OUYA Prepares to Enter Development Phase

A post on CVG today points the way to the website of OUYA, the Kickster-funded, Android-powered console that’s set for release in March. The big news is that the console is getting ready for game developers to get started making games for the thing. OUYA’s CEO Julie Uhrman writes that the company has gotten their first run of PCBs, or Printed Circuit Boards, which she calls “the heart (and we believe the soul) of the OUYA experience.”

The boards can be seen in the photo above, and right now the company’s working on testing the PCBs. If all goes according to plan, dev kits will go out in December, which is right on time with the company’s schedule. She also put out an open call to developers who want to get in on the OUYA game making thing:

“If you’re a game developer and you want to start making games for OUYA, our OUYA Software Developer Kit (ODK) is coming soon, but in the meantime, there’s a lot you can do to get started. We’ve posted some information for developers that should help you prepare for the launch of your new game or app on OUYA.”

In addition, Uhrman says that the hardware will run on the latest version of Android’s operating system, having ditched the previous iteration adorably known as Ice Cream Sandwich:

“I’m happy to announce OUYA will run on Android Jelly Bean, the newest version of the Android operating system. We’re making the jump from the old version, Ice Cream Sandwich, to ensure that we’re running on the most up-to-date software available. You asked if it could be done, we looked into it, and we made it happen.”

Pretty exciting news for all y’all who Kickstarted the console. Personally, I missed out—I wasn’t ready to drop a hundred bucks on a system that I just wasn’t sure about, but I am excited to see what happens when it actually launches in March—if, of course, it manages to hit that deadline. My brother will be getting one, so I expect to hear dispatches from him all about it.

OUYA via CVG