OUYA to be available in retail June 4th for $99

OUYA's Android-powered gaming console has been something of a phenomenon. It's Kickstarter fund reached its goal extremely fast, surpassed the goal by quite a large stretch, and has been using the extra funding to attract big name developers like Square Enix. Word has it that Kickstarter funder consoles have already shipped, and now we know when the console will be available in retail.

OUYA will be made available in retail June 4th, and it will cost the standard $99. The team is still dedicated to making the product better, and OUYA CEO Julie Uhrman said that the early backers will get the chance to "watch the UI evolve to where it will be by June 4." 

Interestingly, OUYA is looking to find a new way to figure out what games are good. Uhrman doesn't think that "downloads or revenue are good indicators of what a good game is", and because of that, the team has designed a new algorithm to figure out how much people like a game based on how many times they've played it, and how long they've played. 

Different games are also looking for new ways to monetize, including a number of games that will not be going the slightly annoying freemium route, but will simply be setting up donate systems for those who like the game. 

Even if the console itself doesn't work out, we like the thought process going into it all. 

source: Wired