Android gaming console attracts Kickstarter backers

Wouldn't it be great if game consoles didn't cost several hundred dollars, and if the games were free to play, at least to try them out? Well, that's the central idea behind Ouya, a new game console for the TV and powered by Android, Hot Hardware writes.

Ouya's open-source foundation is the key cog in what the developers hope will be a game-changing machine, one that revolutionises the gaming landscape and turns the industry upside down.

In less than three days, Ouya has raised roughly $4 million on Kickstarter from more than 30 000 excited backers. A discounted reward tier of $95 in exchange for a finished console and controller was capped at 1 000 donations and sold out on day one. Over 25 000 backers so far have pledged $99, all of which will be rewarded with an Ouya console and controller sometime before it ships to stores. Five backers have pledged $10 000 or more, which underscores the excitement surrounding this project.

There are some heavy hitters behind Ouya, which is built on Android and plays games in HD on a TV set with Tegra3 at its heart, CNET reports.

They include Jawbone designer Yves Behar and gaming industry veteran Julie Uhrman, not to mention backing from prominent angel investors.

That kind of pedigree, and yes, perhaps the price and open code as well, has so far convinced thousands to back the project, including nearly 270 who opted for "developer specials" with SDK access.