Ouya | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Thu, 23 May 2019 09:09:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Ouya | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Razer is shutting down Ouya https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/matthew-wilson/razer-is-shutting-down-ouya/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/matthew-wilson/razer-is-shutting-down-ouya/#respond Thu, 23 May 2019 08:30:36 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=413444 A few years ago, there was a big push to bring Android into the living room as a competitive console offering. This resulted in a few different products, including Ouya, the MadCatz Mojo (which used the Ouya store) and the Razer Forge TV. Razer acquired Ouya back in 2015 and immediately cut down the hardware …

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A few years ago, there was a big push to bring Android into the living room as a competitive console offering. This resulted in a few different products, including Ouya, the MadCatz Mojo (which used the Ouya store) and the Razer Forge TV. Razer acquired Ouya back in 2015 and immediately cut down the hardware portion of the business but kept the software around. Now, Razer will officially be shutting down the last remnants of Ouya.

This week, Razer announced that it will be shutting down remaining Ouya services, including the store. The shutdown will take place on the 25th of June, until then though, anyone who still has an Ouya or a Razer Forge TV will be able to download their Ouya games. However, some games may not still function after that date, depending on the game, an online check-in might be required and with the store shutting down, those checks will fail. Razer advises customers to “contact the game developer for confirmation”.

Alongside the Ouya store shutting down for good, Razer will also stop selling the Forge TV console. However, those who already own a Forge TV, or a MadCatz Mojo, will be able to use the console as normal and download apps from the Google Play Store instead.

The Ouya looked like a success once upon a time, with a successful crowd funding campaign and $25 million worth of investment between 2013 and 2015. However, the console did not end up selling well outside of those who crowdfunded it and exclusive game development never really took off.

KitGuru Says: Ouya hasn't exactly been a hot topic of conversation over the last four years, so seeing it finally put to rest shouldn't be too surprising. The Android-powered console concept hasn't really taken off, perhaps one day we'll see someone else try again but first, game offerings will need to improve.

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Razer to honour Ouya Free the Games funding commitments https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/razer-to-honour-ouya-free-the-games-funding-commitments/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/razer-to-honour-ouya-free-the-games-funding-commitments/#comments Wed, 29 Jul 2015 08:09:13 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=261212 Although the Android Ouya console failed to make the splash its developers hoped, one aspect of its platform did impress a lot of indies: its Free the Game promotion. With it, Ouya promised to match whatever developers were able to raise on Kickstarter from a million dollar fund. The plan was to dole out the …

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Although the Android Ouya console failed to make the splash its developers hoped, one aspect of its platform did impress a lot of indies: its Free the Game promotion. With it, Ouya promised to match whatever developers were able to raise on Kickstarter from a million dollar fund. The plan was to dole out the additional funds in waves when the game hit beta, was released and eventually left Ouya exclusivity, but due to its buyout by Razer, several developers recently announced that they didn't expect to receive anything.

That was because earlier this year, Ouya added a caveat to its Free the Games policy, which gave it an out if there was an issue of bankruptcy or insolvency. While that hasn't happened, it initially appeared as if it would be using the Razer buyout as a way to avoid paying any outstanding fees to developers.

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Fortunately then, Razer has announced that it will honour any and all of Ouya's pledges, which it claims total around $620,000, to some 27 developers (as per Eurogamer). While confirmed by Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan, he said he was surprised that the promotion hadn't been completed, since it was launched more than two years ago. He also explained that although Razer didn't have any obligation to fulfil the pledge, it would do, thinking it the right thing to do to support the indie developers and to bolster the current library of titles on its Forge platform.

To be eligible, developers that were part of the original scheme will need to sign on to the new platform. Its rules have changed a little, with Razer no longer requiring exclusivity. Instead, it wants developers to use the funds to provide a certain number of copies (equal in cost to the funded money) to Cortex TV users for free.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It's pretty sneaky of Ouya to try and get out of its commitments to the indie developers, especially since the promotion started so long ago. You have to wonder if that lack of following through was an indication that Ouya began struggling financially early on.

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Razer buys Ouya’s software, storefront – drops hardware https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/razer-buys-ouyas-software-storefront-drops-hardware/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/razer-buys-ouyas-software-storefront-drops-hardware/#comments Tue, 28 Jul 2015 08:13:10 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=260996 Ouya is a great example that a successful Kickstarter campaign does not necessarily lead to a successful product. Despite its little Android console offering a decent game library, small form factor hardware and an innovative store-front, it just didn't take off. Now though it will have a chance to live on as part of peripheral …

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Ouya is a great example that a successful Kickstarter campaign does not necessarily lead to a successful product. Despite its little Android console offering a decent game library, small form factor hardware and an innovative store-front, it just didn't take off. Now though it will have a chance to live on as part of peripheral giant Razer, which has purchased almost everything to do with Ouya, apart from its hardware, which will now be officially discontinued.

Only the base station though. The controllers will be ported over to work with Razer's own Android console, the Forge. It's also looking to utilise the Ouya content library, as well as its storefront. Most of the technical staff behind the console's development will also move over to Razer projects, though it's not clear if they'll need to physically move or whether Razer will adopt Ouya offices also.

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All of this was known about last month, but it's only now been confirmed by official statements from both Razer and Ouya's founder, Julie Uhrman, who will be stepping down.

“Razer has a long-term vision for Android TV and Android-based TV consoles, such as the Xiaomi Mi Box and Alibaba Tmall Box, to which OUYA already publishes,” Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan said in a statement (via Ars). “OUYA’s work with game developers, both triple A and indies, went a long way in bringing Android games to the living room and Razer intends to further that work. This acquisition is envisaged to usher more developers and content to the Android TV platform.”

It also took the opportunity to talk up its own hardware offerings, by stating that Ouya users would soon be able to migrate over to the “more advanced,” Forge console. Their pre-existing accounts and libraries of games will be transferrable and the Ouya controllers will work with the Force in the future too.

Uhrman's statements have been mostly confined to Twitter, though she did ask Razer to look after her team for her, in a somewhat sad farewell:

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It seems a shame to finally see Ouya bite the dust. It was such an exciting concept at one point, but taking on the console industry was a big ask, even for a multi-million dollar funded Kickstarter campaign. It will be interesting to see if folding in the Ouya owners will help Razer's own Android system take off. 

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Ouya is now officially part of Razer https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/matthew-wilson/ouya-is-now-officially-part-of-razer/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/matthew-wilson/ouya-is-now-officially-part-of-razer/#comments Mon, 27 Jul 2015 15:45:16 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=260901 Back in June, investment bank, Mesa Global, put a listing on its site that said Ouya had in-fact been acquired by Razer. However, neither Razer or Ouya has acknowledged this or issues a confirmation until today. Ouya is now officially a part of Razer. Why was Razer interested in acquiring a failing Android console maker? …

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Back in June, investment bank, Mesa Global, put a listing on its site that said Ouya had in-fact been acquired by Razer. However, neither Razer or Ouya has acknowledged this or issues a confirmation until today. Ouya is now officially a part of Razer.

Why was Razer interested in acquiring a failing Android console maker? It seems that Ouya had some value left in software assets as Razer did not actually buyout the hardware side of the business. Razer will now be integrating Ouya's software library with the Razer Cortex and the Ouya store will be renamed ‘Cortex for Android TV'.

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So Ouya's library of a thousand games will be heading to Razer's own Android console. The Ouya brand will also stick around, though it will now be a games publisher: “The Ouya brand name will live on as a standalone gaming publisher for Android TV and Android based TV consoles”, Razer CEO, Min-Liang Tan said to TechCrunch.

Now those of you who own a Ouya console won't just be left without hardware support. Razer has planned a year of hardware support for the current 200,000 Ouya owners, though the company will be working to try to get those owners to migrate over to Razer's own Forge TV console.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: We've known about the Ouya acquisition since June so this isn't really a surprise. It seems that Razer bought Ouya in an effort to expand its software library, which it has been steadily expanding over the last few years. 

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It looks like Razer went ahead and bought Ouya https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/it-looks-like-razer-went-ahead-and-bought-ouya/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/it-looks-like-razer-went-ahead-and-bought-ouya/#comments Mon, 15 Jun 2015 19:26:14 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=254648 Update: Last week, we got wind of rumours suggesting that Razer might be interested in buying out Ouya, the company behind the Kickstarted Android console that failed to garner commercial success. Now, it seems that Razer may have taken the plunge and quietly acquired the struggling device maker. At this present time, neither company has sent …

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Update: Last week, we got wind of rumours suggesting that Razer might be interested in buying out Ouya, the company behind the Kickstarted Android console that failed to garner commercial success. Now, it seems that Razer may have taken the plunge and quietly acquired the struggling device maker. At this present time, neither company has sent out a press release to confirm this information but according to Investment Bank, Mesa Global, the deal has been done.

It is worth noting that the listing on the site has since been pulled but there is a screenshot floating around:

ouya.0

The interesting thing about this is that Razer already has its own Android console in the form of the Forge TV. It is currently not known if Razer will continue to sell the Ouya or allow the company to operate independently. It is possible that Ouya held patents that Razer wanted access to, which is always worth considering when tech companies buy eachother out.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE. 

KitGuru Says: Nothing is confirmed just yet but hopefully we will get some official word soon. You can find the original story going over the initial buyout rumours below.

Original Story: A short while back, we got news that OUYA was looking to be acquired in one last effort to save itself from sinking entirely. Now, according to new reports, apparently Razer is in talks to buy out the company, with a deal currently being discussed, although nothing is finalized just yet.

Part of the talks involve Razer taking on all of OUYA's staff, meaning nobody will necessarily be out of a job. According to CNET, OUYA is currently branding itself to potential acquires as an accessible, inexpensive Android console with an established library of games.

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The OUYA launched back in 2013 following a successful crowd funding run on Kickstarter, during which the company raised $8.6 million. Despite its initial success though, the console failed to gain any traction and did not manage to garner many sales.

The interesting thing about Razer possibly buying OUYA is that the company already has its own Android console device, having revealed it at CES and released it very recently. It would be interesting to see what Razer would do with a failing company like OUYA.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Razer is just one of the big names being thrown around for an OUYA acquisition. However, the brand is essentially tainted at this point and it is unlikely to make any form of meaningful resurgence. Do you think Razer could save Ouya? Would it be a waste of money?

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Apparently Razer might buy Ouya https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/matthew-wilson/apparently-razer-might-buy-ouya/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/matthew-wilson/apparently-razer-might-buy-ouya/#comments Wed, 10 Jun 2015 19:56:32 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=253840 A short while back, we got news that OUYA was looking to be acquired in one last effort to save itself from sinking entirely. Now, according to new reports, apparently Razer is in talks to buy out the company, with a deal currently being discussed, although nothing is finalized just yet. Part of the talks …

The post Apparently Razer might buy Ouya first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
A short while back, we got news that OUYA was looking to be acquired in one last effort to save itself from sinking entirely. Now, according to new reports, apparently Razer is in talks to buy out the company, with a deal currently being discussed, although nothing is finalized just yet.

Part of the talks involve Razer taking on all of OUYA's staff, meaning nobody will necessarily be out of a job. According to CNET, OUYA is currently branding itself to potential acquires as an accessible, inexpensive Android console with an established library of games.

ouya-e1430245488813

The OUYA launched back in 2013 following a successful crowd funding run on Kickstarter, during which the company raised $8.6 million. Despite its initial success though, the console failed to gain any traction and did not manage to garner many sales.

The interesting thing about Razer possibly buying OUYA is that the company already has its own Android console device, having revealed it at CES and released it very recently. It would be interesting to see what Razer would do with a failing company like OUYA.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Razer is just one of the big names being thrown around for an OUYA acquisition. However, the brand is essentially tainted at this point and it is unlikely to make any form of meaningful resurgence. Do you think Razer could save Ouya? Would it be a waste of money?

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Apparently Ouya is going up for sale https://www.kitguru.net/channel/matthew-wilson/apparently-ouya-is-going-up-for-sale/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/matthew-wilson/apparently-ouya-is-going-up-for-sale/#comments Tue, 28 Apr 2015 18:25:33 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=247109 You probably remember the Ouya, it was a small Android gaming console for the living room. It was also one of the more prolific Kickstarter success stories in recent years. However, unfortunately when the console launched, not many people wanted to buy one. Now the struggling company might be putting itself up for sale. According …

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You probably remember the Ouya, it was a small Android gaming console for the living room. It was also one of the more prolific Kickstarter success stories in recent years. However, unfortunately when the console launched, not many people wanted to buy one.

Now the struggling company might be putting itself up for sale. According to a leaked memo, CEO Julie Uhrman, said that the company had lost one of its biggest investors and in order to stay afloat, it would need to find a buyer fairly quickly.

ouya

The Ouya initially raised $15 million in 2013, shortly after, the company secured some venture debt from TriplePoint Capital. It is not known how much money was lent to Ouya at the time but according to Fortune, it must have been more than $10 million.

So it looks like the struggling company might not be around for much longer if it fails to find a buyer. Not many people were interested in buying an Ouya, despite its fairly large library of games at launch. In the leaked memo, Julie Uhrman said: “Our focus now is trying to recover as much investor capital as possible. We believe we’ve built something real and valuable. I continue to read the tweets and emails of our fans who play OUYA every day, and our catalog is now over 1,000 apps and 40,000 developers. We have the largest library of Android content for the TV”.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Ouya has struggled ever since it launched. It just seems that people aren't all that interested in having an Android gaming console for the living room. With that in mind, Ouya may struggle to even find a buyer for the company, although if someone with enough money came along, it could potentially turn things around.

Source: Fortune

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Alibaba sinks $10 million into OUYA Android console https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/brendan-morgan/alibaba-sinks-10-million-into-ouya-android-console/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/brendan-morgan/alibaba-sinks-10-million-into-ouya-android-console/#respond Fri, 30 Jan 2015 01:14:20 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=233230 The OUYA console started its life as one of Kickstarters most successful projects back in 2012, raising over $8.6 million from backers and blazing past its $950,000 goal in less than a 8 hours. Since then the $99 Android console has been though a few ups and downs, it has been sold in stores all across …

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The OUYA console started its life as one of Kickstarters most successful projects back in 2012, raising over $8.6 million from backers and blazing past its $950,000 goal in less than a 8 hours. Since then the $99 Android console has been though a few ups and downs, it has been sold in stores all across the US, but it has also had problems making much of a dent in the market dominated by Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo and it has suffered from a lack of games made for the system.

Today though word has come that Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant, has invested $10 million in the Santa Monica company and may have plans to integrate the OUYA software into its own set-top boxes. This would be aided by the fact that China’s State Council recently lifted a ban on video game consoles that has been in place since 2000 and the market for cheap consoles is booming in China.
OUYA
OUYA has also raised over $15 million from other investors, including Nvidia, in addition to the money it raised on Kickstarter, so there is a lot of capital behind the company and if it can break into the new Chinese market, it could easily be in with a chance of becoming one of the top console players in the world.

CEO Julie Uhrman would not confirm the Alibaba reports but she did say the following: “We have been working with partners to bring our platform and games library to their devices (OUYA Everywhere). We're live with Madcatz in the US and working with Xiaomi in China. There are a number of others in the works, with our focus outside the US because there is where we see the most opportunity and growth. Sometimes new markets leapfrog the established ones — this may be one of those cases.”

The consoles low price will help it in the new Chinese market and it recently partnered with another Chinese tech start-up, Xiaomi (who are often referred to as the Chinese Apple) to get its software onto its set-top boxes as well, meaning that a lot of the Chinese translation has already been completed. With Alibaba wanting OUYA on its set-top boxes as well, it could have a large chunk of the set-top box market with very little effort.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I've never seen or used a OUYA but I have heard that the fledgling console was lacking in “Made for OUYA” games and lots of the ports, didn't work so well on the system. Breaking into the Chinese market in a big way though could give a massive boost to it however and with the backing of two massive Chinese companies, this should be a lot easier.

Source: Wall Street Journal

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Ouya might soon be on the auction block https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/ouya-might-soon-be-on-the-auction-block/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/ouya-might-soon-be-on-the-auction-block/#comments Wed, 03 Sep 2014 14:32:28 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=210180 Remember the Ouya? It was another of the Kickstarter success stories that hasn't turned out quite as well as was hoped. While initially it seemed like a great way to mix up the console space and challenge some of the big boys at their own game, ultimately the little Android home console ended up having …

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Remember the Ouya? It was another of the Kickstarter success stories that hasn't turned out quite as well as was hoped. While initially it seemed like a great way to mix up the console space and challenge some of the big boys at their own game, ultimately the little Android home console ended up having little appeal as people focused their casual gaming on smartphones and tablets. With that in mind, it's not too hard to believe the rumours that the company is now courting offers from potential buyers in America and China, to sell the firm off in its entirety.

Recode's sources believe that there haven't been any concrete offers as of yet, but that there's been some interest from Google, Amazon and Tencent, the latter of which is perhaps the most interesting since there isn't much console competition in China. However it did recently lift it's ban on consoles, so that may not last for much longer.

ouya

Unfortunately other than a relatively well rounded console platform, Ouya doesn't have a lot to offer a major buyer. While it made a big splash with an $8 million Kickstarter back in 2012, it quickly ran into problems with delays and it eventually found itself with quite a small library of games. Today it has over 900, but that hasn't helped much. It tried to innovate in several ways, like forcing game makers to provide demos, but that was eventually dropped when all it seemed to do was discourage developers from porting their titles over.

More recently the console maker has tried a few different strategies, like offering a subscription model for games, but when your main business is game sales and your top selling title of the year only shifts 7,000 copies, you're in trouble.

KitGuru Says: Poor Ouya. It had so much promise – or seemed to – when first announced. What do you guys think the best future for it would be?

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Ouya announces new subscription model trial https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/matthew-wilson/ouya-announces-new-subscription-model/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/matthew-wilson/ouya-announces-new-subscription-model/#respond Tue, 01 Jul 2014 10:46:47 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=200971 The Ouya is getting a new all encompassing game pass, allowing those who own an Ouya access to over 800 of the console's games for a $59.99 one of annual payment. However, the company is still somehow going to manage to pay developers its 70 per cent cut of the full price of its games. …

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The Ouya is getting a new all encompassing game pass, allowing those who own an Ouya access to over 800 of the console's games for a $59.99 one of annual payment. However, the company is still somehow going to manage to pay developers its 70 per cent cut of the full price of its games.

The pass only applies to games that cost under $30 and doesn't include any in-app purchases, it is also strictly non refundable. Once purchased, most of the console's games will show up as costing $0.00. The company also reserves the right to disqualify any customer or game that it thinks “abusing the system during the duration of this program.”

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According to Gamasutra, even though many games on the store will become free under the new scheme, developers will still receive 70 per cent of the actual sale price of its games once downloaded.

Speaking to Polygon, an Ouya rep said that this all access scheme is a trial run for an upcoming subscription model:

“Ouya All-Access is a pilot subscription program we're offering to new and existing Ouya users for a limited time only. For the price of one console game, players receive access to the entire Ouya catalogue of more than 800 titles, for a full year. It's just one of many things we're exploring to give players the best value, and developers the best visibility.”

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The people who want an Ouya probably have one at this point so I doubt this will push sales of the console. However, I could be wrong, maybe there are still people interested in the Android console. Do any of you guys have an Ouya?

Source: MCV

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Pay for Ouya games with bitcoins https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/pay-for-ouya-games-with-bitcoins/ Fri, 06 Dec 2013 08:41:17 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=165987 As bitcoin continues its latest struggle to decide if it wants to be worth more than a thousand dollars or not, companies around the world continue to accept it. Now, you can buy games for your little Android Ouya console using the digital currency through the Ouya store, just like you would with a credit …

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As bitcoin continues its latest struggle to decide if it wants to be worth more than a thousand dollars or not, companies around the world continue to accept it. Now, you can buy games for your little Android Ouya console using the digital currency through the Ouya store, just like you would with a credit card.

You'll also be able to buy the console itself if you have around .1 of a bitcoin lying around, since the Ouya itself doesn't cost much more than $100.

The news came right from the Ouya's mouth, with the company posting up a message on its twitter saying “We accept Bitcoin. Rejoice!” along with an image of its checkout system showing the bitcoin integration:

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While this is good news for those that want to use the anonymous currency to buy a new console, Ouya is coming quite late to the party. Bitcoin has been around for over four years at this point. It's also been of a decent but growing value for the last eight months. Had Ouya officials accepted Bitcoin at the start and held on to it for a while, it would have made a lot of money.

Kitguru Says: But of course that's what anyone that's been following the currency for more than a few days thinks. I bought my first Bitcoin for £20. Now I wish I'd invested my life savings. Then again, someone would probably just have nicked it.

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Assassin’s Creed Pirates releasing on the 5th of December https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/assassins-creed-pirates-releasing-on-the-5th-of-december/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/assassins-creed-pirates-releasing-on-the-5th-of-december/#respond Tue, 26 Nov 2013 11:25:43 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=164347 Assassin's Creed will be coming to Android and IOS this December, the mobile spin off is titled Assassin's Creed Pirates and will focus on naval combat and exploring the Caribbean islands. Ubisoft Paris developed the mobile title and much like its bigger brother- Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag, the game's story follows your search for …

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Assassin's Creed will be coming to Android and IOS this December, the mobile spin off is titled Assassin's Creed Pirates and will focus on naval combat and exploring the Caribbean islands. Ubisoft Paris developed the mobile title and much like its bigger brother- Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag, the game's story follows your search for treasure.

The game won't feature Edward Kenway but will instead put you in the shoes of Alonzo Batilla, with a few of its key features including: Being able to recruit and upgrade crew members, outfit your pirate ships and go head to head with other in-game ships in real-time naval combat. The game will feature the classic Assassins VS Templars conflict that all of the games are centered around, you'll also get your chance to meet some famous pirates including Blackbeard, Bellamy and Hornigold.

assassins-creed-pirates-650

Mobile gaming has come a long way in recent years; Nvidia even has a mobile processor that's capable of producing graphics that compare to those found on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. It's called Project Logan if you're curious.

Assassin's Creed Pirates will release on the 5th of December for $4.99, we don't have prices for other regions but I doubt the exchange rate will be taken in to account so i'd expect it to be £4.99 for the UK.

Kitguru Says: The game sounds pretty fun and it might be worth a shot. It'd be good for Android console owners. What do you guys think of serious games hitting the mobile platform? I thought the Amazing Spiderman mobile game was pretty good.

Source: IGN

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Limited edition Ouya system being released for the holidays https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/matthew-wilson/limited-edition-ouya-system-being-released-for-the-holidays/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/matthew-wilson/limited-edition-ouya-system-being-released-for-the-holidays/#respond Mon, 18 Nov 2013 15:08:23 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=163005 A new Ouya system has been announced for pre-order in North-America featuring an all white look for the holiday season. The timing is a bit odd as it was just recently confirmed that the Ouya 2.0 will be coming out in 2014, which isn't far away now. We will also be getting a brand new …

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A new Ouya system has been announced for pre-order in North-America featuring an all white look for the holiday season. The timing is a bit odd as it was just recently confirmed that the Ouya 2.0 will be coming out in 2014, which isn't far away now. We will also be getting a brand new controller ‘sometime soon'.

The limited edition Ouya will feature 16GB storage instead of the standard 8GB. Seems like a good move considering how big some Android games can get – I've filled up my Galaxy S3 with games quite a few times.

Screen Shot 2013-11-18 at 13.59.47

You might want to know a thing or two about the library of games available before you put your money down for a console though. So far there are around 520 games available with the most up to date list being available on the Ouya's website. However, while the game library may not be as fleshed out as it could be yet, Ouya users (not us of course) might argue that the list of compatible emulators helps.

The white Ouya will come out on the 8th of December in the US only. You can pre-order one directly from Ouya.tv for $129.99.

Kitguru Says: I'm not ready to take my mobile gaming to the big screen yet but when I see some more games like the Nova series come out, I might be tempted. Are you guys looking forward to the Ouya 2.0? 

Sources: Ouya.TV Via Polygon

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This pulled Ouya ad is… different https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/this-pulled-ouya-ad-is-different/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/this-pulled-ouya-ad-is-different/#respond Wed, 21 Aug 2013 10:13:04 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=148612 While the little Android console Ouya, isn't exactly kicking up a storm of interest in itself, the developers are certainly branching out with their advertising, targeting Ren and Stimpy fans with a vomit and gore filled, cartoon advert for itself. There's also more than a minor swing taken at more traditional home consoles and specifically …

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While the little Android console Ouya, isn't exactly kicking up a storm of interest in itself, the developers are certainly branching out with their advertising, targeting Ren and Stimpy fans with a vomit and gore filled, cartoon advert for itself.

There's also more than a minor swing taken at more traditional home consoles and specifically “Medal of Duty,” an obvious mashup of Call of Duty and Medal of Honour – though one of those is a lot more relevant than the other.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0ha6Mb5_YQ']

Apparently the developers don't like the idea of people having to pay $60 for a game – as opposed to something like Knightmare Tower, which is a free online flash game, but $4 on the Ouya – especially when the game “sucks” and is “exactly the same” as the last one.

Instead, it wants you to buy an Ouya and try its hundreds of games for free. Of course, those games are pretty basic for the most part and are often found on smartphones anyway, but hey, it's gotta try something right?

Kitguru Says: While I'm not a Call of Duty (or Battlefield) fan, I think it's hard to argue that they suck. They're clearly popular and much loved games, even if the premise is pretty tired at this point. And it's obvious that they have a place in the modern gamers library, something that the Ouya is struggling to find. 

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Ouya’s E3 appearance is an odd one too https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/ouyas-e3-appearance-is-an-one-too/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/ouyas-e3-appearance-is-an-one-too/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 10:16:09 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=135217 Last Friday we heard how Nintendo was going to be holding mini-E3s around the US at Best Buy stores, showing off unreleased Wii U games to the public as well as or instead of the journos at the actual event. Ouya are doing something a bit different too. Its E3 event will take place in …

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Last Friday we heard how Nintendo was going to be holding mini-E3s around the US at Best Buy stores, showing off unreleased Wii U games to the public as well as or instead of the journos at the actual event. Ouya are doing something a bit different too. Its E3 event will take place in the car park opposite the convention centre.

While this hasn't been officially announced by Ouya yet, an internal email was sent from the head of developers relations at the company to developers: “You'll be able to demo your games to media, E3 attendees, and random people on the street. Ouya's E3 location will be 100 percent open to the public.”

ouya
Everyone washed their hands before this, right?

This seems to be the vibe Nintendo is trying to put out there too: letting Joe gamer have a go on what it has to offer, instead of focusing on the journos at the conference who aren't the ultimate customer base that Ouya or Nintendo are targeting.

Ouya on the other hand, has even less reason to cater to the press, since early reviews of its dev kits were not too kind, suggesting that the Android console was underpowered. Getting the machine in the hands of gamers who can play the games and get a feel for it themselves, is much more likely to impress than handing a slightly newer version of the machine over to the press at E3 major.

KitGuru Says: This seems like quite a smart move and makes the companies that do it look more in touch than those that restrict themselves to the E3 halls.

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Ouya secures $15 million in new round of funding https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/ouya-secures-15-million-in-new-round-of-funding/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/ouya-secures-15-million-in-new-round-of-funding/#respond Thu, 09 May 2013 12:07:20 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=134242 The Ouya Android console has taken a bit of a beating recently. Early reviews of the developer hardware that went out were not good. People described it as being significantly underpowered and only offering something that most smartphones are capable of. Despite this, the company behind it have managed to secure another $15 million in venture capital …

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The Ouya Android console has taken a bit of a beating recently. Early reviews of the developer hardware that went out were not good. People described it as being significantly underpowered and only offering something that most smartphones are capable of. Despite this, the company behind it have managed to secure another $15 million in venture capital funding, citing an upsurge in interest and pre-orders in the US and UK as the main reason for it.

A lot of the funds will go into producing the larger numbers than expected of pre-ordered Ouya consoles, as well as providing extra support to the some 12,000 developers that have pledged to produce games for the platform, or port their existing games over.

ouya
One of the cooler parts of the Ouya is the ability to use 3D printing to make custom cases. 
“Ouya's open source platform creates a new world of opportunity for established and emerging independent game creators and gamers alike,” said Bing Gordon, one of the partners of investment firm Kleiner Perkins. “There are some types of games that can only be experienced on a TV, and Ouya is squarely focused on bringing back the living room gaming experience.”

The release date for the Ouya has also been pushed back slightly to 25th June in the US, Canada and the UK, to help the company cope with increasing demand. If you want one yourself, you can preorder one at GAME for £99.

KitGuru Says: While I like the idea of the Ouya putting the scare in the big console boys, I can't see it making more than a spattering of an impact. It just isn't powerful enough to do more than a smartphone can do and if that's the case, what's the point? 

[Thanks Guardian]

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How fast is Ouya? Not as fast as 77 other Android devices https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/how-fast-is-ouya-not-as-fast-as-77-other-android-devices/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/how-fast-is-ouya-not-as-fast-as-77-other-android-devices/#respond Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:47:32 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=132182 Maybe it's mean to rank the Ouya in terms of its hardware power, as for £99 it was never going to be a real workhorse, but when you're using an Android OS that doesn't have access to the Google Play store, you better have something else to sell the hardware, but in this case at …

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Maybe it's mean to rank the Ouya in terms of its hardware power, as for £99 it was never going to be a real workhorse, but when you're using an Android OS that doesn't have access to the Google Play store, you better have something else to sell the hardware, but in this case at least, sheer performance is not it.

This ranking comes from 3Dmark maker, Futuremark, which has placed every commercially available Android device in a list of best to worst. Sorry HTC desire users, you come in dead last, with the Galasy SL, Mini 2 and S, only just staying ahead. The Ouya developer kit comes in at 78, putting it between the Acer Iconia Tab A510 and the Sony Xperia Tablet S.

ouya2

Not bad, but nothing astounding either. There are a lot of smartphones in the list that outpower the little console. Some of these are popular too, like the Samsung Galaxy S III, which as Kotaku points out, is a generation old smartphone. The S IV is right up the top in third place, sitting behind the Sharp Aquos Zeta and the Xiamo Mi-2S.

If you still want a Ouya but didn't get one of the developer kits, check out GAME for a preorder.

KitGuru Says: Yes I know the Ouya wasn't designed to be Xbox powerful, but if it's slower than the smartphone in your pocket and doesn't have the game library of any current console or PC, then what's its major selling point? It isn't price. A £99 console + £50 for a couple of extra controllers… If you want a cheap console, go retro. 

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First reviewers smash the Ouya https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/first-reviewers-smash-the-ouya/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/first-reviewers-smash-the-ouya/#respond Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:01:05 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=130895 The Ouya looks like it might turn out to be the little android console that could not, as the first reviews of the system – that will apparently receive yearly hardware updates – are not good at all, with one reviewer giving it a 3/10. Complaints range from the controller hardware being sticky and regularly …

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The Ouya looks like it might turn out to be the little android console that could not, as the first reviews of the system – that will apparently receive yearly hardware updates – are not good at all, with one reviewer giving it a 3/10.

Complaints range from the controller hardware being sticky and regularly lagging behind player inputs, to missing features in the Android 4.1 operating system, but the biggest problem with the Ouya is the game library: there's only 104 available games at the moment, most of them very similar to simple social networking and smartphone offerings. Part of the reasoning for this is that Ouya has its own store, as opposed to using Google Play's already giant library of titles.

ouya
Hope you guys all washed your hands…

The reviewers also take note of the fact that games can be downloaded for free before you buy them, but it's apparently never clear when a game will ultimately remain free or if it will cost a premium over £10. This often results in annoying popups and prompts in-game.

The most damning bit of criticism suggests that potential buyers should consider this version of the Ouya a beta console. Ouch.

It's not all doom and gloom though, as The Verge did praise the hackability of the console, with the reviewer able to get several mainstream apps like Netflix and Plex working on the little machine, as well as emulating Mario Kart 64. Unfortunately he said the process was far from easy and beyond the capabilities of most backers who will just want to sit down and play.

KitGuru Says: Not a good initial outing the Ouya. This isn't going to encourage sales of the console, which GAME  just put up for pre-order in the UK, at all.

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Ouya begins shipping, pre-orders at GAME, printable chassis https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/ouya-begins-shipping-preorders-at-game-printable-chassis/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/ouya-begins-shipping-preorders-at-game-printable-chassis/#respond Thu, 28 Mar 2013 15:29:04 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=129936 There's been a lot of news about the little console that could over the past 24 hours. Original backers are now receiving their first editions of the Ouya, GAME has announced it's taking pre-orders at £99.99 a pop and Maker Bot has announced a partnership with Ouya to make new, colourful cases. Financed using Kickstarter, …

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There's been a lot of news about the little console that could over the past 24 hours. Original backers are now receiving their first editions of the Ouya, GAME has announced it's taking pre-orders at £99.99 a pop and Maker Bot has announced a partnership with Ouya to make new, colourful cases.

Financed using Kickstarter, in one of the most successful campaigns to date, the Ouya has begun shipping to original backers, bundled with emulators for the SNES and other consoles, giving it an impressive back-catalogue of games for people to be getting on with. Of course it'll have its own Android based games too.

Ouya
We always pay more for things here, don't we 🙁

No UK release date has been announced as of yet, but GAME has begun taking pre-orders at £99, which is nearly 50 per cent more expensive than the $99 (£65) price tag our friends across the pond get.

Still, if you think the standard case is a bit boring and you happen to have a MakerBot 3D printer, you can make yourself a much more colourful casing for the Ouya, thanks to a partnership between the two firms. Visiting the MakerBot website will give you access to the Ouya development kit, which gives you the specs and barebones design you need in order to print off whatever design you fancy, in a Ouya shaped box.

KitGuru Says: The Ouya does look like an interesting design that is going to be further bad news for Nintendo. The Wii U is already selling poorly and with a cheap competitor offering Nintendo back catalogue games, the Ouya could be a real pain in the neck.

[Thanks BBC and PCMag]

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Ouya shipping at end of month https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/ouya-shipping-at-end-of-month/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/ouya-shipping-at-end-of-month/#respond Fri, 01 Mar 2013 20:00:32 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=126851 The Ouya is set to begin shipping to Kickstarter backers at the end of March (28th to be precise) meaning that gamers will get their first in-the-wild glimpse of the little Android console that could shake up an industry that has been dominated by the big three for the past decade. The full launch of …

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The Ouya is set to begin shipping to Kickstarter backers at the end of March (28th to be precise) meaning that gamers will get their first in-the-wild glimpse of the little Android console that could shake up an industry that has been dominated by the big three for the past decade.

The full launch of the Ouya is expected to be in June, where those that simply pre-ordered will be able to get their hands on one, as well as those that buy it on launch day. According to the latest news, new features are expected in the coming few months, though there isn't much detail on what those are.

New games have also been announced, including Airtight Games' untitled “imaginative” game that there is practically no info on at the moment. This is coming from the studio that produced Quantum Conundrum – the Portal like puzzle room game.

The Ball
The Ball: A chaotic, bloody marble madness?

There's also a touchpad enabled game coming from Minority media, the guys behind Papo and Yo and another by Tripwire known as “The Ball.”

KitGuru Says: I won't be buying one of these, as I'm a PC gamer at heart, but I'm interested to see what it does to the console landscape.

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Ouya set for commercial release in June https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/ouya-set-for-commercial-release-in-june/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/ouya-set-for-commercial-release-in-june/#respond Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:00:15 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=124143 The little console that set Kickstarter ablaze and began what seems to be a current trend of crowd funding little home consoles to rival the big boys, has had its final release date outed. Those that didn't pre-order or get in on the ground floor, will be able to get their hands on a Ouya …

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The little console that set Kickstarter ablaze and began what seems to be a current trend of crowd funding little home consoles to rival the big boys, has had its final release date outed. Those that didn't pre-order or get in on the ground floor, will be able to get their hands on a Ouya in June this year.

We also have pricing and retail outlet details, though since it's all geared around dollars, it looks like the initial launch will be in the US. No word on an EU release as of yet, though presumably it won't be too soon after launch – and potentially imports should be fine, since the original Kickstarter allowed for international pre-orders.

Ouya
You can still pre-order a Ouya now if you want one

So for our pals across the pond, the Ouya will be debuting at $99.99 (£63) and available in Target, Gamestop and Best Buy, as well as at online retailer Amazon, with additional controllers priced at $49.99.

According to CEO at Ouya, Julie Uhrman, who spooke with the Wall Street Journal, the console will launch with a “large suite” of gaming titles, though no word on quite how many at the moment and if they're new releases, or ports of titles we've seen before on other platforms.

KitGuru Says: Did any of you guys preorder a Ouya or get one as part of the Kickstarter? If you wanted to but didn't, you still can pre-order one. Just head here.

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Amazon offer support for OUYA android console https://www.kitguru.net/channel/slyvia/amazon-offer-support-for-ouya-android-console/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/slyvia/amazon-offer-support-for-ouya-android-console/#respond Tue, 05 Feb 2013 07:57:57 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=124095 The OUYA Android powered gaming console funded on KickStarter will begin selling through Amazon, as well as Gamestop and other retailers. Preorders will start being taken on Tuesday in advance of retail availability in June 2013. American retails such as Best Buy and Target are also onboard to sell the console, with prices around the …

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The OUYA Android powered gaming console funded on KickStarter will begin selling through Amazon, as well as Gamestop and other retailers.

Preorders will start being taken on Tuesday in advance of retail availability in June 2013. American retails such as Best Buy and Target are also onboard to sell the console, with prices around the $100 mark.

OUYA will sell their controllers as well through the same channels. They have a touch input pad which will cost around $50.

This gaming console will plug directly into television sets and will run a plethora of  titles based on Google's mobile operating system, Android. The hardware is open to any developer who can build titles for the console as well as develop new accessories.

OUYA raised a staggering $8.5 million from a Kickstarter campaign and they have been taking preorders for the console on their website. Over 68,000 consoles are on order according to CEO Julie Uhrman.

The Wall Street Journal interviewed Uhrman and you can read that over here. The company are using some of the money they got from the Kickstarter campaign to fund game development.

Kitguru says: A success story for 2013?

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Ouya could have Firefox support https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/ouya-could-have-firefox-support/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/ouya-could-have-firefox-support/#respond Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:44:27 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=122645 While you might be looking forward to the Ouya Android console for many reasons, there could now be one more. Mozilla is currently working on making a Ouya compatible version of its Firefox browser, as well as making it easily navigable with a controller. The announcement was made on the OuyaForum by administrator Ed Krassenstein, …

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While you might be looking forward to the Ouya Android console for many reasons, there could now be one more. Mozilla is currently working on making a Ouya compatible version of its Firefox browser, as well as making it easily navigable with a controller.

The announcement was made on the OuyaForum by administrator Ed Krassenstein, who said that he was informed by the Mozilla Foundation early yesterday. The message read: “We’re investigating what we need to do to make Firefox usable on Ouya. It already works and we have some preliminary patches for gamepad support, but there’s still quite a bit of work to be done to make it really usable. Part of this work will be making sure that WebGL and Canvas support performs well on the device, and making sure that the relevant APIs (such as Gamepad API) are also supported.”

As a follow up, Chris Lord from Mozilla posted the following image on his Twitter account, suggesting work was progressing well. Note the clear plastic Ouya dev. kit on the desk.

Mozilla
Nice mug.

However one caveat is that the tweet read: “Kinda unusable atm,” which suggests development is in its very early stages.

This is still good news for the Ouya though, as it adds functionality to a piece of kit that a lot of people are already excited about for its low cost gaming credentials.

KitGuru Says: Do any of you guys browse the internet on your TV? Would you do so with this?

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Ouya unboxing video appears online https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/ouya-unboxing-video-appears-online/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/console-desktop-pc/jon-martindale/ouya-unboxing-video-appears-online/#comments Fri, 28 Dec 2012 12:23:00 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=120405 After several million in funding and months of waiting, fans of the tea cup sized, kick started console, Ouya, can now get their first look at what the development kit looks like. It's not the final version that gamers will receive but the dev kit, so there are a few differences, but in essence, this …

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After several million in funding and months of waiting, fans of the tea cup sized, kick started console, Ouya, can now get their first look at what the development kit looks like. It's not the final version that gamers will receive but the dev kit, so there are a few differences, but in essence, this is the Ouya.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psCoR4zmIpE']

It starts out with a small black box, that opens up to a letter, thanking the developer for believing in the Ouya and reminding any gamers that ordered early that as it stands, there are no games on the platform. Yet.

Popping the box open further, there's a pair of controllers which feature clear plastic casings and the usual features you would expect from a console controller. However they also have removable covers on the hand grips that will allow for customisation, as well as giving access to the batteries.

The console itself is similarly made with clear plastic and features a new micro USB connector along with a single standard USB port, another for HDMI and the DC input. The console is then compared size wise to a standard coffee mug and confirmed as a 7.5cm cube.

The case is easily openable, as the creators want developers to make hardware as much as software modifications to the internals. However a fan has now been added as standard – no word on what that will produce noise wise – to help those that want extra performance from the little console, achieve it.

Finally, it's confirmed by the developers that within the box you also receive plenty of cables, one for each of the ports on the Ouya.

KitGuru Says: The launch of the Ouya comes hand in hand with Steam's Big Picture as some of the most potentially disruptive tech to the traditional gaming market that's come along in a while. It's going to be interesting to see what sort of impact they have in 2013.

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Ouya enters Engineering Verification Testing phase https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/ouya-enters-engineering-verification-testing-phase/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/ouya-enters-engineering-verification-testing-phase/#respond Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:24:05 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=114252 CEO at Ouya, Julie Uhrman, has announced that the little Android console has now entered the Engineering Verification Testing (EVT) phase, which brings it one step closer to release. It also means we get a first look at the PCB that will be inside the Ouya and it's impressively tiny. Smaller than a foreign coke …

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CEO at Ouya, Julie Uhrman, has announced that the little Android console has now entered the Engineering Verification Testing (EVT) phase, which brings it one step closer to release. It also means we get a first look at the PCB that will be inside the Ouya and it's impressively tiny.

Smaller than a foreign coke can in-fact. If it wasn't for the small “330ml” label, you might be forgiven for thinking that this was some giant overseas container, but in-fact the Ouya PCB is just that small. “It’s pretty amazing how our engineers have packed in Quad-Core awesomeness into such an unbelievably small package,” said Uhrman in her blog post.

She explained further that during the EVT phase, the company will be testing the console and controller with the Ouya software, seeing what sort of performance they can get out of it. Issues will result in redesigns, so it's not quite finished yet, but so far Uhrman believes that everything is on track to get developer kits out by December. Anyone that didn't secure themselves one as part of the Kickstarter can do so now by visiting Ouya.tv, as the company is “making a few extra.”

Ouya PCB
That thing gives the Raspberry Pi a run for its money

Another announcement in the blog post was that Android Ice Cream Sandwich had been dropped in favour of the more contemporary Jelly Bean.

KitGuru Says: The Ouya has the potential to be a big upset in the console market, capturing a large section of the Nintendo audience that is interested in casual games and media viewing. Will any of you be picking one up on launch day?

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Square Enix announces Ouya support https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/square-enix-announces-ouya-support/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/square-enix-announces-ouya-support/#respond Tue, 31 Jul 2012 18:00:56 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=101966 Square Enix has announced its intentions to support the Ouya console at launch, making the iPad and and DS version of Final Fantasy III available on the android powered home console at its debut. Currently still running through its Kickstarter campaign, the Ouya device is now approaching six times its original funding target, just shy …

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Square Enix has announced its intentions to support the Ouya console at launch, making the iPad and and DS version of Final Fantasy III available on the android powered home console at its debut.

Currently still running through its Kickstarter campaign, the Ouya device is now approaching six times its original funding target, just shy of $6 million – making it one of the most successful campaigns on the site so far. Since the fundraising began, developers and other companies have begun to express their interest in the platform. Square Enix follows along from OnLive, the streaming gaming service which will be natively supported on the machine, as well as a Robotoki, the developer led by ex Infinity Ward head Robert Bowling. His company will be making an episodic prequel to human element for the device.

The Ouya developers also outed the controller for the console a few days ago, showing off its sleek design, twin thumbsticks and four traditional face buttons. There's also a DPad in the usual position and a glowing centre button, making obvious comparisons with the Xbox 360 controller.

Ouya Controller
Xbox comparison aside, it looks comfortable

KitGuru Says: How do you think the Ouya is shaping up. Could it tempt you away from investing in one of the next-gen machines from the big three companies?

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