Ouya is really listening to feedback it is receiving from its donors.
Ouya, which is a project to bring an affordable $99 video game console to budget-conscious households that can’t afford the latest Xbox or Playstation, has garnered more than $5 million from Kickstarter.
There are now nearly 40,000 backers, each one donating an average of $127. Most investors have plunked down at least $99, at which point the company says it will provide a console and a controller.
But when you raise $5 million from complete strangers, should you listen to what they have to say? The head of the startup Julie Uhrman says yes.
In an interview with VentureBeat, she said she has received a lot of feedback from Kickstarter users. “This feedback allows us to focus on the task,” she said.
Uhrman also affirmed she is open to changing the company’s plans based on the feedback and suggestions from individual donors.
She also addressed the skepticism that some have expressed about Ouya’s chances of competing against the Xbox 360 and PS3. “A little skepticism is healthy. It keeps everyone on their toes,” she said.
The Ouya console will be powered by Android, helping to keep the costs down. But it’s expected that it will be able to play more than just the casual mobile games that exist on existing Android smartphones.
Ouya is due to launch early next year.
