ventures and Ocean Partners. This marks one of the largest institutional investments to go to a project that had its humble beginnings on Kickstarter.

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OUYA is a company that launched back in 2012 on Kickstarter under the guiding hands of Julie Uhrman, a video game industry veteran who believes that gaming should be affordable and enjoyable for everyone. She and the team developed a $ 99 Android gaming console, which hooks into the TV and comes with automatic access to free-to-try games. It launched on the crowdfunding site to much fanfare, scoring $ 8.6 million in funding, which ends up being around 9x more than OUYA asked.

Along with the $ 15 million round, which brings OUYA’s total amount of funding to $ 23.5 million, the company will also be bringing KPCB General Partner Bing Gordon on to the board of directors. Gordon brings with him years of experience from Electronic Arts.

Here’s what he had to say about the funding:

OUYA’s open source platform creates a new world of opportunity for established and emerging independent game creators and gamers alike. There are some types of games that can only be experienced on a TV, and OUYA is squarely focused on bringing back the living room gaming experience. OUYA will allow game developers to unleash their most creative ideas and satisfy gamers craving a new kind of experience.

The OUYA hardware has proven its spot in the market with the successful Kickstarter project, followed by an institutional investment led by a firm such as KPCB. “The message is clear: people want OUYA,” said Uhrman.

But the same story rings true for software, as the company has seen over 12,000 developers sign up for the platform to build games and monetize them in any way they’d like. This is up from 8,000 developer signups in March.

And if that weren’t enough, OUYA has been picked up by major retailers like GameStop, Best Buy and Amazon, with availability originally intended to begin June 4. OUYA is pushing that back to June 25, however, announcing the delay today as a result of a desire to be able to meet initial demand.

Clearly, the affordable gaming console speaks to people. But is it enough to make OUYA profitable? In an interview with TechCrunch, Uhrman explained that OUYA essentially breaks even on the hardware from the $ 99 gaming console, and that all games will be free-to-try. Curious if that was sustainable, we asked Uhrman if free-to-try would always be the case with OUYA games.

“Free to try is a core tenet of OUYA,” said Uhrman. “We wanted a gaming experience for the television that’s inexpensive to get into. Developers monetize however they’d like to, which is why we have games with unlockable demos inside a fully paid version, or micro-transactions, and even a donation based game. I’m looking forward to the first episodic, subscription-based game,” she said.

According to Uhrman, the latest round from KPCB and friends will go toward further supporting game developers and development, bringing in exclusive and unique OUYA content, and meeting the demand seen from all parts of the world, including Japan, Brazil, Germany, Spain, and Italy.

Google Glass developer reveals ‘Winky’ eye gesture app that takes photos

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Remember those “eye gestures” spotted in Google Glass code? Developer Mike DiGiovanni, who just released the “Bulletproof” lockscreen for Glass, has already used them to develop an app to snap photos on the Explorer Edition of the AR eyewear called “Winky.” When activated and calibrated, a simple wink of the eye allows you to capture a still of whatever you’re looking at, rather than using a voice command or tapping the side of the glasses as normally required, which DiGiovanni says “takes you out of the moment.” He released the app purely as Android source code to protect users’ personal info, so if you’re interested, you’ll need to compile and run it as an APK — assuming you’re lucky enough to have a pair of the specs, of course.

Filed under: Wearables, Google

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Source: Mike DiGiovanni (Google+)

‘Eve Online’ developer builds a virtual reality space dogfighting simulation using Oculus Rift

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Author: Stefanie Jenkins

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If you had any question whether the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset would lead to desirable new games, just ask any of the 1,500 people who attended FanFest 2013 in Iceland this year. There, Eve Online developer CCP showed off “EVR,” a proof-of-concept game, which stuffs players into the virtual cockpits of a 360-degree turn-and-burn multiplayer space dogfighting simulation that appears to be set in the Eve Online universe. If reports from the conference are any indication, attendees who tried the game were extremely impressed.

It looks something like this, if you can imagine this trailer inside the wraparound 3D view of a virtual reality headset:

Presently, the demo uses a standard gamepad to fly around and fire weapons, but the…

PSA: First Firefox OS developer phones on sale now, open standards start at $119

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As promised, Geeksphone is offering both of its Firefox OS smartphones starting today. While the Firefox orange-tinged Keon will set you back $ 119, the slightly more upmarket Peak is priced at $ 194 — check out both of them in action after the break. The online retailer is willing to send both developer devices to anywhere in the world, so if you’re looking to be part of the next billion smartphone users, place your order at the source.

[Thanks, Kyle]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: Geeksphone

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Google Glass developer presentation from SXSW finally available to stream in full

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Author: Nancy Kennedy

Google Glass developer presentation from SXSW finally available to stream in full

If you’re still thirsting over information about life with Google Glass, you can now kick back and experience the discussion(though not filmed in first individual with one of the devices– possibility missed out on)from SXSW last month. We covered it in our liveblog and dug up news on different apps already dealing with Google’s Mirror API to provide their info in ways that are designed for the wearable devices, don’t hinder, and do not appear at bad times. These are reasonably new and distinct issues to take care of considering that the details is existing on a device that’s in your face, so it will be fascinating to see if designers fall to the difficulty. Inspect after the break for 50 minutes of Googler Timothy Jordan showing individuals exactly what the Glass group has actually learned and executed up until now. Filed under: Wearables, GoogleCommentsSource: Timothy Jordan (Google +), Google Developers(YouTube )

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Nokia Plays Up Asha’s Smartphone Cred With New Premium Developer Program

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Author: Jamie Colby

Nokia’s Asha line of less-expensive smartphones, not developed on Microsoft’s Windows Phone but Nokia’s own proprietary OS, is getting a new boost of attention today. The company is unveiling a new (and free) premium developer program for Asha developers. Modelled on a premium program started for Lumia developers last year, those participating will get extra developer resources, credits towards promoting finished apps in Nokia’s app storefront or via advertising in other apps, and a free device, so that they can boost numbers in the Nokia Store for content made for the Asha line of phones. Nokia tells me that there are now 130,000 apps, ringtones and wallpapers for Asha in the Store already, without breaking out the number of apps compared to other content.

Not only will this help to boost the number of apps in the Nokia store, but it furthers the idea of Asha as the “other” smartphone line being pushed by Nokia — and not just another high-end feature phone. As IHS analyst Ian Fogg noted after seeing the news: “Nokia builds the case for Asha to be considered a smartphone.”

Nokia says that for developers to be considered, there are some criteria to be met. For “stage-one productivity membership” (this includes extra developer support, the free device and expanded remote access), a developer need to have at least two apps built for any mobile platform and currently in any mobile store (not just those run by Nokia itself). For “stage-two” membership (this includes the promotional options of either app store placements or $ 500 worth of advertising), the developers need to agree to develop and publish at least one app for the Nokia Store to work on an Asha device.

The Lumia premium developer program, Nokia says, has proven to be its most successful developer program ever.

But if Nokia’s Lumia line is considered its “flagship” fleet of smartphones, then the Asha devices are the company’s ever-essential workhorses.

In Nokia’s Q4 results that it reported in January, the company announced 9.3 million Asha devices sold, more than twice the number of Lumia devices (at 4.4 million). While Nokia has been working hard to create Lumia handsets that are stretching ever further into the low cost segment — the most recent being the $ 180 520 handset unveiled at the Mobile World Congress this year — Asha devices were already there, with devices going for under $ 100 already unveiled last year.

This fact makes the Asha and ever-more important link in the chain that Nokia has to be careful not to break as it tries to bring its vast population of users in emerging markets on to Nokia smart devices, rather losing them to the rival Android ecosystem as led by Samsung, Huawei and dozens of other handset makers. Samsung in particular has approached the market with an aggressive device strategy across virtually every mobile handset price point (and feature set).

The developer program and its stated purpose to create apps for Asha devices is very much part of that strategy. As Apple has very conclusively proven both with the iPhone and iPad tablet, one of the biggest draws to a particular piece of hardware is the software that you will be able to use on it.

The idea, of course, are for those apps to be quality as well as in quantity. “We want to reward apps that really engage the user,” Kenny Mathers, director of developer programs and monetisation at Nokia, said in a statement. “We’ll be looking for high-quality graphics and user interface, plus great user reviews, with a minimum rating of four stars from at least 25 Nokia Store user reviews.”

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Thermodo Reveals New Stretch Goals, Outside Developer Support And Backer Reward Levels

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Author: Jon Mitchell

Tiny smartphone thermometer accessory Thermodo is on a funding roll, and it hopes to keep things going with new backer levels that it has shared exclusively with TechCrunch. Two new colorways are in development for funding milestones, as well as Windows Phone app support, and now third-party developer are revealing that they will be working with some specific third-party apps.

Thermodo will debut new stretch rewards at the $ 250,000, $ 300,000 and $ 400,000 funding levels, including a limited edition red and green version of the Thermodo itself, as well as a commitment to Windows Phone support. Robocat, the startup behind Thermodo, also announced three new backer levels today, which include a variety of different combinations of existing rewards, all of which is clearly designed to further propel backer interest and help it continue to raise its total funds ahead of the project end date, which is 15 days away now.

Developer interest is the most important piece of the puzzle from the perspective of making Thermodo a device with wide appeal. It has an admittedly limited feature set after all: it tells the temperature, and that’s it. But with broad developer and platform support, it starts to become much more than just a simple weather app accessory, since it can be used with apps that incorporate a wide set of data to serve different kinds of purposes.

Thermodo is working on partnerships with a number of developers are a result of the Kickstarter success they’ve had so far, Robocat founder and lead developer Willi Wu explained via email. “Many developers have expressed great interests in integrating Thermodo in their existing apps or make new apps, including Jake Marsh of Conditions app, David Smith of Check the Weather app and Moshen Chan of Living Clock app,” he said. “We are also looking into collaborations with developers on Android and Windows Phone.”

Robocat is trying to rack up the big bucks for Thermodo, and doing a good job so far. That’ll mean it will face a bigger challenge when it comes time to ship, but the company seems confident in its ability to do so.

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Oculus Rift ‘Team Fortress 2′ support rumored, but ‘Doom 3′ won’t ship with developer kits

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Author: Jon Mitchell

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As Oculus prepares to expose even more details about its virtual reality headset at 2013′s Game Developers Conference, we’re getting a bit of information in advance– some good, some less so. In the former classification, a confidential tipster has actually informed Roadway to VR that Valve will be adding Oculus Rift support to Team Citadel 2 following week. According to a presumably leaked release, a software upgrade at some point during GDC will allow an “experimental virtual reality mode,” letting Oculus Rift development kit owners play any mode and character course with it. Baseding upon Road to VR, they’ll additionally get a Steam code for a special in-game hat.

Valve currently disclosed that it had ported Group Fortress 2 to the Oculus Rift, and a GDC talk will discuss what was …

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Serious Sam Double D XXL | Weapon Developer Diary #1 (2013) [EN] | HD

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Author: James Cliff

Explore the various tools of damage involving Xbox Live Gallery in Serious Sam Double D XXL. FACEBOOK: goo. gl|TWITTER: goo. gl|SUBSCRIBE to XboxViewTV: goo. gl XBLA and XBLIG games: YouTube.com Tägl. Information auf XboxDome [ DE ]: www.xboxdome.de XboxViewTV also on MyTopTrailer: mytoptrailer.com ABOUT THIS GAME ———————————— Serious Sam Double D XXL, a totally reloaded version of the indie sensation Serious Sam Double D, will launch on February 20th, with all-new missions, weapons, enemies, and obstacles. And with the revolutionary Gunstacker you can fire all your tools instantly. The game likewise includes two-player regional cooperative play – Serious Sam could pair with his new friend Huff to annihilation Mental’s crowd together. Serious Sam Double D XXL ———————————————————– GENRE: Action RELEASE DATE (S): + United States: Jan 15, 2013 + EU: Jan 15, 2013 PLATFORM: XBLA ADDITIONALLY ON: PC SITE: marketplace.xbox.com PRE-ORDER / BUY on AMAZON: n/an AUTHOR: Mommy’s Finest Gamings DEVELOPER: Mommy’s Finest Games TAGS: “Serious Sam Double D XXL” “Significant Sam” “Significant Sam Double D XXL gameplay” “Major Sam Double D XXL trailer” “Major Sam Double D XXL tools” “Significant Sam Double D XXL dev diary” Xbla pc “xbox live arcade” “Xbox 360″ game trailer spiel 2013 xboxviewtv arcadenext games hd main “computer game”.
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Firefox OS To Make Hardware Debut With Keon And Peak Developer Preview Smartphones

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Author: Jade Kim

Mozilla’s Firefox OS, the mobile operating system from the company that makes the Firefox browser build entirely on open web standards, will have its first hardware soon thanks to developer preview smartphone devices, created by Spanish open hardware phone platform manufacturer Geeksphone, in partnership with Telefonica. Two models, the Peak and the Keon, will offer developers different hardware profiles to develop for, covering both higher-end and more affordable devices.

The Keon features a Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 1GHz processor with 512MB of RAM, 3G HSPA network connectivity, a 3.5-inch display, 3 MP rear camera and 4GB of onboard storage. It has a MicroSD slot, and a 1580 mAh battery. It seems pretty low-specced, but that’s likely by design – the Keon is just developer hardware after all, but it also sets a profile for a device that can easily appeal to a developing market.

The Peak on the other hand has a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.2GHz dual-core processor, also boasts 3G HSPA wireless radios, but adds a 4.3-inch screen, an 8 MP rear camera and a 2 MP front shooter. It’s still only got 512MB of RAM under the hood and 4GB of onboard storage, however, but there’s a MicroSD slot for storage expansion, and a beefier 1800 mAh battery to handle the extra specs.

Mozilla hasn’t announced availability of the devices yet, or how they will be distributed, but it has announced Firefox OS App Days, which will take place this week and allow developers to come together to learn Firefox OS, hack and create app s for the platform. No word on if this hardware might make an appearance at those events.

The Firefox phones are definitely adorable, if a little weak in the specs department. I’m willing to bet that these will become highly sought-after items in the tech community, specs or no. I know I already want one of each.

Posts Tagged ‘developer’

OUYA Closes $15 Million In Funding Led By Kleiner Perkins, Boasts 12,000 Game Developer Sign-Ups

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Google Glass developer reveals ‘Winky’ eye gesture app that takes photos

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‘Eve Online’ developer builds a virtual reality space dogfighting simulation using Oculus Rift

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PSA: First Firefox OS developer phones on sale now, open standards start at $119

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Nokia Plays Up Asha’s Smartphone Cred With New Premium Developer Program

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Thermodo Reveals New Stretch Goals, Outside Developer Support And Backer Reward Levels

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Serious Sam Double D XXL | Weapon Developer Diary #1 (2013) [EN] | HD

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Firefox OS To Make Hardware Debut With Keon And Peak Developer Preview Smartphones

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