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HandyGames backs Ouya with $10,000 premier pledge

Android platform to 'pummel console publishers'

HandyGames backs Ouya with $10,000 premier pledge
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As much a sign of faith in the platform as a strategic move for the developer itself, HandyGames has announced it has backed Ouya with a maximum $10,000 pledge.

The German developer says the Android-based console – which is the fastest growing Kickstarter campaign in history – represents a tremendous opportunity for mobile developers looking to expand their operations into the living room.

Turning the tables

"When HandyGames started out more than 12 years ago, no one really took mobile gaming seriously - it was pretty much seen as joke," said HandyGames CEO Markus Kassulke.

"Now, more than a decade later, I don't think that these are tears of laughter running down the faces of all those big publishers and console makers who see the very core of their business model pummelled by the onslaught extremely affordable indy games on smartphones and tablet PCs."

HandyGames says Ouya has the potential to disrupt the consoles market in the same way smartphones have hit handhelds hard in recent years.

"It's yet another nail in the coffin of walled-garden ecosystems and traditional publishing models," he concluded.

Alright for Ouya

Interestingly, however, Markus Kassulke pitches Ouya as the ideal solution for mobile outfits making a move on the TV market.

That's a position existing and forthcoming smart TV platforms – including any future effort from Apple - would no doubt also see themselves filling.

For HandyGames, however, Ouya offers a much more logical route to that same space.

"Over the past year we have been working hard to take our games beyond the mobile space," added fellow CEO Christopher Kassulke

"Ouya is a perfect match for our long-term strategic goals, but it's not just the business side. We strongly feel that the Ouya team has a vision of the future of gaming that is very similar to our own."

Shake it

Indeed, in a forthcoming PocketGamer.biz Mobile Gaming Mavens, Christopher Kassulke says it's time for mobile developers to "think big" and prepare to "shake up the old industry."

"It's not about powerful hardware or big brand names, it's about innovation and great gameplay and openness to developers and users alike," he concluded.

"Ouya gives us just that, a chance for independent developers to flourish and experiment on a platform that is affordable to users and open to free-to-play and freemium models."

Keith Andrew
Keith Andrew
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font. He's also Pocket Gamer's resident football gaming expert and, thanks to his work on PG.biz, monitors the market share of all mobile OSes on a daily basis.