Ouya

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

Units started to ship to Kickstarter backers in March 2013 and were released to the general public in June 2013. It features an exclusive Ouya store for applications and games designed specifically for the Ouya platform, of which the majority are casual games targeted at or used by a mass audience of casual gamers. Out of the box, Ouya supports media apps such as Twitch.tv and XBMC media player. It runs a modified version of Android Jelly Bean (4.1 – 4.3.1 with Linux kernel 3.0.31 to 3.4.39), with rooting being officially encouraged. 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.

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, whether that be completely free, has a free trial, or has purchasable upgrades, levels, or other in-game items. This requirement was later removed.

Despite the successful Kickstarter campaign, sales of the Ouya were lackluster, 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 Ouya console in July 2015. Razer continued to provide software support for existing Ouya units until June 2019, when it will shut down Ouya storefront, services and accounts in June 2019, making most apps on the console unusable. The Ouya has since been considered a commercial failure.

Why is Forge TV/OUYA shutting down? The Forge TV, OUYA, and MadCatz MOJO game stores are no longer being supported, and therefore will be shut down.

When does the Forge TV/OUYA service shut down? The services will shut down on June 25, 2019.

What happens to my Forge TV hardware? The hardware will still function. You will still be able to use it as you would any Android TV set top box.

Will the Forge TV iOS or Android apps still function? Yes, they will operate the Forge TV device normally.

What happens to my funds? Please note that your account or wallet funds are not permitted to be redeemed for use outside of the Forge TV / OUYA / MadCatz MOJO services, have no cash value and are not exchangeable for cash. Funds that are deemed unclaimed property may be turned over to the applicable authority. So, we encourage you to utilize your account funds prior to the shutdown.

What happens to my account? Your account will be deactivated on June 25, 2019. After this date, you will no longer be able to access your account, games on the server, previously purchased titles, or be able to purchase new ones. You will continue to have access to games that have been downloaded. Users should download games before June 25, 2019 to avoid losing access after the shutdown.

Will I still be able to play games on OUYA? You will be able to play games via the OUYA platform until June 25, 2019. Once it has been shut down, access to the Discover section will no longer be available. Games downloaded that appear in Play, may still function if they do not require a purchase validation upon launch. Contact the game developer for confirmation.

Will the games be available on another platform? Each game is managed by the developer and availability will vary. Once the platform shuts down, the games will no longer be available via OUYA. For Forge TV and MadCatz MOJO, you will still have access to the Google Play store, as well as other platforms. After the shutdown the developer may choose to activate the game on another platform. If you have further questions, contact the developer directly.

What will happen to the websites? The websites will be disabled and non-accessible.