wraggster
January 31st, 2015, 22:08
Microconsole maker Ouya has reportedly struck a $10m investment deal with Chinese internet firm Alibaba.
The Wall Street Journal (http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/01/29/alibaba-breathes-new-life-into-game-console-maker-ouya/) indicates that Alibaba's investment is part of a push into China's budding console market. According to “people familiar with the matter,” the two businesses have agreed on a deal that will integrate Ouya's interface and its library of more than 1,000 titles into Alibaba's set-top box.
Speaking with Games Beat (http://venturebeat.com/2015/01/29/alibaba-invests-10m-in-struggling-ouya-amid-rumors-the-chinese-megacorp-is-making-its-own-console/), Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman explained the move from the hardware company's perspective.
"Sometimes a new market, like China for game consoles, can leapfrog an established one. China's advantage is that it lacks the baggage of the US console market."
Alibaba itself just recently put $215m into mobile-messaging startup Tango – the most notable of several major investments the firm has made toward various tech and game development studio's in 2014.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/ouya-scores-10m-alibaba-investment-report/0144566
The Wall Street Journal (http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/01/29/alibaba-breathes-new-life-into-game-console-maker-ouya/) indicates that Alibaba's investment is part of a push into China's budding console market. According to “people familiar with the matter,” the two businesses have agreed on a deal that will integrate Ouya's interface and its library of more than 1,000 titles into Alibaba's set-top box.
Speaking with Games Beat (http://venturebeat.com/2015/01/29/alibaba-invests-10m-in-struggling-ouya-amid-rumors-the-chinese-megacorp-is-making-its-own-console/), Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman explained the move from the hardware company's perspective.
"Sometimes a new market, like China for game consoles, can leapfrog an established one. China's advantage is that it lacks the baggage of the US console market."
Alibaba itself just recently put $215m into mobile-messaging startup Tango – the most notable of several major investments the firm has made toward various tech and game development studio's in 2014.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/ouya-scores-10m-alibaba-investment-report/0144566