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Ouya, a $99 Android-based video game console, has picked up more than $5 million in the biggest Kickstarter campaign to date. It’s also received plenty of doubts from skeptics as well. In an interview, Julie Uhrman, the CEO and founder, said Ouya is the real deal.
Kickstarter’s records have been smashed by Ouya, a $99 Android-based video game console that promises to bring affordable games to the television. The project, which originally set out to raise $950,000, is now up to $5.7 million pledged from more than 47,000 backers with 10 left to go.
Built using standard components like a Tegra 3 quad-core processor and hackable, Ouya will create a new platform for developers looking to bring both casual and hardcore games to the living room. The console, which is being designed by famed designer Yves Behar, will work with a standard controller that includes a touchpad. Developers will be able to use an SDK to create an array of titles, which will all have a free component to them.
While the project isn’t expected to debut until March 2013, it has started revealing some partnerships, including a deal Friday with OnLive, which will offer its cloud-based streaming games at launch on Ouya. Ouya has also announced its first exclusive title Human Element, a zombie game from developer Robotoki.
I talked by phone last week with Ouya’s CEO and founder Julie Uhrman, who first conceived of Ouya while leading digital distribution and business development for gaming site IGN. We talked about the rising skepticism about the project and how Ouya is working to deliver the goods.
Julie: There’s a lot of content and games that we want for Ouya and we listen to our audience. They wanted OnLive so I made it a point to go out get them. OnLive signals some of the types of partnerships we can have on Ouya. The idea is we can have streaming and downloadable content. Because it’s open and built on Android, all different kinds of content would be available: games, videos, streaming and music content. Ouya is about being open and bringing the best content to gamers and anyone who enjoys entertainment. We don’t think OnLive’s content cancels out any publishers or developers, it enhances the platform.
Ryan: Some people are skeptical of Ouya and wonder if it will pan out. Will this project deliver on time?
Julie: We have every confidence that we will do this. The technology isn’t rocket science, it’s standard stuff combined in a new way and wrapped in a beautiful package. It’s been incredibly embraced by gamers and developers. We get hundreds of emails from developers wanting to develop for the platform; the idea of openness of Ouya has resonated. Until we have things on store shelves, we can’t prove things and there will be questions but most (developers) say they want Ouya or something like this to succeed. We have vetted our process, capped the amount of units we are shipping on day one and we have great advisors, who have built great hardware and software. We feel very confident we will deliver in March.
Ryan: So where did this idea come from? What was your vision?
Julie: I was part of the game industry for a long time and I saw AAA developers leaving for mobile. But if you interview gamers, the number one platform is the TV. The most time is spent in the living room, even for mobile games. The experience is better on a TV but all the excitement and growth was in mobile. I grew up on TV games and I wanted to bring it back and I saw an opportunity for a device that has Android as its operating system. The value proposition is there. People don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on a console. Ouya is $99 and games are free to play. What’s not to like?
Julie: The one thing that is always important to remember is this is still a product in development. We are focused on creating a great product. Kickstarter is opening up a two-way dialogue with folks who will benefit and we’re incorporating their feedback. People are incredibly excited. The developer conversations are incredibly well. You aint seen nothing yet.
Ryan: What has Kickstarter meant to you and what does the added money allow you to do?
Julie: It’s been a phenomenal platform for us and allowed us to create a dialogue with an audience of gamers and developers. We knew this was the only way to get to market quickly, raise money and bring this idea to fruition. Our goal was to hit $950,000 and we knew we could deliver units and even provide tools and support for developers with that. Anything over that is truly unbelievable and it means we can build more tools.
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One of the most popular methods of product promotion used by marketers today is online video, and as everyone knows, YouTube is the best place on the web for doing just that. But the game is in getting more YouTube views, comments and traffic, so here are 5 tips to help you get started.
1. Research your video keywords
You may have the best product in the world, and you may also have a really great video which demonstrates the usefulness of your product. But without traffic, no one will see your masterpiece unless they can find it. If you want to get more YouTube play, you have to target the specific keywords that people are going to use to search for your product or service.
Find out what keywords best describe your product and then include those keywords in the title and description of your video. Once you get your views up, there is a far greater chance some of those users end up following your link and buying your product. For maximum results, place the keyword title as the first thing in your description as a sort of "header tag" before any additional descriptive text.
Never, ever, EVER mislabel the content of your video in a pitch to grab traffic from a high traffic but irrelevant keyword. If you find a high traffic phrase but your video content doesn't match, YouTube will delete your video and possibly your account. Take it from me who learned this the hard way. Don't do it, it's not worth it. You can get more YouTube views and better conversions doing things the right way.
2. Don't build a castle, build an empire - increasing Channel Views
Increasing your popularity among the YouTube general audience is another method to increase traffic and YouTube views. A new YouTube channel generally will not have many people subscribed, so getting plays on your content is an inherent challenge. If you increase your channel views, your YouTube ranking rises. A high ranking brings more organic traffic - people who are looking for your product or service! If you have some money to invest in your business, you can often use it to buy YouTube channel views.
3. Increase YouTube Favorites
On the main page of YouTube you may have noticed the "most favorite" category. If you can get your video into this category by having lots of favorites, then every YouTube viewer who comes to the main page sees your pitch, simple as that. The good news is that just like channel views, favorites can be purchased as well and can obviously be a wise investment.
4. Increase Video Views
To get the most out of your YouTube traffic, you should add videos often, on a schedule and keep them relevant. The more videos you have, the more plays you get, and the more plays you get the higher your channel will rank. As traffic increases, comments will follow which also helps your videos rank better in YouTube and Google.
5. Back links, back links, back links.
Link to your YouTube video from all of the social media outlets. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, Digg, MySpace can provide you with a canvas to create a powerful and relevant backlink. The more back links you have - the more times your video is shared across the internet - by anybody at any time, the higher your video will rank on YouTube and Google search results.
These are some powerful tips from a video marketing genius who was also looking to increase his own traffic using YouTube. The bottom line is this: the more popular your video is, the more popular it will become. The more popular it becomes, the more traffic you will get. The more traffic you get, the more "ka-ching!"
Many have found success using a professional YouTube SEO service that delivers real users to your YouTube video. Discover it for yourself: http://www.pagex.com/get-YouTube-views.cfm.
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August 11, 2012 By Rusty Blazenhoff 
August 11, 2012 By Rusty Blazenhoff 
August 11, 2012 By Rusty Blazenhoff 
August 11, 2012 By Rusty Blazenhoff 
August 11, 2012 By Rusty Blazenhoff 
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August 11, 2012 By Rusty Blazenhoff 