Gadgets

Bluestacks Takes Aim At Ouya With Gamepop Android-Based Game Console

Vamien McKalin

The Ouya game console is in for some serious competition later in the year, as BlueStacks is gearing up to launch its own Android console, Gamepop. BlueStacks is basically positioning itself as the "Netflix" for games, as you'll never have to purchase a game on the device, since all are free to play. However, there is always a catch to this kind of thing, a catch you may or may not find appealing. 

By paying BlueStacks $6.99 per month, gamers will get the console and a controller, which, according to the company, is a $100 value. This $6.99 per month scheme allows the player to download as many games he wants for the month, from a catalog of 500 titles. Such a move might not pose a problem for Ouya, as all games on the platform are free to play and the console itself only costs $99. 

Bluestacks' Vice President of Marketing John Gargiulo tells The Verge that Gamepop will run a customized version of Android 4.2, emulating Ouya with a custom UI. While the Gamepop's design appears to have borrowed a bit from Ouya and Boxee, the company says its hardware is capable of "running all the top Android games today." Gargiulo believes that Bluestacks's battle will be "won on content," signing up notable gaming studios Glu, Halfbrick, Jawfish Games and Gameloft to deliver customized Gamepop experiences.

What BlueStacks is planning here sounds promising; however, it might not work out as the company might hope. All games are free to play, but players should expect the majority of these titles to have some form of micro transaction to get more money out of gamers. The best way to go is to allow players to purchase a game outright, as it would end up being a lot more expensive to pay a monthly subscription along with costly micro transactions.

© Copyright 2020 Mobile & Apps, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

more stories from Gadgets

Back
Real Time Analytics