Remember the Ouya? It was the Android microconsole that was supposed to change gaming. It raised $8,596,474 back in 2012 and proceeded to putter out. It failed to pick up steam after its 2013 launch, 2014 was an excruciating year, and it was sold to Razer in 2015. Razer discontinued the microconsole so it can fold it into its Forge TV, which will likely also falter and fail. I bring all of this up so you have an idea of what to expect when the Coleco Chameleon launches.
If that name gives you pause, it’s because the moniker is rather recent. It was originally known as the Retro VGS console. It’s a system from the people behind the Retro gaming magazine and Coleco. The goal is a system that uses USB controllers, is set inside of a Jaguar mold, and plays 8-, 16-, and 32-bit cartridge-based games. Trust me when I say it’s the next Ouya, and that’s only if the Coleco Chameleon is lucky.
The first reason for this assertion is that crowdfunding endeavors for the Coleco Chameleon already failed once. They attempted to raise $1,950,000 on Indiegogo in a month earlier this year. The campaign failed, only raising $81,158 by November 3. It came no where close to the $3,100,000 stretch goal that would have allowed it to also play games from retro systems. When the Coleco Chameleon comes to Kickstarter, it will probably be a repeat of the Indiegogo scenario.
The Coleco Chameleon is also limiting itself. It will only play retro-inspired games. These are typically indie titles. How many of these developers and publishers are going to be willing to fund a cartridge run? How many people will pay higher prices for a cartridge-based version of an indie game they can immediately buy for their PC or console? Especially considering the console and PC versions will support things like cloud saves and offer achievements. There has to be an assurance of profitability and more of a reason to buy than the prospect of owning a tangible copy.
This also isn’t an established company with a track record. If it were Amazon, which seems to do well enough with its Fire TV, or Razer, which has a history, stepping in, it’d be more trustworthy. But this is another Ouya situation. Yes, Coleco had the Colecovision from 1982-1985, but what has it done since then? In 2005, it released a Coleco Sonic system that had 20 Sega Master System and Game Gear games in it. Would you trust a company like that with an entirely new console? I wouldn’t.
History repeats itself. It’s a known fact and, with the Coleco Chameleon, we’re seeing it happen again. This is the Ouya all over again. People might get excited about the prospect of something. Especially since retro-inspired games are fun and all. They won’t think things through, though, and end up funding a console that will inevitably flop. Save yourself now. Use the money you would consider for a Coleco Chameleon to buy yourself something nice during the after-Christmas sales.