I'm toying with the idea of developing a game from the ground up for the OUYA. This would not be the usual dime-a-dozen Android app -- it would be designed to be a console game from the start, with a specific controller in mind.
What I want to do is a side-scroller game like
Super Mario Bros DS, with medium- to low- poly 3D characters on a 2D side-view map. This lends itself really well to embedded systems like the OUYA, as it reduces the total number of polys that must be rendered, resulting in smoother, faster frame-rates.
I want the style to be similar to Mario Bros (stomping, jumping, and hitting things). It would be fast-paced, points-based, collectible lives, and no life-meters (one hit kills the player). There would be no inventory, and only a couple items which would be beneficial to the player in some way (along a similar vein to the mushrooms, fire flowers, and stars in Mario Bros). There would also not/ not be a huge variety of enemies -- instead, difficulty as the game progresses would mainly come from more complex maps and strategically-placed enemies.
With all these similarities to Mario Bros, I actually do not want the game to be a clone or spoof of Mario Bros at all. I want a unique story, unique characters, unique items, and unique maps. Definitely do not want to use brick blocks, question blocks, coins, stars, mushrooms, or turtles, anywhere in the game. The main character will look nothing like Mario -- no mustache and definitely no overalls and cap! So similar to Mario Bros in game-play, but a new, unique game.
What I'd like to do is get together a team to create the game. Everyone involved will receive a fair, negotiated compensation for their work. The marketing strategy will be to make the first level free, and a one-time purchase unlocks the rest of the game. The game will be designed for the OUYA, but I will also make an Android port to sell on Google Play, in order to have a wider customer-base. Once a beta of the first level is complete, I will run a kickstarter, and the money pledged from the campaign will be evenly divided between the members of the team, after KS/ Amazon's cut and taxes.
The team will consist of the following roles:
1) Me: I would write the game engine, UI, and special effects (lighting, smoke, fire, bolts of magic, etc).
2) Melinda (my wife): Although she is talented at doing 3D models, her style is more impressionistic and not really what I'm envisioning for this game. So instead she will be responsible for animations and help with special effects, but will not create most of the models.
3) A 3D modeler: Will create the characters and enemies, and export them to .3ds format. May also assist Melinda with the animations, if there is something unique in mind for a particular character.
4) A 2D graphics artist and map designer: This may be the same person as #3, depending on skill-set. Would be responsible for all the 2D components - background layers, blocks, items, etc, as well as taking the lead in designing the maps/ levels.
5) A musician and sound-effects specialist: Would be responsible for composing the music for the levels, and either recording or locating royalty-free sound effects appropriate for the game.
The story and goal for the game and the main character will be community-driven (hoping to get some good ideas from folks that we can discuss and build on here)
If anyone is interest in taking on one or more of the above roles, please put together a sample or two and post it here for consideration, and PM me to talk about what you'd expect as fair compensation for your work if you are chosen.