If you own an Ouya microconsole and want to start making your own games with it, now's the time: Ouya announced today that it's making a modified version of Appfour's Android Integrated Developer Environment available for free on all Ouya microconsoles. The Ouya AIDE app is designed to teach users how to start programming in Java for Android devices, and it's modified to work with either a standard USB keyboard or a controller. The company is releasing AIDE on Ouya as part of its new "Developing Developers" program, an educational initiative aimed at teaching Ouya users the basics of Android game design through interactive workshops and video tutorials. “Our top priority is fostering the next generation of game developers, even those who have never built a game before but always wanted to,” stated Ouya head of developer relations Kellee Santiago in a press release announcing the program. “Developing Developers is the latest initiative by which OUYA continues to expand beyond the box." Appfour has agreed to make several of the AIDE app's introductory lessons on Java, Android OS, and game development free as part of the program, but it will cost $30 to unlock access to the full app and its 46 additional lessons. Ouya claims it will also take steps to address the issue of discoverability in the Android ecosystem, something that many developers feel is the biggest problem facing Android developers. "As we get more content, we will also evolve [our] systems to better allow players and game makers to find one another," stated Santiago when asked by Gamasutra via email about how Ouya plans to address the problem of discoverability in the various Android marketplaces. "I can’t speak to discoverability on other Android marketplaces, but Ouya has a number of different channels and rankings, and we’ll continue to optimize them." Going forward, the company also plans to add more tutorials and potentially partner with schools or other organizations to organize game jams and development workshops. The company has recently attempted to expand its business by making Ouya games available on other Android microconsoles and experimenting with an 'all-you-can-eat' subscription plan.
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