Ouya

Do you remember Ouya? The Android-powered console took Kickstarter by storm earlier in the year – and it’s just added a fairly high-profile name to its list of backers. Journey developer and thatgamecompany co-founder Kellee Santiago has signed up to lead developer relations, where she’ll be responsible for helping studios build games for the fledgling platform.

"Ouya gets it,” she said in a comment on the company’s official website. “This is the first console company that really understands how important it is to remove the barriers to development. By freeing up the development process, Ouya is opening up new doors in console gaming.”

Santiago left thatgamecompany in March last year, and has been relatively quiet in the months since. Project founder Julie Uhrman hopes that the new recruit’s extensive experience will help to expand Ouya’s developer outreach.

Impressively, a number of recognisable studios are already working on games for the system, including Quantum Conundrum designer Kim Swift's Airtight Games. "We truly feel that this platform will give us the freedom to fully realise the funky, unique game we have in mind," the former Valve employee said. “Though the title will definitely appeal to core gamers in terms of skill and difficulty, it really has a completely unexpected, imaginative slant that’s totally at home on this console.”

The game’s listed as an exclusive, so it sounds like there’s no hope of it coming to the PlayStation 3. The team responsible for Papo & Yo, Minority Media, are also apparently working on a title that takes advantage of the Ouya’s touchpad.

Despite the promises, though, there’s still very little firm information on any of these releases. Ouya is set to ship to Kickstarter backers on 28th March, with a full retail launch set for June. The platform will sell for just $99, making it a fairly affordable option for cash-strapped gamers. But should Sony be worried? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

[source ouya.tv]