How Does the Crowd-Funded Ouya Game Console Compare?

Last year, an ambitious idea took over Kickstarter. The concept was simple — an affordably priced, open-source home console running the Android platform. That project was known as the Ouya. The proposed start-up met its goal quickly and continued to gain funding by each passing second, with the initial batch of affordable consoles selling out, followed by all of the other tiers. To meet demand, the Ouya developers ramped up production, adding more supply and new tiers, which once again, sold out just as fast.

When all was said and done, the Kickstarter method proved to be successful, netting the company roughly nine times what it was originally hoping to achieve. People were extremely excited to partake in it and Ouya was set to become a complete game changer. The only problem was that no one had been able to get their hands on the console.

The development process for the Ouya wasn’t easy. It was met with multiple challenges. Several months ago, developer consoles finally went out. The reception was lukewarm at best. Developers found it to be an amazing device to build for, but complained about the lack of game availability. Others used it for homebrew activities.

Nearly a year later, the Ouya is finally available to the public. You can find it at most retail stores, sitting on the shelf in the electronics section for $100. Since its release, the console is still being met with overwhelming criticism. Most people have been unfairly comparing it with other home consoles. But the bigger question at hand is whether the Ouya will be able to find its foothold in this brutal gaming market?