OUYA, the Android-based gaming console that was successfully funded through an $8.5 million Kickstarter campaign, will start shipping to backers on March 28.
The company behind the console, which shares the same name, has revealed on its website that all of the parts needed for the system are now in the factory and the assembly lines are “buzzing.”
There are 63,416 backers to get through, but OUYA says it’s still on track to launch the console to the wider public in June. For this, OUYA has already announced a number of significant retail partnerships with Best Buy, Amazon, Target, and GameStop.
The company has warned that up until the official launch, they’ll be adding new features, tweaking the user experience and adding new games. That might just mean that the team is keen to improve the console as much as possible before it hits brick-and-mortar stores, but a reality could be that the team is up against it to release a finished product.
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OUYA has created a significant amount of hype in part because of its open approach to video game development and distribution. The console is completely hackable, for example, and the company has in fact gone on the record to encourage modders to adopt the system.
Built on Android, the marketplace will also force every title to have at least some of the content available for free – be it a demo, free-to-play model or ‘lite’ version.
It’s also incredibly inexpensive and is expected to sell for about $100 – with additional touch controllers costing an extra $50.
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