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[Guevara]

Ouya, the maker of the Android-based indie game console of the same name, is in preliminary acquisition or investment talks with some big companies that are interested in the games market.

Ouya has been in preliminary acquisition talks with players like Google and Amazon in the U.S. In China, it is also exploring options for strategic investments. That information comes from a credible source who is close to the matter.

...

But no one has signed or is close to signing a term sheet agreement to buy Ouya.

http://venturebeat.com/2014/09/02/ouya-is-exploring-options-for-both-investment-or-sale-of-company/

On the one hand: no duh. Ouya raised more than $26 million from venture investors who will want to make a return on their investment. There are only two ways to do that: sell or IPO.

On the other: proactively looking for a buyer is usually seen as a little desperate and indicates a company that is running out of cash and/or can't raise additional money.

 

[RealityPales]

Killer app

 

[CO_Andy]

Now's your chance Nintendo!

 

[Heroman]

What's a ouya?

 

[Paskil]

Not really sure who would want to buy a hot piece of garbage.

 

[Guevara]

Now's your chance Nintendo!

Nintendo probably jealous they didn't come up with the Ouya name

 

[TheSpoiler]

"C'mon guys, please?! We'll sell you the company for six bucks! Anyone?"

 

[Fox318]

What's a ouya?

a company that got tons of money from Kickstarter because they wanted an open emulation gaming platform

 

[Stimpack]

The Ouya is my mark of shame.

 

[Toki767]

Who would realistically want to buy them?

 

[shinobi602]

Oh yea these guys.

 

[Katana_Strikes]

Killer app

Fmazing Arog?

 

[Stevey]

I cant believe people were actually excited for, and donated towards a machine that played android games on a TV.

 

[Wynnebeck]

Killer app

That thing looks like a fake ass Ninja Turtle lol.

 

[Maggots]

Not surprised.... no one wants to buy the device how are they gonna sell the entire company.... ?. .... I've said it before... if you're going to make a gaming specific device and make it android based... you are sentencing your device to death before it even launches...

 

[Guevara]

Who would realistically want to buy them?

Well the article mentions Amazon and Google.

Basically any company looking for an entree into gaming at home. (also it would help if that company was really dumb).

 

[dugdug]

Is Kellee Santiago still there?

 

[Chindogg]

Meh, my Ouya's basically a XBMC stream box now. I wanted to give the little guy a chance, and Towerfall was super fun.

 

[udivision]

This is Sega's chance to get back on the horse.

 

[Uncle Rupee]

Remember when so-called financial analysts were saying Nintendo should have scooped up Ouya? These are the same people who claim Nintendo should go third-party / mobile.

 

[The Elite]

This is Sega's chance to get back on the horse.

Just relabel it Dreamcast 2 and watch the sales sore.

 

[SerTapTap]

As the recent owner of a $20 Gamestick...Android consoles without Google Play (maybe, MAYBE Amazon app store) are simply not worth it. Especially without (easy) sideloading, but if you allow sideloading people will just use it for emulators only (should have been known).

Blown away at the investments. Kickstarter dreams are one thing, but dang.

 

[Stimpack]

Well the article mentions Amazon and Google.

Basically any company looking for an entree into gaming at home. (also it would help if that company was really dumb).

I don't know if I'd consider the Ouya an entree. Maybe it's more akin to stale breadsticks?

 

[Razlo]

I have a suggestion...

 

[Lonely1]

Remember when so-called financial analysts were saying Nintendo should have scooped up Ouya? These are the same people who claim Nintendo should go third-party / mobile.

Mobile is gaming is huge, console gaming is huge. Combine both and you have a sure winner! How couldn't Nintendo see this?

 

[Mushroomer25]

Since both Amazon and Google could eclipse what OUYA has done independently without any hassle, I doubt any bigger players are all that interested in the brand. Shit, Amazon already released a games console of their own. What do they gain with OUYA on their side?

 

[Taruranto]

How many millions this thing got, by the way?

 

[Tripon]

Well the article mentions Amazon and Google.

Basically any company looking for an entree into gaming at home. (also it would help if that company was really dumb).

Amazon already their their own microconsole that is horribly failing on its own merits, and google can release their own micro console too if they wanted.

Frankly I wouldnt trust the executive team at Ouya to know how to sell a system.

 

[KingJolly]

Ouya is still a better name than WiiU, I give them that

 

[CapitalismSucks DonkeyBalls]

Haven't heard anything about this brick in a year or so. Pretty much dead in the water at release, wasn't it?

 

[SerTapTap]

Since both Amazon and Google could eclipse what OUYA has done independently without any hassle, I doubt any bigger players are all that interested in the brand. Shit, Amazon already released a games console of their own. What do they gain with OUYA on their side?

Google will also be releasing Android TV which is basically Amazon Fire TV but with Playstore instead. There is no reason for any not-google/amazon person to invest in an Android console anymore. Shield kind of excepted because it's not quite a console it's a....it's Shield.

 

[anexanhume]

Maybe they could expand into food trucks?

 

[1st Course]

Source of the rumor

http://recode.net/2014/09/02/androi...le-talks-with-chinese-internet-giants-others/

Say Tencent and Xiaomi are likely buyers too. Couple of days ago Ouya signed a partnership with Xiaomi to bring Ouya to Chinese market. If there is a company that's going to buy them it's probably Xiaomi.

 

[Nikodemos]

The Ouya guys should've gone with a better chip than the Tegra 3 (yes, I know nVidia had a sale on them). They shouldn't have made the body out of metal (though apparently a plastic version exists, which doesn't exhibit the Faraday cage effect of the original). They should've partnered with an established company (Speedlink?) for the controller (or just plain ditched the controller altogether, opting instead for an open driver, so people could use whatever controller they had). And they had nowhere near enough money to carry them for the required minimum of three years (for an upstart player to the industry).

All in all, they made quite a number of avoidable mistakes.

 

[Lonely1]

Google will also be releasing Android TV which is basically Amazon Fire TV but with Playstore instead. There is no reason for any not-google/amazon person to invest in an Android console anymore. Shield kind of excepted because it's not quite a console it's a....it's Shield.

The Shield has full access to the PlayStore, tough. So far a better option than Fire Tv.

 

[Razlo]

Ouya is still a better name than WiiU, I give them that

Only if it's said in a Macho Man voice.

 

[SerTapTap]

Source of the rumor

http://recode.net/2014/09/02/androi...le-talks-with-chinese-internet-giants-others/

Say Tencent and Xiaomi are likely buyers too. Couple of days ago Ouya signed a partnership with Xiaomi to bring Ouya to Chinese market. If there is a company that's going to buy them it's probably Xiaomi.

What could they realistically do in China with it? Make it into an easier to make knockoff retro console? Don't see why you'd buy one for the standard F2P games playable elsewhere, and the grey market seems to already fill the (small) more hardcore market, doesn't it?

 

[sturgboski]

That thing looks like a fake ass Ninja Turtle lol.

Still better than the ones in the 2014 live action movie...

On topic, who would stand to gain from purchasing them? I know the quote in the OP mentions Google and Amazon, but I dont see it. Amazon already has their set top game console and Google can easily conceive of something similar themselves. Not to mention both would come with their own extensive ecosystems (Amazon App store and Google Play respectively). I just dont see what Ouya has to offer as there is no IP or brand. I doubt its even a good acquihire candidate.

 

[CreeperBlocks]

I forgot that the ouya existed. How many Ouya Consoles were sold anyway? Curious.

 

[Takao]

I'm with everyone wondering what Ouya has that someone would want to buy. The machine's software library is probably mostly on Google Play in the first place.

Now's your chance Nintendo!

Oh man, it's the same author for both that and the piece in the OP.

 

[RealityPales]

I have a suggestion...

Then Major Nelson can dig it up in 30 years.

 

[wrowa]

I the Ouya brand even worth any money? Honest question, because I'm not sure what a company would be paying for in this case. Ouya's userbase is close to non-existing, the concept of an Android console not complicated, the developer support quite bad, the few people who still know what an Ouya is will start laughing as soon as you say the name. So, why buy it, exactly?

 

[Toemon]

What's a ouya?

Best selling games console this gen* of course.

* In terms of running on the android** operating system.

**On Microconsoles

 

[Doctor_Thomas]

I have some change on me, I think I'll put a bid in. Can someone link me to the eBay auction?

 

[wrowa]

What could they realistically do in China with it? Make it into an easier to make knockoff retro console? Don't see why you'd buy one for the standard F2P games playable elsewhere, and the grey market seems to already fill the (small) more hardcore market, doesn't it?

Xiasomething wants to integrate Ouya into its set-top boxes. If that'll be a success remiains to be seen, but the idea seems to be closer to the Chinese reality than releasing an overpriced Xbox One over there that somehow is supposed to sell to people who aren't used to spend money on video games.

 

[1st Course]

What could they realistically do in China with it? Make it into an easier to make knockoff retro console? Don't see why you'd buy one for the standard F2P games playable elsewhere, and the grey market seems to already fill the (small) more hardcore market, doesn't it?

Try to sell it as cheap media/gaming device I guess.

 

[Poodlestrike]

Gaf, we should totally all pitch in and buy the company when it gets low enough. Put those armchair console design skills to good use!

 

[Stimpack]

I have some change on me, I think I'll put a bid in. Can someone link me to the eBay auction?

Pretty sure they're using Quibids.

 

[SerTapTap]

Xiasomething wants to integrate Ouya into its set-top boxes. If that'll be a success remiains to be seen, but the idea seems to be closer to the Chinese reality than releasing an overpriced Xbox One over there that somehow is supposed to sell to people who aren't used to spend money on video games.

Guess it depends how much they sell for, but Ouya somehow seems to have multiple millions, so it doesn't seem like a good ROI is likely. Doubt MS is going to make mega-bank either, but if they paid less than whoever pays for Ouya, I'd bet they earn more/lose less money.

 

[Log4Girlz]

Killer app

Oh yeah?