Crowdfunded game console Ouya is hoping to improve the quality and number of games on its service, by providing funds to developers raising money on Kickstarter. The new campaign will see Ouya matching funds raised through the crowdfunding platform, in exchange for a six-month exclusivity period for the console.
Projects launching on Kickstarter that meet a minimum goal of $50,000 will have pledges matched by Ouya, up to the value of $250,000 according to the Penny Arcade Report. The program will run until either the $1 million fund is used up or until August 10th 2014, with an added “Rock Star bonus” of $100,000 being offered to the project that raises the most money on its own.
Aside from the exclusivity agreement, Ouya will be offering the extra financial help effectively with no strings attached. Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman suggests “Developers know best what their needs are, so we don’t tell them how to spend it. Maybe they use it to fund development. Maybe they use it to market the game. Maybe they allow gamers to purchase it free for six months.”
The Ouya game console finished its own Kickstarter drive on August 9th, with the “Free The Games” fund coinciding with the anniversary. After raising $8.6 million in pledges and receiving $15 million in later investment, the console has since shipped to backers and appeared in stores. All games on the service offer some form of free-play mode, with Ouya also offering a developer kit for the hackable game system.
