It’s been a bit of a bumpy ride for the launch of Kickstarter success story Ouya, the home-based Android-powered console. After an initial delay of release to commercial users, reports of dysfunctional controllers, and a limited game library, Ouya has already begun to set some plans in motion to ensure that the rest of 2013 and beyond goes a whole lot smoother. And they’re preparing to tackle the most pressing issue directly head on: the lack of exclusive games.
It’s been a bit of a bumpy ride for the launch of Kickstarter success story Ouya, the home-based Android-powered console. After an initial delay of release to commercial users, reports of dysfunctional controllers, and a limited game library, Ouya has already begun to set some plans in motion to ensure that the rest of 2013 and beyond goes a whole lot smoother. And they’re preparing to tackle the most pressing issue directly head on: the lack of exclusive games.
So for every eligible Ouya project that shows up on Kickstarter over the next year, Ouya plans to match every dollar raised for the developers up to $250,000, provided the project is able to raise at least $50,000. And as another added incentive, Ouya will also be awarding a cool $100,000 right out of their pockets for the single project that is able to raise the most total funds. All eligible projects must be launched on Kickstarter between August 9, 2013 and August 10, 2014.
However, the catch is that all games funded through this new promotional method must remain exclusive to the Ouya console for at least six months after their initial release. CEO Julie Uhrman has stated that Ouya has chosen Kickstarter to host these new and upcoming projects as a way to give back to the company for their instrumental part in first getting the Android-based console off the ground.
While the new announcement is certainly a good idea and an overly nice gesture to Ouya supporters and developers alike, the whole situation is still almost a double-edged sword of sorts. Simply put, there’s just not that many “system selling,” exclusive titles available for the Ouya right now. And the games it does have, well most of them could already have been played months ago on regular Android-powered smartphones and tablets.
“Ravensword: Shadowlands plays great on Ouya, but is neither new nor exclusive.
The move can definitely be seen as a gamble, for sure: especially since AllThingsD has reported a whopping 20 of the currently 35 finished Ouya game campaigns on Kickstarter have failed, and that only two Ouya games have actually managed to reach that $50,000 milestone of funding. So the question then becomes: will this plan really succeed like the Ouya console first did when the time comes? I know I’ll be looking forward to finding out!
Are you still on the fence about getting an Ouya? You can read our very own review of the Ouya right here, and while you’re waiting for more exclusive games to be announced and funded for the Android-based console, here’s a quick list of some great games already on there, which we happen to think are not too shabby and definitely worth your time.
