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OUYA Game Development by Example
OUYA Game Development by Example

OUYA Game Development by Example: An all-inclusive, fun guide to making professional 3D games for the OUYA console

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OUYA Game Development by Example

Chapter 1. Experiencing the OUYA

The OUYA is a powerful and unique machine, because it gives hobbyists and independent developers a way to create and deploy professional-grade games without an overwhelming amount of groundwork. To begin making games for the OUYA, you won't need more than a basic understanding of game mechanics and a passion for development. This book will take you from your first prototype to a polished product ready to make its debut in the OUYA marketplace.

The lessons in this book will be demonstrated using the Unity3D engine, a popular development engine that's simple to learn with essential systems such as physics and user interface already built in. Unity and the OUYA both support a variety of scripting languages, but in this book, we'll be focusing on C#, a relatively easy yet versatile language that supports virtually any data structure your game will need.

You may already be familiar with the Unity engine; several popular games, such as Temple Run 2 by Imangi Studios and Scrolls by Mojang (of Minecraft fame), have been built using Unity. You'll soon learn that the OUYA can take full advantage of the 3D capabilities of Unity to make the game of your dreams become real.

This first chapter will be a basic review of the default configuration of the OUYA and a demonstration of its capabilities using a game as an example. If you've already had some time to play around with your OUYA and you feel ready to get started with development, feel free to skip ahead to the next chapter, where we'll install our development environment and start deploying code to the console.

Setting up the console


Before diving in, you'll have to set your console up. If you've already plugged it in and taken it for a spin, it's still a good idea to check for system updates and make sure your video settings are optimal.

Networking


Once you've plugged your OUYA in and started it up for the first time, it will ask you to configure Internet settings, either wirelessly or with an Ethernet cable. This is an important step because a network connection allows us to view the latest games submitted to the marketplace, and we'll also be able to download the latest version of the OUYA software for development. Once you've completed the configuration, you'll reach the launch screen, which looks similar to the following screenshot:

Displaying games


The OUYA console and the Unity engine are both able to display games in 1080p HD, so it's best to develop them on a monitor that supports widescreen. It's also good to make sure that the OUYA display fits within the bounds of your monitor, because you need an accurate reference when developing your user interface to make sure it doesn't run off the screen (we'll get more into this in the later chapters). The following are a few ways to do this:

  • Set your monitor's display ratio to 1:1 or Just Scan

  • Check your monitor for a Display Area setting and adjust it to fit the screen

  • Enable Overscan compensation in the Advanced settings in the HDMI menu

Time for action – installing your first game


Perform the following steps to install your first game in OUYA:

  1. Now that you've covered the technical details, you can download a game from the OUYA marketplace to experience what a popular OUYA game looks like, and note small details that you can start thinking about for your own games. We'll use Canabalt HD as an example game, the latest iteration of Adam Saltsman's 2009 endless runner.

  2. Click on the Discover button on the OUYA launch screen and you'll be brought to the marketplace's storefront, a showcase of featured games organized into several categories. This is where you'll see your published games once they gain some popularity. The following screenshot shows the storefront:

  3. Press the Y button on your OUYA controller to bring up the search menu. Using the onscreen keyboard, search for Canabalt HD and then select it in the list of results. You'll be taken to the store page for Canabalt; here, you can click on DOWNLOAD and begin installing it on your console. The store page looks as shown in the following screenshot:

    The DOWNLOAD button will turn into a PLAY NOW button once the installation process is complete. You can start the game directly from here or from the PLAY menu on the OUYA launch screen.

What just happened?

You've just successfully downloaded your first game on your OUYA console. The marketplace can be used to find all sorts of games that are always free to try, and once you download them, you can play them anytime from the OUYA's PLAY menu.

You may be wondering why you didn't see any prices while browsing the OUYA store or even while downloading your first title. Does this mean that all games for the OUYA are free to download? Well, the short answer is yes, but it's a little more complicated than that. Instead of following a conventional pricing system, the OUYA marketplace does things a little differently by providing at least one free element in each game. Canabalt incorporates monetization in the form of free-play credits, shown in the following screenshot:

In the case of Canabalt HD, the developers decided to offer a trial version that includes five free plays per day and an option to pay for an upgrade that unlocks unlimited play. The player can also unlock additional plays by making it past the 5000-meter mark in the game. However, this isn't the only payment model you can use; as long as there's something free in your game, you can have as many or as few purchasing options as you want. For instance, you could create a game that features unlimited playtime but limited free items, or make a game that's free up until a certain level. The OUYA SDK has an in-app purchase API that will let you get creative with priced elements in your game.

Playing the OUYA


Now that the technical stuff is out of the way, take a few minutes (or several) to play Canabalt and get a feel of how the OUYA performs. Despite being part of the console family, the OUYA varies from its siblings such as the PS3 and Xbox 360. The games are often smaller and less expensive than full triple-A titles because of the abundant indie presence. You'll notice a few features about Canabalt that are pretty typical among many OUYA games. These features are as follows:

  • Arcade-oriented gameplay: This typically features simple mechanics that are easy to learn but offer a long progression of mastery

  • Short game sessions/objectives: These objectives can be completed in less than five minutes but can also be continued if desired

  • Score tracking/leaderboards: These allow players to see what they've accomplished and compare their score against others

Canabalt gameplay is shown in the following screenshot:

Many of the arcade games out for the OUYA are also available for iPhone or Android or have been ported from them. Canabalt HD is an improved version of the original game for iPhone, remade with 3D graphics for the OUYA. You'll be able to think about mobile development beyond the OUYA as well; the Unity engine has the ability to deploy any game to iOS and Android with minimal tweaks, so you can consider porting your OUYA game to mobile devices.

Touch controls


While you're on the Canabalt HD menu, try making a swipe gesture on the touchpad of the OUYA controller. You will notice that a cursor appears; you can use this cursor to navigate menus. The touchpad can also be used as a secondary jump button while in the game. This functionality is pretty straightforward, but the creative applications of the touchpad are limitless. You could program a sword to slash with a swipe of the touch screen, let a player design custom decals by drawing them with their finger, or use touch input to calculate the direction and velocity of a cannon shot.

Summary


The OUYA console gives hobbyists and independent developers a way to create and play games without having to work through publishers. Every game on the OUYA marketplace is free to download but can include in-game purchasing in order to unlock the full game or new content. The OUYA also has a unique touchpad on its controllers, giving developers more ways to interact with the players. You'll be using the Unity engine to make games which is a versatile yet easily understandable 3D engine that can also deploy to mobile devices such as iPhones and Android phones.

Now that you've gotten to know your console, you're ready to start writing code. As you're working through the programming tutorials in the chapters that follow, don't be afraid to make a backup copy of what you're working on and try coding a mechanic based on the one you find in an existing game on the OUYA marketplace.

In the next chapter, you'll download the Unity3D game engine and configure it to deploy games to your OUYA console.

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Description

The OUYA console and development kit gives you the power to publish video games for the players, creating a console marketplace of the gamers, for the gamers, and by the gamers. Using the OUYA developer kit and the Unity3D game engine, even beginners with a captivating game idea can bring it to life with a hint of imagination. OUYA Game Development by Example uses a series of feature-based, step-by-step tutorials that teach beginners how to integrate essential elements into a game engine and then combine them to form a polished gaming experience.

Who is this book for?

Using this book, you can get started with creating games without any game development experience. This book is perfect for anyone that wants to make video games but is unsure of where to start. It covers elements of game design, art, and programming comprehensively, and the engine used throughout all of the tutorials is very beginner-friendly. No prior knowledge is assumed or required for the tutorials in this book.

What you will learn

  • Control camera functions, lighting, and appearance in a 3D game engine
  • Script gameplay in Unity3D in the C# programming language
  • Use the OUYA API to process input from controllers
  • Create longer games by coding, saving, and loading systems
  • Configure your computer to deploy code directly to the OUYA console
  • Improve the appearance of games with materials and textures
  • Implement inapp purchases in the game in order to monetize the game in a more effective manner
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Publication date : May 20, 2014
Length: 268 pages
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Language : English
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Table of Contents

9 Chapters
Experiencing the OUYA Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Installing Unity and the OUYA ODK Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Diving into Development Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Moving Your Player with Controller Input Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Enhancing Your Game with Touch Dynamics Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Saving Data to Create Longer Games Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Expanding Your Gameplay with In-app Purchases Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Polishing and Prepping Your Game for Deployment Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Blazing Your Own Development Trail Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

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Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
(3 Ratings)
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4 star 100%
3 star 0%
2 star 0%
1 star 0%
W Boudville Jun 10, 2014
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
At first I thought Ouya [I'm not going to capitalise it all] was a software engine; not being a hardcore gameboy. But it is hardware! Wow! So used to reviewing books on software that this makes a refreshing change. What the text suggests is that getting the Ouya gives you a leg up in developing games of professional quality. A hardware IDE. On top of this sits the Unity3D engine and the book takes you into coding with C#.The first chapter is really more important than in some other books, because it orients you in the Ouya environment. Where the store that you can browse for games does not list prices! Quickly the book explains that for a game to make it into the store, it needs at least one free element. Like free play credits.There is an immediate dynamic tension here. You after all are likely reading the book to want to code successful games. That people will pay money to play. So really seeing the game store with no prices is not exactly encouraging.Now for the game store, the book cautions that "the games are often smaller and less expensive... because of the abundant indie presence". What this translates to is that a typical game is simply not as impressive. The book does not come right out and say this, but reading between the lines, that is what you get. The indie developers [and you aspire to be one of them] just don't have the financial wherewithal to underwrite a sophisticated and complex game.The book is somewhat pitched towards a new programmer. Because in part it introduces object oriented programming as a new concept. And I am not really sure why they chose C# instead of java or C++. But that's not a big deal. If indeed you don't know any of those languages, learning C# will certainly help you if you have to migrate to the others.The game development environment explicated later in the book looks simple enough. Like using the IDE to pick a shader and then having the means via a GUI to vary the shininess and specular colour. Very easy and intuitive. Plus, learning Unity's classes greatly speeds up the coding of your game.The text takes you all the way through to submitting a game to the Ouya store. What it does not discuss is the top level decision about whether you want to deal with Ouya in the first place. Professionally, Ouya is likely not where the money is; not where the big time is. Just be aware of that, once you parse thru all the book.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Damir Arh Jul 28, 2014
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
One could easily say, this book is more than a bit from my usual field of expertise. I’m no game developer (the stuff I was doing while still in school doesn’t count) and I don’t own an OUYA. Well, at least I know a lot about C# which was used as the scripting language in the book. One could also say that because of that I am the target audience for the book.Still, even with my lack of previous experience, the book starts out really slow; too slow in my eyes. Though this should make it all that more suitable for complete beginners who have never programmed before. C# is explained from the very basics which is quite a challenge considering the small number of pages dedicated to this topic. As a side effect, there are a couple of inaccuracies and over-simplifications, but hopefully readers will grab a more in/depth book about C# and programming afterwards.Of course, most of the book focuses on Unity and gives a quite thorough overview of the basics through examples which make a lot of sense by the end of the book. The author’s experience with game development definitely shines through in these sample games. There’s also not much OUYA or Android specifics, except for the obvious setup of development environment and instruction on publishing and monetization options. I did get the feeling though, that the book focuses too much on step by step instructions and lacks a bit on the bigger picture, explaining why we’re actually doing all these things and how it works under the cover. Obviously, the reader will again have to find this information in a more advanced book.I liked a lot, how throughout the book there are many calls to action, giving the reader challenges to complete on his own. But still, this book can really serve only as the first step on the path to becoming a game developer, albeit a good one. The author is aware of that and therefore concludes with a couple of more advanced topics, such as development methodologies, source control, and architectural patterns; probably hoping to make the reader craving for more. I can sincerely recommend the book to anyone, trying to get a glimpse into the world of game development. It’s enough to see if that’s something for you and worth exploring further.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Sai Sep 25, 2014
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
Ouya as a game console was dead as soon as it was launched despite being one of the hottest Kickstarter programs in the day. But this book isn't about the hardware, it is about teaching or guiding you and me to the world of game development. Being a rockstar game developer has always been one of my dreams and this book would just be a good read, a stepping stone in the right direction.C# is the main language used for writing scripts for Unity. If you were a intermediate programmer, you'd probably want to skim through a few chapters covering the basics. For a beginning developer, it is a great book. The tasks/challenges at the end of the chapter are interesting and wold make you want to try them out. (atleast it did that to me). The instructions in the book are very concise and detailed but sometimes it leaves you feeling like a kid being told the same thing by a parent over and again. But again, the is no such thing as too much information.Overall this is a good beginners book to learn game development.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
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