Ouya Console Arrives in Stores Today, Despite Delayed Shipments to Early Backers

The Android-powered Ouya console is undoubtedly indie, and as it struggles to carve out its own little niche, it's hard not to root for the little guy going up against the Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo giants. Still, despite being a fan-funded project, the Ouya team isn't on the best of terms with many gamers.

Backers of the Ouya who reached a certain tier were promised early limited editions of the upcoming console. However, the company has yet to make good on many of these pre-orders. The console was originally supposed to be sent to early backers by May.

In an statement titled "Gonna fix this" from Ouya founder Julie Uhrman, the company apologized for the delays. Uhrman personally adds that she is "pissed."

She also deflected some blame from her company, stating that the Ouya team had delivered the product to their shipping partner back in May, "and since then they have been in their custody." She doesn't offer any explanation as to what the hold up was caused by, but does warn that it could take two or more additional weeks for them to arrive.

Ouya's Ken Stephens explains that overall, shipment processing takes around 20 days. This means that once you have received a shipping confirmation email, you should expect to wait an additional "15 to 17 days from that date."

The company recently tripled the size of its customer service team to try and get a handle on these delays, as well as problems with customs and shipping errors.

To make things even more confusing, the Ouya is available today at retail partners in the US, UK, and Canada. Despite the fact that many who have already paid for the console have yet to receive one, the device is currently on sale at Target, GameStop, Best Buy, and online on Amazon. It is currently priced at $99.

The Ouya is a miniature, Android-powered home console. The device's functionality is centered around an exclusive "Ouya store" that will sell games and applications. It will also include TwitchTV and OnLive video game streaming functionality.

The unique angle the Ouya is aiming for is an open and modular design. The console is designed to be opened using only a screwdriver, allowing for easy modding and both official and unofficially supported add-ons. In addition, it runs on a modified version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean that can be rooted without voiding the warranty.

In terms of games, any Ouya owner can become a developer without paying a licensing fee, unlike every other major console, and any game that is sold on the Ouya store must come with a free-to-play element, such as a demo or trial period.

So far, Final Fantasy III has been confirmed as a launch title for the console, with Robotoki, Namco Bandai, Sega, Double Fine, Plex, and others all confirming their involvement. Games will also be available through emulators (unofficial Nintendo 64, Commodore 64, NES, Game Boy, Atari 2600, SNES, and Nintendo DS emulators have been confirmed), as well as through OnLive's library of streaming titles.