We're all excited about the Playstation 4 and the next console from Microsoft, but amid those announcements and speculation we have new information coming in about the Android-powered Ouya.
The company has announced it will start shipping its consoles to Kickstarter backers, who gifted Ouya with over $8 million, on March 28. Although Ouya began shipping developer consoles in December, the company had not announced a date when backers would receive the product.
The release will allow developers to test the system through a large number of users, seeing what works and what doesn't.
"Tens of thousands of you will receive your OUYA, and you'll get to start playing right away," CEO Julie Uhrman writes on Kickstarter. "You will also get to watch OUYA evolve over the coming weeks and months. We'll continue to add new features, refine our user experience, and bring on more games. As always, we appreciate your feedback (and apply it), so keep it coming."
Uhrman also gives some information about games coming to the system. Tripwire Interact is releasing "The Ball" in March as well as an OUYA exclusive at a later date. This fall should see the release of an adventure puzzle game from Minority Media that will make unprecedented use of the console's touchpad and button controls.
Porta's Kim Swift and Airtight Games are also developing an exclusive for the OUYA.
"We truly feel that this platform will give us the freedom to fully realize the funky, unique game we have in mind," Swift says. "Though the title will definitely appeal to core gamers in terms of skill and difficulty, it really has a completely unexpected, imaginative slant that's totally at home on this console."
The OUYA will be fully released in June for $99.
