The Kickstarter darling OUYA is slowly starting to trickle into the hands of people who backed them early on in their development. Today in a blog post, they announced that through an additional round of funding, that they have raked in another $15 million that they plan on dumping into, “increasing production to meet our demand” and other development. However, shortly after saying that, they also announced that the retail launch date of the OUYA will be pushed back. 

It is like a cycle – a new mobile device comes out and first comes the drop test and screen scratch videos. After that comes the inevitable teardown from the guys over at iFixit which, unlike the first two examples, are actually interesting and useful. Now that OUYA units are actually starting to ship out to more eager developers, we get to see how the OUYA is put together and how easy it is to fix. 

That’s right, the OUYA has official begun shipping to early backers from Kickstarter, just as they said it would. Should you have forked out the cash to be amongst the initial group, get to checking your email for shipping info and instructions for operating the little guy once it arrives. The rollout of devices will happen over the next several weeks. For the rest of you who jumped on the bandwagon after OUYA became an internet sensation, you’ll have to wait a bit longer. 

In this video, a rep from a company called 3DiVi takes us through a demo of their new Nuidroid motion tracking software. 3DiVi, coupled with the Ouya gaming console, works much like the Kinect does that partners with the Xbox. Using a special ASUS-built motion sensor, 3DiVi’s Nuidroid tracks your movements which then translates into commands for games and applications. 

March 28 is the day that OUYA consoles will start shipping to people who originally started backing it on Kickstarter. Seeing as how that’s only a few weeks away, OUYA announced that game developers can submit their games for review starting today. This allows OUYA to test and review the games before launch to build a nice big portfolio for early adopters to play when they fire up their OUYA for the first time. 

Official word from the makers of OUYA this morning, confirm that Kickstarter backers will start receiving their Android-powered gaming consoles sometime shortly after they ship on March 28. Once devices start shipping, everyone will receive their tracking info in an email, so keep a look out in your inbox on and around that time. 

The Kickstarter darling OUYA was born from the mobile market, having components powering it that you would find in smartphones and tablets around the world. OUYA will apparently be influenced by the mobile market’s style of updating as well. Whereas traditional game consoles have a cycle of 7-10 years, the OUYA will be refreshed with new hardware every year, according to the company. 

The OUYA team announced this morning through the Wall Street Journal that they have teamed up with Target, Amazon, Best Buy, and Gamestop to sell their inexpensive, Android-based consoles at launch in June. At a price of $99.99, with additional controllers running $49.99, OUYA is clearly trying to carve out their own niche in the console gaming market. We still aren’t sure if we think they can do it successfully, but the buzz around this Kickstarter funded project is undeniable.

With their 68,000 backers that will receive the OUYA in April, the crowdfunded gaming system is hoping that with some promotion and partnerships with these retailers, that they can do big things. They are already claiming to have some 200 gaming titles lined up for launch, including “a larger suite” that are exclusive to OUYA.

Pre-orders for the June launch will start today.

Via:  Wall Street Journal