Update: 2014-03-02 Mad catz MOJO Final thoughts
Below is not maintained and out of date.

Page 2. Analysis Of the Mad Catz M.O.J.O.
Why the expensive price?

Firstly, the M.O.J.O. is current generation mobile hardware.
Most commenters say it’s so expensive compared to Ouya($99USD), Gamestick($80USD) and even the PS Vita TV(around $100USD).
Expect for the PS Vita TV, the Ouya and Gamestick are based on cheaper and older mobile technology, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but limits the games/apps you can run.
PS. Hardware/Software doesn’t go out-of-date or expire, it only goes out-of-fashion, ie: Windows XP is the best version of Windows ;)

Have you heard anybody complain about how the PS4 is nearly twice as expensive as a PS3?
Of cause not, that’s ridiculous!

What about how the iPhone 5 is nearly twice as expensive as an iPhone 4?
Again, that’s laughable!

Okay, Obviously we pay extra for newer technology.
The Tegra 4 is very new and the C.T.R.L.R technology is even newer.
To put it together and package it how Mad Catz has done it, to me is amazing.

But I can go to the shops and pick up a Wii U,PS3,Xbox360 for only $50-$100USD more, why not just get that?
The these systems are complete gaming system with great current gen titles and some good retro collection available.
That’s true and this is the best argument about the price I think.
If you want a stand alone, single use gaming console, then you’re not really interested in micro-consoles.

The main difference here isn’t graphic so much but software, hardware support, portability and flexibility.
You’re choosing an ecosystem, ie: Nintendo’s library, PS3’s library, XBox360’s library or Android’s library?
Which is library bigger? Android.
Which is cheaper? Android is the cheapest.
Which has better game support? of cause the consoles.
But we are seeing more and more ‘console’ titles being published on mobile and with controller support.

Large studios like EA, SEGA and Ubisoft are already on mobile.
AAA PC/console games are usually built with high end game engines, these have now been ported to mobile, ie Unreal Engine 3 & cryengine to name a few.

Can you play previous gen on WiiU/PS3/XBox360?
No (few exceptions), well the Android’s graphics system (OpenGL ES) has better backwards capacities then any console!
A game you bought for your Android phone in 2008 will work even better now on newer hardware.

Can you turn WiiU/PS3/XBox360 into top-set boxes? with keyboard/mouse?
Yes but with many exceptions, ie no mouse support on Wii U.

Would WiiU/PS3/XBox360 be compatible with my existing hardware?
I doubt it, as their hardware support is very limited and often propriety.

But why would you want to?
Bluetooth mini keyboards with a touch mouse are really cool for in front of the TV browsing, add a webcam etc.
My point is, I can add my current hardware, the M.O.J.O. is unrestrictive and flexible enough (via the Linux kernel) to support most common PC peripherals.
Having one device for gaming, internet and media has been the dream for consoles for over a decade!

How often would you move your WiiU/PS3/XBox360?
The M.O.J.O. is very portable, it’s not a hand-held (actually it is!) or a Gamestick but still a lot easier then moving your console setup with games. Using a 128GB microSD card (if available) you practically don’t need an external hard-drive.

What about the PS Vita TV?
Hardware wise it’s comparable with the Tegra 4.
I don’t consider the PS Vita TV a micro-console.
I see it as a micro-vita or a vita-console.
PSN ecosystem, large range of games.
Plays PS Vita games, streams PS4 games.
If you already own a PS Vita/PS4 then it would make sense to get a PS Vita TV also.
But again, its a different experience.. ie not open or flexible, no emulators etc.

What about a NVIDIA Shield?
– DYOR: Do Your Own Research–
Some have commented that the Nvidia Shield is better value for money because it has the same hardware plus a screen.
Honestly, I didn’t like the Shield when it came out, but I’m not much of a hand-held gamer.
I figured I would rather a PSVita because it didn’t offer much more, at least to me.
The Shield can stream PC games, and it can be connected to a TV, but these two features don’t interest me enough.
The most impressive aspect of the Shield to me is that it has Android 4.3 which supports OpenGL ES 3 (Officially the Tegra 4 is OpenGL ES 2), the M.O.J.O currently has Android 4.2.2 and OpenGL ES 2, however I couldn’t find any OpenGL ES 3 capable games.

If you already have a mobile that can play games wouldn’t you rather use that in conjunction with a real game controller?
With the M.O.J.O.’s C.T.R.L.R, the Travel Clip and your Android mobile phone (iOS support is unknown to me) you get a similar experience to that of the Shield, right?
Also, NVIDIA’s TegraZone comes pre-installed, so you can play the same games a Shield can on the TV and as hand-held seamlessly and with the same controller, and this is the M.O.J.O experience!

What are the chances of Ouya/Gamestick releasing a device in 2014 for under $100US?
I can bet you any money Ouya will!
Of cause using the cheapest SoC (System on a Chip) they can get, be it a Snapdragon, Mali, Vivante, Adreno or even a Tegra 4i (cut down version for budget phones, I wouldn’t be surprised if they pick this one for 2014).
If Ouya moves from the NVIDIA SoC, it could break a some existing games due to Tegra 3 optimisation which would fail on any another SoC.

Also remember the Ouya launch.. you wanted to buy one every year! didn’t you?
Yes, you did! - That’s Ouya’s business model right?, to sell you a really nasty controller with out-dated mobile hardware for your ROM’s!

Well if you’re are still thinking about buying an Ouya now, be prepared to buy the next one also.
Because, eventually you will want to emulate 3D games at a better frame-rate/resolution.
So that’s $99 + $99 and you would still have a micro-console half as good as the M.O.J.O. of today!
Half because the M.O.J.O.’s C.T.R.L.R is night and day compared to the Ouya’s controller….

The Ouya’s controller good value for $50USD?
God no! People have complained about it’s poor build quality, analog sticks lacking precision, and the buttons also getting stuck on the faceplate.
Intermittently unresponsive and poor battery life issues have also been raised.
Many suggest to purchase a different controller all together..

Well the Ouya has a touch pad which is better for touch games!
In theory yes, but it’s execution is very poor.
It’s latency is even worse then the analog sticks!
I lot of people have complained about the lack of clearly defined borders.
So you never know if the touch is in or out the touch pad area.

Why does Ouya’s controller have no Start/Select buttons?
Money… cost savings perhaps? Ouya’s profits are more important then your emulation experience?
It’s true that the PS4, Xbox One controllers don’t have Start/Select buttons, but are these built for emulation? No!

Oversight is a understatement! It really shows the contempt Julia Uhrma and her ‘advisers’ have for their gamers.
Just like Ouya’s ‘Free the Games’ fund turned into Ouya’s ‘Free the Funds’ Fund and bitterly screwed the smaller developers.

I seriously believe the Ouya is targeted at 3-12yo, young kid gamers that have never heard of terms like: frame-rate, resolution, slow-down, controller lag, analog sticks dead zones, and build quality etc. Of cause also targeting the parent’s credit card at the start. Still want an Ouya, know what you’re buying.

There’s a Spanish saying ‘Lo barato cuesta caro’, translation: ‘The cheap cost’s expensive‘ (What is cheap is the most costly).
Also, Warren Buffett says, “It’s far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price, than a fair company at a wonderful price.”

My last point on the price
The Ouya/Gamestick (and any other console for that matter) relies on it’s ecosystem (their branded store) to earn most of it’s revenue.
With the profit earning being substantially greater then the actual hardware profits, they can afford to discount the hardware, even at a small lost.
The M.O.J.O. has no ecosystem, so no hardware discount, meaning you are purchasing the hardware out-right, like a new unlocked mobile phone, it’s yours with no strings attached.

Let’s move on from price.. what can the M.O.J.O actually do that’s really worth 2.5 times the price of one Ouya?

Continue to: Hardware, what can it do?