The Ouya has captured worldwide attention with its Kickstarter campaign and has properly introduced the possibility of affordable Android gaming in the living room. The reactions to the device itself and its delays have been mixed, but the anticipation of its June launch has not abated mainly because there has yet to be a true competitor in the same space. Well, the playing field is now more crowded as Bluestacks is readying its Android 4.2-toting Gamepop gaming console for release.
Where the Ouya offered its gaming prowess for $99 and promised the diversity of the Android game library as well as Ouya-exclusve games, the Gamepop instead offers an ever increasing library of games for the monthly subscription price of $6.99 a month. That library of games will be growing to at least 500 games, and are all free to play for the subscription fee.
Does this sound too good to be true? Well, Phandroid has dug up the fine print in the Gamepop’s T&Cs: signing up for the Gamepop will lock you into a 12 month contract. Even accounting for an early exit fee, Bluestacks’ Gamepop will cost you $83.88 in subscription fees. Bluestacks is currently offering a bonus for any customers preordering for a Gamepop in the month of May, letting you have the console for free. The price after this date is unknown though, and as Bluestacks have been quite coy about the Gamepop’s innards, it’s hard to say whether the hardware and the subscription fees are enough to outpace the Ouya’s hardware.
If you are tossing up between an Ouya or Gamepop, this is how I see it: Ouya have said that they will be refreshing their console annually, so if you are so inclined, you would be paying slightly more than a Gamepop for a refreshed device every year. Gamepop holds the advantage in this scenario with its huge library of included games, though its hardware will be stagnant. Conversely, if you aren’t huge on games, then the Gamepop might not be for you and a standalone Ouya may serve you better.
Do you like the sound of Bluestacks’ Gamepop? Let us know below.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk1sm9IJhA4?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
