Last month, rumors of a potential acquisition of OUYA by computer hardware and accessory manufacturer Razerstarted popping up. Well, in a press release issued today, Razer confirmed that on June 12th the company purchased "the software assets of OUYA, including its content catalog and online retail platform."

Razer will be relaunching the OUYA store under the name "Cortex for Android TV," though it will additionally be publishing "Android TV content and Android-based TV console games under the OUYA moniker as a separate interest." As for the OUYA console itself (and its poorly received controller), Razer has stated that it "is not retaining interest in OUYA hardware or related other assets." Financial details of the purchase were not disclosed.

In addition to buying the OUYA name, software, and digital storefront, Razer has hired the Android game console's technical team and developer relations staff. It does not seem, however, that OUYA founder Julie Uhrman will be joining her staff once the transition is complete. In a long series of tweets this morning, Uhrman sent thanks to those who supported the project before saying her goodbyes to her team:

According to Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan, the company is deeply invested in creating a successful TV-based game console built on the Android platform. Tan hopes to build on foundation built by OUYA, stating that "[the company's] work with game developers, both triple A and indies, went a long way in bringing Android games to the living room and Razer intends to further that work." Tan also notes that there will a "migration path" for OUYA owners to transfer their digital games onto Razer's on Forge brand "micro-console."

I could see how this acquisition seems strange. Given the OUYA's lukewarm reception, what makes the company (and even more broadly, the idea of a dedicated, Android-based game console) so attractive to Razer?

The answer is that Razer wants access to a potentially very large Chinese market. In this press release, Tam states that "Razer has a long-term vision for Android TV and Android-based TV consoles, such as the Xiaomi Mi Box and Alibaba Tmall Box, to which OUYA already publishes.” Both of those streaming boxes launched in China in the last year. In an interview with Polygon's Brian Crecente, Tam explains that Razer already does a great deal of business in the Chinese market, hoping to "amp up" the spread of Android games in China.

This all comes just a day after China fully lifted their fifteen year long ban on the production and sale of video game consoles. It's unclear if that ban would've restricted the Android-based consoles that Razer was planning to make, but it's certainly one less concern to be worried about for the company. Lots of has been written about the potentially emerging entertainment market of China, but only time will tell how initiatives like this will play out.

I was going to end on a joke about how, whatever the future holds, we can be sure that Razer's build quality will at least be better than OUYA's, but then I remembered that just last week, Ultra Street Fighter IV Champion Momochi nearly had his championship run ruined by a technical failure of his Razer stick. Whoops. (That said, I'd still rather play a fighting game with a faulty Razer stick than with the old OUYA controller. Can you imagine doing a dragon punch on that thing?)

... Uh, okay.

wow...thats....they sure did.

Razor was tricked they thought there were getting the Stradivarius of Controllers.

hahahaha

hahaha I was just about to post about Momochi's Razer stick, well done Austin.

This seems like the appropriate end to the OUYA saga.

Are people still complaining on the kickstarter page about unfulfilled rewards? If so, that's just sad.

I hope this means some more quality improvements for China's gaming environment. I did my fair share of dabbling into that market to see how things were and it was abysmal. I doubt Razer will change the pace, but one can hope that it's taken more seriously over there and maybe piracy won't be so prevalent..

Razer clearly has more money than sense.

oh

That last paragraph, vicious!

I wonder if the Chinese market is a better fit for a console like that.

Oh c'mon Austin, that's not fair, I can totally imagine doing a dragon punch on the Ouya controller.

PUNCH IT INTO SPACE YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING!

Really curious what the price was. I thought I read somewhere that it was cash only, no stock. Could it have been less than the Kickstarter funding?

Two brands I will never trust. Great partnership.

I've heard upwards of 1 billion for the acquisition. Which I think is false, but if not.

Jesus the Ouya team are the biggest scam artists in the world

I'm surprised OUYA found a buyer at all. What value do they offer? They proved they couldn't convince anyone they want a cheap android based console.

Full Disclosure: I came very close to backing OUYA on Kickstarter and then had a last minute moment of clarity, saving myself lots of money and disappointment.

100% sames. I feel good about it!

Who still uses an Ouya?

I bought an OUYA when the entire thing was falling apart and stores were liquidating them for $20 bucks just to be able to say I own one.

It's still in the box.

Well Austin didn't buy an Ouya. I think that puts him one up on Jeff and Dan.

Ahhh, OUYA.

One of the great internet examples of bilking people who think the're too smart to be bilked with their own rhetoric.

Alex was totally right about people who use gaming mice!

How does Razer keep spending all this money on shitty ideas that never pan out, and yet still have more money to spend on shitty ideas? Maybe all those gaming mice for those eXtreme moba's. Hey guys, hot new product in 2016! Memory Cards for your PC! Just plug it into your Razer peripheral!

Seriously thought, I don't think a single Razer RnD project has been successful. That Shield thing was a failure, the tablet was a failure, their VR prototype sucks, their motion controllers have disappeared from existence. I enjoy innovation, and experimentation, but check yourself before you wreck yourself.

The Next article ha's to be Logitech buys the Gizmondo.

I cannot think of a more clueless, more out of touch executive than Julie Uhrman. "Hells ya!"

@soulcake: I think you mean Logitech purchases CBS. The GB crew are turned into gaming mice ala The Fly.

INTERESTING!

Full Disclosure: I came very close to backing OUYA on Kickstarter and then had a last minute moment of clarity, saving myself lots of money and disappointment.

Smart.

Isn't the latest Nvidia Shield console basically a better Ouya? If so, I guess that's what Razer will be trying to compete against with the Ouya... except, oh wait, Razer already has an Android TV Console, the Razer Forge.

So what's the point then?

I wonder what prevented them from doing it themselves?
Or maybe this was just an eliminating the competition sort of thing.

I don't know if i consider $100 lots of money nowadays, but good on you i guess.

There are probably already 1000 knock off versions of this thing already in China. It seems like a really hard market to compete fairly.

I guess that's why Razer has stated that it "is not retaining interest in OUYA hardware or related other assets." I'll admit I was intrigued by the concept and and disappointed when it didn't live up to the overhyped expectations. Still not entirely clear on what they're buying, and why. The store? The catalog? Are they really worth anything?

I'll counter their offer with $5 AND a package of Red Vines.

In similarly important news, I bought a Snickers last night

It was good for Kodi and sideloaded Android apps.

probably the best outcome that could be hoped for the Ouya. Honestly I figured they would just close, so this exceed my expectations considerably.

So now they're moving into cheaply made consoles, huh? Prepare for Green Ring of Death.

I thought they'd have been better off doing their own thing, Ouya comes with a lot of badwill.

@hassun: Ouya | Xian sounds way better than Razer | Xian

Wait.. so there are gonna be scooters with ouya's attached to them?

Ouya, the little console that couldn't.

The 'China fully lifted their fifteen year long ban on the production and sale of video game consoles.' hyperlink doesn't work, goes to a 404 page, small typo in the link at the end?

Man you guys just you wait. Ouya is going to change EVERTHING.

I am being sarcastic but I could not tell you how many times I heard this when OUYA was first starting. But guess what when you have a shitty controller and no support from developers your console is not going to go places.

Basically, the video game equivalent of the Hindustan Ambassador

How did the OUYA get funded in the first place? Amazing that anyone thought it was a good idea.

I'd like to hear more about this.