GameStick will launch in September at a price of $79.99.
Most minds in the gaming industry are understandably focused on the next-gen battle being fought by Sony and Microsoft for the hearts, minds and wallets of consumers. That said, there is another, smaller console war being waged between small companies trying to prove the merits of an Android based console. The Ouya, famous for its wildly successful Kickstarter, launched back in June and now GameStick, another Android console developed by PlayJam, is setting its sites on a September 30th release.
Like the Ouya, Gamestick received a lot of support on Kickstarter and will likewise attempt to appeal to gamers with its low price tag. The console, housed in a tiny HDMI plug-in, will cost only $79.99, undercutting its competitor by twenty dollars. The GameStick will come packaged with a Bluetooth controller as well as several extras like a dock and a carrying case. Gamers interested in pre-ordering can do so at Amazon and GameStop.
Whereas the Ouya, in part, sold itself on the flexibility of its hardware, GameStick’s shtick has arguably been centered more around convenience and portability. Whether or not that strategy will help bring GameStick more success than the Ouya is something we’ll be interested to see. Honestly, when you get down to it, both are niche products, and while there’s definitely room for them to be successful, it’s a success that arguably needs to be tempered by realistic expectations. That said, we’ll be watching with interest when September 30th rolls around to see how GameStick pans out.
Source: VG247
Published: Aug 30, 2013 10:10 am