HadesGigas
Member
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/indie-developers-ouya-owes-us-thousands-of-dollars
Because the Ouya name really needed more bad news attached to it.
Multiple independent developers who wish to remain anonymous have told Motherboard that contracts they had originally signed with Ouya, which promised to pay them thousands of dollars, will not be honored as a result of the acquisition.
We're avoiding specific numbers here to protect the identity of the developers, but payments they say they're owed range between $5,000 and $30,000.
It started as a mutually beneficial relationship. In July 2013, as an attempt to support independent developers and increase the number of exclusive games on Ouya that might attract more customers, Ouya announced the Free the Games Fund. It set $1 million aside to double whatever money an independent developer raised for his game on Kickstarter in exchange for making that game exclusive to Ouya for a minimum of six months.
Earlier this year, as some developers were launching their beta builds, they were asked to sign a contract that mostly matched the original rules, but added section "8.3. Termination Upon Bankruptcy or Insolvency." The contract, which was provided to Motherboard, states that either party may terminate the agreement in the event that the other party becomes insolvent, unable to pay its debts, or goes bankrupt.
As the terms of Ouya's acquisition were being finalized, Ouya notified these developers via Skype voice calls that they will not get the rest of the money they were owed because Ouya will cease to exist as a company following the Razer acquisition. One developer suggested the company wanted to avoid saying this in writing.
Ouya "gently requested" that developers don't take the news to the press, another developer said.
"Claiming Ouya no longer exists as a company to get out of funding commitments, while continuing to use the name in the announcements today as if they still are a company that exists, or that they've somehow transformed the company into a product or service, just stinks," a third developer said. "I think Razer will have trouble ahead if this is the level of respect they continue to show indie devs."
Because the Ouya name really needed more bad news attached to it.