Fully Charged: Ouya’s all-you-can-play plan rankles developers, Orkut cut by Google, and Yahoo saves Community from cancellation

Ouya offers all-you-can-play plan, doesn’t get developers onboard

Ouya may have pioneered the Android-based micro-console and made a sensational splash on Kickstarter, but it’s failed to become a mainstream success—or much of a talking point amongst gamers since its somewhat fumbled launch last year.

In an effort to shake up the narrative, Ouya announced today that it will launch an All-Access Pass that allows users the ability to download any of more than 800 games during a 12-month span for a one-time payment of US$59.99 (about £35). Effectively, it’s an “all you can play” approach that provides access to more than US$2000 worth of games for the year.

However, some developers claim that they weren’t properly briefed beforehand about such a major change in approach, being told it was a test run just hours before Ouya began selling and promoting the option. Ouya will still pay developers 70% of the full asking price for any downloaded games, and is surely within its rights to offer such an option so long as partners are properly compensated.

However, adding a game to a subscription plan is a big perception shift for players—and not getting developers onboard for such a move is a mistake. Souring creators on a decidedly niche platform is hardly an advised way to build goodwill for continued support.

[Source: Polygon]

READ MORE: Ouya review

Google’s Orkut shutting down in September

Remember Orkut? You’d be forgiven if not—Google started the social network in 2004, but as Facebook and Twitter surged in popularity, it faded from view except in a few markets. More than half of its traffic recently emerged from Brazil, where Google moved the site’s operations some years back.

That’s of little import for much longer, however, as Google announced yesterday that Orkut will shut down on 30 September. New accounts can no longer be opened, but anyone that wants to export their profiles, posts, and photos can do so through Google Takeout until September 2016. Farewell Orkut, and our condolences to anyone that sees this news as a serious blow.

[Source: Orkut Blog]

READ MORE: Fully Charged: Facebook apologises for emotional manipulation, Eliss Infinity hits Android, and KORG’s Nintendo 3DS synth

Yahoo picks up sixth season of Community

Here’s a story that’s as surprising for the show in question as it is the portal that picked it up. Community, the fan-favorite but low-rated American comedy series that’s continually evaded the axe, will survive long enough to realize at least the first half of its “six seasons and a movie” mantra. And who is picking up that season? It’s Yahoo, curiously enough.

Indeed, Yahoo Screen will run a 13-episode sixth season of Community online starting this fall, with creator and executive producer Dan Harmon still running the ship and all of the recently active stars (including Joel McHale and Alison Brie) still attached. The actors’ deals were set to expire today, so this news coming down last night was truly a last-minute save.

As The Verge points out, Yahoo Screen plans to start running original comedy series starting in 2015, so rescuing a beloved existing show seems like a smart way to start luring in a potential audience. Now, if this goes well, are they going to help foot the bill for the movie?

[Sources: Business Wire, The Verge]

READ MORE: 5 YouTube channels we’d be happy to pay for

FIFA 15 trailer shows off big visual upgrades

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Before the weekend, we got our first look at Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2015, the first series entry to make the new-gen leap, and… honestly, it didn’t make much of an impression. That’s due in large part to last year’s excellent FIFA 14 already making a big splash, and EA Sports shows that the extra year on new hardware proves an even larger advantage with this new FIFA 15 trailer.

This clip is all about visual enhancements, of which there are apparently many in the new game, including more realistic faces, player animations, and field degradation. Assuming the game actually looks this slick in motion—and it plays at least as strongly as it did last year—then footie fans will be in for a treat come September.

[Source: YouTube]

READ MORE: FIFA 15: First Play preview