Ouya Plugs Free the Games Fund Loopholes

[IanDavis]

Ouya Plugs Free the Games Fund Loopholes

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The indie console changes its funds matching program to allow for PC releases and lower project minimums.

It's fair to say that despite being a Kickstarter darling, the $99 android console Ouya launched into a rather harsh climate. It quickly faced a chicken-and-egg issue of sales floundering due to lack of games, which lead to fewer developers writing games, and so on. Its solution was the Free the Games Fund, which would match funds for games on Kickstarter, assuming they raise at least $50,000 and were Ouya exclusive. Now that a few titles have become [a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/127916-Indie-Dev-Admits-to-Gaming-Ouya-Fund-Loses-the-Money]embroiled in controversy[/a], Ouya's changing the rules. Now, games only have to raise a minimum of $10,000, have at least 100 backers, and can release on the PC as well.

"We hear you loud and clear that the program isn't working" Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman announced. "Regardless of my best intentions, there's just too many loopholes." To fix this, it's lowing the minimum to $10,000 to decrease the incentive for cheating, and requiring at least 100 backers. It's also removing the $100k bonus to the campaign that raises the most cash because "it just wasn't in the spirit of the fund".

More importantly, games no longer have to remain entirely exclusive to the Ouya. For every 1 month of exclusivity, a game can earn $10k from Ouya. So, the longer they stick with Ouya, the more cash they'll receive for development, but it's not mandatory anymore.

However, Ouya's making the fine print nice and large here. It says that "if we, or our community, feel you are gaming the system, we will review your project (and consult with our developer friends for their advice) and determine whether to fund it or not." In short, play by the rules, both in word and spirit, and everyone will be happy. Here's hoping that this helps Ouya outgrow this controversy and simply start shipping fun games.

Source: [a href=https://www.ouya.tv/a-word-from-julie-on-the-ftg-fund/]Ouya[/a]

Permalink

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

Good on the Ouya staff. They realized that they had to fix the massive loopholes in their fundraiser.

 

[lacktheknack]

Well, would you look at that. The action and response we were looking for. Better late than never.

...gee, this thread is stunningly empty an hour later. Add another mark to my "people just like to whinge and don't actually like good news" theory.

EDIT: Gawddammit, guys. Two hours, two responses. This is why we can't have nice things, we never accept them.

 

[Strazdas]

Well, would you look at that. The action and response we were looking for. Better late than never.

...gee, this thread is stunningly empty an hour later. Add another mark to my "people just like to whinge and don't actually like good news" theory.

EDIT: Gawddammit, guys. Two hours, two responses. This is why we can't have nice things, we never accept them.

people love to hate. when we are enraged we go complain at forusm (since we cant do anything about it in reality). when we like something we... just continue liking it.
also: damn, i almsot mistook you for somone else wtih your avatar change.

 

[RicoADF]

Atleast they're listening to feedback, so good on Ouya team for the smart move and I hope it pays off for them.

 

[Andy Shandy]

Good to see them respond to the massive amounts of criticism over the whole "Free The Games" thing. I can't say that I'd buy the thing, but they've definitely went up in my estimations, which were admittedly quite low previously.

 

[MetalMagpie]

I hadn't actually heard about this fund before now. I'll admit that I'm not especially fond of it as a concept simply because (as a consumer) console exclusives irritate me. I can't justify buying every console on the market, so it's nice if developers are encouraged to release games to multiple platforms.

I realise that a) the Ouya guys need more people to buy their console if they're going to make money and b) the Ouya console is not so expensive that I couldn't buy one if a spectacularly amazing game came along that was exclusive to it.

But I still appreciate the news that they will now be allowing PC release on funded games.

 

[Adam Locking]

About time they fixed this, it was becoming far too much of an embarrassment. I wonder if this means Sophie Holden might consider placing Rose and Time back on the console?

Well, would you look at that. The action and response we were looking for. Better late than never.

...gee, this thread is stunningly empty an hour later. Add another mark to my "people just like to whinge and don't actually like good news" theory.

EDIT: Gawddammit, guys. Two hours, two responses. This is why we can't have nice things, we never accept them.

Ouya threads stay quite notoriously empty. If you remove all the posts that say "hipster" or "casual", most of them wouldn't have any posts at all.

 

[lacktheknack]

About time they fixed this, it was becoming far too much of an embarrassment. I wonder if this means Sophie Holden might consider placing Rose and Time back on the console?

Well, would you look at that. The action and response we were looking for. Better late than never.

...gee, this thread is stunningly empty an hour later. Add another mark to my "people just like to whinge and don't actually like good news" theory.

EDIT: Gawddammit, guys. Two hours, two responses. This is why we can't have nice things, we never accept them.

Ouya threads stay quite notoriously empty. If you remove all the posts that say "hipster" or "casual", most of them wouldn't have any posts at all.

The "Everyone's Abusing Ouya's FTG Fund" threads weren't empty. At all.

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

Well, would you look at that. The action and response we were looking for. Better late than never.

...gee, this thread is stunningly empty an hour later. Add another mark to my "people just like to whinge and don't actually like good news" theory.

EDIT: Gawddammit, guys. Two hours, two responses. This is why we can't have nice things, we never accept them.

Nah, it's just that people are either none too interested in all things OUYA, or they're somewhat disillusioned and feel pretty MEH! about the OUYA or they're just busy with a billion other things they find more entertaining.

I think it's pretty noteable and awesome that the OUYA came to be, but now that it's around it's just... it didn't fizzle, it still doesn't suck properly, but I feel like it's already progressed well into the fading away phase, which, for a new thing, feels all sorts of wrong.

 

[lacktheknack]

Well, would you look at that. The action and response we were looking for. Better late than never.

...gee, this thread is stunningly empty an hour later. Add another mark to my "people just like to whinge and don't actually like good news" theory.

EDIT: Gawddammit, guys. Two hours, two responses. This is why we can't have nice things, we never accept them.

Nah, it's just that people are either none too interested in all things OUYA, or they're somewhat disillusioned and feel pretty MEH! about the OUYA or they're just busy with a billion other things they find more entertaining.

I think it's pretty noteable and awesome that the OUYA came to be, but now that it's around it's just... it didn't fizzle, it still doesn't suck properly, but I feel like it's already progressed well into the fading away phase, which, for a new thing, feels all sorts of wrong.

<link=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.828088-Ouya-Surprised-By-Reactions-to-Free-the-Games-Fund>This had a flurry of activity, because it was bad news.

That's what I'm fussing about.