Ouya’s success yet to be determined, says Xbox co-creator

Xbox co-creator Ed Fries has spoken out against those quick to oppose the Ouya, stating that critics are in no position to determine whether the console has succeeded or failed so at such an early juncture.

In a post on VentureBeat, Fries – who now serves as an advisor to a number of companies including Ouya – defended the Kickstarter-funded Android microconsole by comparing it to the original Xbox’s launch.

Simply put: Fries believes Ouya is the new kid on the block, and some just aren’t willing to accept a model different from what they’re used to.

This is essentially the same issue that now faces Ouya. The platform is being judged by how well it stacks up against metrics from a previous era, one with an entirely different business model,” Fries wrote.

Among the criticisms is that ‘only’ one out of three Ouya owners have purchased at least one game. While the folks at Ouya are incredibly proud of this early outcome, some have chosen to interpret this as a glass that’s two-thirds empty. But is it?”

Fries added that the digital distribution revolution has caused such a change in the industry, it’s now impossible to judge success based on traditional metrics – making new methods necessary.

Just as there was no way to compare Minecraft with World of Warcraft three years ago, today it is nearly impossible to compare Ouya with the next-generation consoles set to debut this year. This is because the game has changed dramatically for the interactive entertainment industry – and so have the rules.”

What does success look like? I can honestly say I don’t know.”