I first heard about OUYA when the Kickstarter happened. As a long-time game designer and industry person who also happens to own his own megaphone I was immediately fascinated. I, like most people, had assumed that 2013 was going to be all about Sony vs Microsoft vs Nintendo vs Same Old Same Old, but no. OUYA, I wrote. Booyah!

I continued to talk up the emerging scene, even calling 2013 “The Year of the Microconsole“. Fundamentally I love the idea that TV gaming (in the guise of big consoles) is the last frontier for big disruption. While PC, mobile and tablet games have all become much more democratic places to make games, TV games have remained more church-like. OUYA and similar systems, to my mind, change that.

Because they’re digitally native, operating a more free-to-play model and low in cost, these kinds of machines could completely upend the order of things as we think we know them. They promise a weird and wonderful scene of video game makers getting on televisions all around the world without having to deal with the headaches of big corporate entities. OUYA means gaming on TV might become cool again, and that’s an idea worth spreading.

While talking up this new idea in a variety of places I had been working as the creative director of a mobile multiplayer-focused studio in Seattle (Jawfish Games). Jawfish are a very cool bunch of guys with a powerful tech that can handle real-time multiplayer games on mobile platforms, but the mobile market has become a very tough place because of the cost of advertising. So Jawfish decided to pivot and bring their technology into the casino space, but that wasn’t really for me.

I wanted to do this instead. Do what exactly?

I’ve designed and produced games as both developer and platform publisher. A few years ago I was the senior game development manager at BSkyB for instance, working with some excellent teams. I’m also spent much of my career in startups and small game dev companies and so what the pressures of that feel like. I’ve consulted with lots of people in lots of places.

The time feels right to get into the platform side once more, particularly if it means working with indie game makers. I want to help them, to promote them, to get awesome games made and take an active hand in the revolution rather than just talk about it. I feel I could make a real difference that way, and so I reached out to Julie to see if she thought so too. Turns out she did.

Even though we’ve not worked together until now, I’ve always admired OUYA from afar. Fundamentally I just like the idea of the underdog box that could launch 1000 amazing dreams. I love how, even though there’s been ups and downs, the sentiment of the OUYA has remained attached to that goal. Now that I’ve been able to peek behind the curtain and see some of the stuff that they’re working on, doubly so.

So I’m working with Kellee and the Dev BFFs in a number of areas. Primarily to manage second-party relationships, meaning the developers with whom OUYA has established some kind of partnership. Some of those developers you might know about, some you might not.

Another aspect of my role is to be the Free-To-Play guy. I’ve worked a lot in social games and know a bit about how f2p works well or badly. There’s a lot of awesome games both on and wanting to be on OUYA, and some of those want to do so in the sell-you-virtual-hats sort of way. I’m here to help them figure out how.

I’m also here to help find new partners. As a (pretentious alert) “name” in the games industry I know some folks and some folks know me, and I want to get some of those folks to a good home. I’d love to talk to anyone making a game, particularly anyone who’s got a crazy passionate project. So by all means talk to me if that’s you.

Lastly I’m going to do some talking on OUYA’s behalf. I mean speaking, writing, videos, cajoling and occasionally twisting the arms of folk to get involved. I’ve already done a fair bit of that in the past (and will continue to do so) and will here too.

Other than that there’s nothing more to say other than Hello!

Tadhg