Ouya

Ouya
OUYA with controller
An Ouya (right) and its accompanying controller
ManufacturerOuya, Inc. (formerly Boxer8, Inc.)
TypeMicroconsole
Release dateJune 25, 2013 (2013-06-25)
Lifespan2013–2015
Introductory price$99 USD
£99 GBP
DiscontinuedJuly 27, 2015 (2015-07-27)
Units sold~200,000
MediaDigital distribution
Operating systemAndroid (4.1 Jelly Bean) with custom Ouya launcher
System on a chipNvidia Tegra 3 (T33)[1][2]
CPU1.7 GHz Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A9
Memory1 GB DDR3 SDRAM
Storage8 GB internal flash memory
16 GB internal flash memory (2014 version)
Display1x HDMI
(720p, 1080p)
GraphicsNvidia GeForce ULP GPU
SoundHDMI (ARC), 2.0 channel[3]
Input1x USB 2.0
1x Micro USB (for connection to PC)[4]
Controller inputWireless controller
ConnectivityWi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth LE 4.0
Ethernet port
Power12 volt DC, 1.5 ampere max via Coaxial power connector (OD 5.50 mm, ID 2.10 mm, center positive positive center)
Dimensions75 mm (2.95 inch) cube[4]
Best-selling gameTowerFall (7,000)
Websitewww.ouya.tv (Archived)

The Ouya (/ˈuːjə/ OO-yə), stylized as OUYA,[5] is an Android-based microconsole developed by Ouya Inc. Julie Uhrman founded the project in 2012,[6][7] bringing in designer Yves Béhar to collaborate on its design[8] and Muffi Ghadiali as VP of Product Management[9] to put together the engineering team.[10] Development was funded via Kickstarter, raising US$8.5 million, becoming one of the website's highest-earning projects in its history.

Units started to ship to Kickstarter backers in March 2013 and were released to the general public in June 2013. It featured a store for applications and games designed specifically for the Ouya platform, the majority of which were casual games. Out of the box, Ouya supports media apps such as Twitch and the Kodi media center.[7] It runs a modified version of Android Jelly Bean, with rooting being officially encouraged.[7] The console's hardware design allows it to be easily opened up, requiring only a standard screwdriver for easy modding and possible hardware add-ons.[11]

All systems can be used as development kits, allowing any Ouya owner to also be a developer, without the need for licensing fees. All games were initially required to have some kind of free-to-play aspect,[7] whether they be completely free, have a free trial, or have optional purchasable upgrades, levels, or other in-game items. This requirement was later removed.[12]

Despite the successful Kickstarter campaign, the Ouya became a commercial failure.[13][14][15] Sales were lackluster, game developers failed to embrace the platform, and incentives offered to promote adoption failed,[16] causing financial problems for Ouya Inc. and forcing the company to wind down the business. Its software assets were sold to Razer Inc., who announced the discontinuation of the console in July 2015.[17] Razer continued to provide software support for existing Ouya units until June 2019, when it shut down the Ouya storefront, services and accounts, rendering the use of the many applications that required a check-in with the store impossible.[18]

  1. ^ Bierton, David (August 11, 2012). "How Powerful is Tegra 3?". Eurogamer.net. Archived from the original on February 2, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  2. ^ Kelly, Christina. "EXCLUSIVE OUYA Interview with YOUR Questions!". Archived from the original on December 17, 2012. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference audio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Previous update. "OUYA: A New Kind of Video Game Console by OUYA". Kickstarter.com. Archived from the original on December 31, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  5. ^ "OUYA: A New Kind of Video Game Console" (Embedded FLV). Ouya via Kickstarter. 1′31″. Archived from the original on December 4, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  6. ^ "How OUYA Created a Trending Brand in Less than a Day". Momentum Media Marketing. July 25, 2012. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2012.
  7. ^ a b c d Launched: July 10, 2012 (July 10, 2012). "OUYA: A New Kind of Video Game Console by OUYA — Kickstarter". Kickstarter.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "OUYA". fuseproject. Archived from the original on April 2, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  9. ^ https://www.linkedin.com/in/muffi [self-published source]
  10. ^ "Update 3: Welcome Muffi! · OUYA: A New Kind of Video Game Console". Kickstarter. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  11. ^ Wawro, Alex. "Why Ouya Is Making A Killing On Kickstarter". Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
  12. ^ Bob Mills (March 19, 2014). "It's about CHOICE". Ouya. Archived from the original on November 20, 2014. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
  13. ^ "Ouya: A Look Back". May 31, 2015. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  14. ^ "The stillborn revolution: Ouya fails to sell, developer seeks buyout - ExtremeTech". September 2, 2014. Archived from the original on October 31, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  15. ^ Welch, Chris (May 22, 2019). "Ouya will be shut down for good on June 25th". The Verge. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  16. ^ "Ouya game sales figures released: It doesn't look good for Android console gaming - ExtremeTech". July 23, 2013. Archived from the original on January 14, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  17. ^ "Razer Acquires OUYA Software Assets – Razer Press". Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  18. ^ Good, Owen S. (May 22, 2019). "Razer closing Ouya store, officially killing the console". Polygon. Retrieved October 30, 2022.