Ouya has confirmed that the developer version of its long-awaited Android-powered console will ship on December 28.
As you may recall, the dev system is priced at a cool $800, which is quite a far cry indeed from the $99 consumer version slated to hit virtual store shelves in March. The above-mentioned kit includes an Ouya console, two controllers and an ODK (SDK).
“The dev consoles are an early version of the Ouya console and controller designed for developers to test their games on Ouya. Our Kickstarter developers are the first to get a crack at ‘em! We’re psyched to have you on board, and we can’t wait to see what pours from your brain!” Ouya rep Jules Kane wrote in an official blog post.
“Of course, when the final consoles ship, EVERY OUYA will be a dev console. We told you that already. What we didn’t tell you was that the advance dev consoles you ordered are pretty special – you’ll know what I mean when you open yours. They’re rare drops.”
Kane also took some time to discuss the Ouya development software kit (ODK), which is currently in the midst of extensive testing.
“When the dev consoles ship to gamemakers, all developers- even those who may not have their hands on a dev console – will be able to access a web portal where they can download the ODK, get help on our forums, and eventually upload games to OUYA,” Kane confirmed.
And last, but certainly not least, Ouya has apparently turned its focus to refining the console’s user interface (UI). This, says Kane, involves optimizing Android Jelly Bean to play games on a big screen – all while spending time understanding the best ways gamers can search for and discover new titles.
