Razer has confirmed that they aquired Ouya’s library and online distribution platform in order to transition it to it’s more advanced Forge TV micro-console.
Ouya’s acquisition actually took place on June 12 and as noted it will have a direct impact on Forge TV, Razer’s streaming that they revealed back in January, the acquisition of Ouya suggests that Razer’s micro console could do more than just streaming from a more powerful PC, perhaps they want an Android based ecosystem for developers to create new apps and games that can be played and accessed offline.
Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan said in a statement:
Ouya’s work with game developers, both triple A and indies, went a long way in bringing Android games to the living room and Razer intends to further that work, This acquisition is envisaged to usher more developers and content to the Android TV platform
Which means that the theory that Forge TV will do more than just streaming is correct. Ouya’s technical and developer relations teams have joined Razer, and the Ouya name will be maintained as a separate publishing arm for Android TV and Android-based console games. But they did not acquire the rights to the actual hardware which will eventually become a niche collector’s item. Ouya founder and CEO Julie Uhrman, who Kickstarted the console in 2012, is also out. “Can’t wait to see what you do,” she tweeted at Razer earlier today. “Take care of my incredible team and community…I know you will.”
Razer will re-launch the Ouya store as Cortex for Android TV. Existing Ouya owners will be provided with a clear path of migration to Forge TV, which will include transferring their Ouya accounts and games to the re-branded platform and “deep discounts” on purchases of Razer hardware.
