Ouya's Kickstarter Campaign Closes with Nearly $8.6 Million in Funding; What's Next?
More than 63,000 backers pledged a grand total of $8,596,475 to the Ouya project, which is supposed to be a low cost Android console that's small in size but big in functionality, including media center capabilities courtesy of support from XBMC. Ouya is one of Kickstarter's most successful projects to date, at least in terms of generating funds and excitement, and though the campaign is over, things are just now getting started.
What happens next will be watched very closely by not only those who pledged their hard earned dollars, but the Kickstarter community at large, along with the entire Web. With around $8.6 million in free money to play with -- far more than the $950,000 that was initially sought -- Ouya's developers are now under pressure to deliver on the immense hype this project has generated the past month. There's a chance all those millions of dollars could end up spiraling through a vortex of product delays, empty promises, and ultimately vaporware if this thing isn't handled right, and if that happens, it could cast an ominous cloud over Kickstarter, one that scares away potential backers of future projects.
On the flip side, Ouya has a chance to do something special, and the project's developers are purportedly "having some exciting conversations behind the scenes," many of which they're not yet ready to share. Announcements have been trickling out since the project caught fire, however, and the latest bit of news is that Namco Bandai is in talks to be a launch partner.
"Namco Bandai Games and Ouya are currently in active discussions to bring some of the world's biggest gaming properties to the exciting new open gaming platform," said Carlson Choi, VP of Marketing for Namco Bandai. "Namco Bandai brings with it a rich history of iconic gaming franchises, from classics like Pac-Man and Galaga, to seminal franchises like Tekken and Ridge Racer, and we're excited to explore how we can work with Ouya to bring some great titles to the forthcoming console."
The hard part comes now, which is having to sit back and wait for things to develop. While you're doing that, Ouya has promised to keep everyone apprised of its progress via Facebook Reddit, Twitter, Google+, and it's own homepage at www.ouya.tv.
Speaking of the company's website, you can already place your pre-order for an Ouya console. The cost is $109 for the console and one controller, which includes a $10 shipping fee; $139 for the console and two controllers; and $199 for the console and four controllers. Expected delivery is April 2013.
What happens next will be watched very closely by not only those who pledged their hard earned dollars, but the Kickstarter community at large, along with the entire Web. With around $8.6 million in free money to play with -- far more than the $950,000 that was initially sought -- Ouya's developers are now under pressure to deliver on the immense hype this project has generated the past month. There's a chance all those millions of dollars could end up spiraling through a vortex of product delays, empty promises, and ultimately vaporware if this thing isn't handled right, and if that happens, it could cast an ominous cloud over Kickstarter, one that scares away potential backers of future projects.
On the flip side, Ouya has a chance to do something special, and the project's developers are purportedly "having some exciting conversations behind the scenes," many of which they're not yet ready to share. Announcements have been trickling out since the project caught fire, however, and the latest bit of news is that Namco Bandai is in talks to be a launch partner.
"Namco Bandai Games and Ouya are currently in active discussions to bring some of the world's biggest gaming properties to the exciting new open gaming platform," said Carlson Choi, VP of Marketing for Namco Bandai. "Namco Bandai brings with it a rich history of iconic gaming franchises, from classics like Pac-Man and Galaga, to seminal franchises like Tekken and Ridge Racer, and we're excited to explore how we can work with Ouya to bring some great titles to the forthcoming console."
The hard part comes now, which is having to sit back and wait for things to develop. While you're doing that, Ouya has promised to keep everyone apprised of its progress via Facebook Reddit, Twitter, Google+, and it's own homepage at www.ouya.tv.
Speaking of the company's website, you can already place your pre-order for an Ouya console. The cost is $109 for the console and one controller, which includes a $10 shipping fee; $139 for the console and two controllers; and $199 for the console and four controllers. Expected delivery is April 2013.
