Ouya, one of the more notable crowdfunded gaming consoles, will close its online store services after six years on the market. A company once valued at a billion dollars is getting the same response as Blockbuster’s closing with “huh, that’s still around?”
Word broke today that the Android-based system is shutting down on June 25th, 2019. Any titles requiring Store connectivity will be unplayable after that date.
While the console died years ago, the Ouya Store was living on through parent company Razer’s Forge mini-console. Now that Forge TV services are ceasing in June, Ouya’s store will disappear along with it. This is the final blow Ouya needed to join the afterlife with the writing on Game of Thrones.
The responsibility is falling on devs to find support for their titles on the dead platform. Because developers love supporting dead platforms, just ask the Wii U and PS Vita.
Users have until the closure to spend the remaining funds on their accounts, download games and find which box has the Ouya at the bottom of it in the attic.
Dead On Arrival
2012 saw the console blasting past its $950,000 Kickstarter goal in under eight hours. The following year in 2013 saw the Ouya releasing on store shelves to poor sales. The reception was equivalent to what Ja Rule received at the Bucks halftime show.
Rather than buy an Ouya, consumers spent their $99 on a special edition of whatever CoD released that year. By 2015 Ouya hardware production ended as the company was also bought by gaming hardware manufacturer Razer.
The console had over 36,000 registered developers at one point with Towerfall being the flagship title before later gaining major success on PS4, PC and Switch.
Being the face of the Ouya is like being the best dribbler on the planet in the WNBA. Even if it’s true, it doesn’t matter if nobody watches. Towerfall Developer Matt Thorson shared similar thoughts saying, “being the best game on Ouya isn’t a huge deal, but it is nice,” said Thorson.
All these recent game servers and shops shutdowns have me holding my PS Vita tighter these days. As gaming heads towards a disc-less future, the closure of digital stores like the Wii Shop and Ouya Store brings up concerns like future-proofing player’s libraries.
How do you feel about Ouya’s closure? Is physical or digital better for games? Let us know in the comments below.
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