Ouya The Next Virtual Boy: Why It Will Fail

     While Ouya was on Kickstarter it had many backers; actually it set a record for most backers on the site. This gave a very promising start to the console’s life cycle. Now that the system has launched it seems that it will be drowning in the sea of competition very soon. There are multiple reasons for this.

     The first reason this console is set up for failure, is that it is marketed poorly. Basically everyone that knows about the console already bought it through Kickstarter. If you attempt to find this system in stores you will more than likely fail. It is not due to an insane demand for the console either, it is simply because stores don’t have them. There is plenty availability online via bestbuy.com, amazon.com, even target.com. However when searching for store availability it is just not there. Target’s website clearly states: “Sold online, not available in stores.” If someone brings a child into a store and they see something they want, especially with holidays coming up, there is a chance to sell. Without a prominent display in store, how do you expect to sell?

    Another strong reason this console is going to fail is that the next generation is about to release. No one really cares about an indie/open source console at this point. All the hype and news is surrounding that of PS4 and Xbox One. What a terrible time to consider launching competition. Now I realize that Ouya was never meant to be a solid competition for consoles in general, but marketing should have taken into consideration a good time to launch and a bad time to launch. Ouya definitely chose a bad time to launch.

     The list of reasons why this console will probably end up like Nintendo’s biggest failure, Virtual Boy, is endless. I acknowledge that this system has potential and definitely a niche market, but I think that with the next generation releasing by the end of the year people have their attention and wallets elsewhere. Ouya could have been something great, but due to poor marketing and poor launch timing I think this console will be seeing its end before it even has a chance to thrive.