Any Ouya Backers here?

[Carthaginian]

I have a confession to make.

I am Carthaginian, Kickstarter #43634, and I pre-ordered an Ouya.

It all seemed so cool at first. I'd be in on the ground floor for a new and exciting company. There were promises of a great new system and cool new games- AFFORDABLE games- and open source development. It even looked kinda neat... small, compact, sleek.

I've been backing since last August, and I'm now filled with nothing but anger and regret. The mid-March ship date for backers was delayed by 'promo units' to the publishers of electronics mags. Then they said that 'Easter and [Chinese holiday I know nothing about] disrupted production.' They have no customer service to speak of. They never give the unit numbers that they shipped this week. I finally challenge them by e-mail and am told 'the week before it hits stores, you should have yours.'

If you ordered an Ouya and are experiencing a similar negative impact on your life, I invite you to share your story here...

[ROFLCopter64bit]

Ouya, that was the open-source console thingo, right? That would've had good reaction to the community, so I don't know what happened there.

Also, preordering something from Kickstarter/some not really known company is a gamble. You don't know if it will actually exit pre-release. Infact, some might even be a scam. Research kids, it's your friend.

[Person012345]

What are you complaining about? That the release is delayed by a month or two?

And this, kids, is why Squad never give out patch release dates.

[Carthaginian]

What are you complaining about? That the release is delayed by a month or two?

And this, kids, is why Squad never give out patch release dates.

And that, kids, is why businesses think they can walk all over investors.

I'm not complaining- I am BEING LIED TO.

I was promised a product by a certain date, which has been pushed back multiple times. I am receiving no customer service' to speak of, and no substantial updates on a process that has my money already committed. Is it unusual for a person to become frustrated, disillusioned and angry under those circumstances? I don't think it is; most of the Kickstarters are already upset... I'm a relative latecomer. I was promised the box before it was released to retail outlets (end of March/first of April originally), and am not being told that I will have it DAYS in advance instead of MONTHS in advance (end of May 'at the latest').

Squad did indeed have the right idea when they said to themselves 'small shop, small updates, small goals.'

I admire them GREATLY for setting a realistic standard and laying forth things that their customers can expect in clear-cut terms.

Ouya did not do that. Either from ignorance or greed, they decided to make grand promises... and now they must deal with the discontent of those they mislead.

[stibbons]

I'm not complaining- I am BEING LIED TO.

No, you're complaining. It's ugly. Stop it.

[Gniuz]

To be fair I'd be pretty miffed if I was in your shoes. I cant see the console having that much of an impact on the gaming community in general but we'll see.

G.

[Person012345]

Carth, the release date is june. I don't know the exact terms that were said on the kickstarter, but all wiki tells me is that "Units started to ship to Kickstarter backers on March 28, 2013". If all they said was that units would start shipping in march then there was no lie, since that's what happened (and being a late adopter you're obviously going to be further down the queue). Even if they promised them fully delivered by march, delays happen. It's hardly an example of a company "walking all over the investors" just because they had a month or two delay in delivering. I usually consider short delays as a good thing, as it sort of shows they aren't just rushing it out broken in order to meet deadlines. Admittedly I would prefer to be kept up-to-date with what is happening though if I were you, if they just didn't make any attempt to keep customers updated maybe then there's something to really complain about but even then it's hardly crime of the century.

[Carthaginian]

Carth, the release date is june. I don't know the exact terms that were said on the kickstarter, but all wiki tells me is that "Units started to ship to Kickstarter backers on March 28, 2013". If all they said was that units would start shipping in march then there was no lie, since that's what happened (and being a late adopter you're obviously going to be further down the queue). Even if they promised them fully delivered by march, delays happen. It's hardly an example of a company "walking all over the investors" just because they had a month or two delay in delivering. I usually consider short delays as a good thing, as it sort of shows they aren't just rushing it out broken in order to meet deadlines. Admittedly I would prefer to be kept up-to-date with what is happening though if I were you, if they just didn't make any attempt to keep customers updated maybe then there's something to really complain about but even then it's hardly crime of the century.

It sounds like you have no idea what you are talking about.

Hop on over to their Facebook page.

They are claiming to have shipped '20% of the units' by the week before last... but backers well within that percentage ARE POSTING THEY ARE LYING.

Don't talk about it till you know what's going on.

I posted to see if anyone here was actually involved. If you are not, then please refrain from posting about things you are completely uninformed on.

[Carthaginian]

Ouya, that was the open-source console thingo, right? That would've had good reaction to the community, so I don't know what happened there.

Also, preordering something from Kickstarter/some not really known company is a gamble. You don't know if it will actually exit pre-release. Infact, some might even be a scam. Research kids, it's your friend.

It looked like a good idea- but it sure isn't turning out like that.

The concept was sound and the idea was good- but the implementation sure has turned out to be an embarrassment.

[Leonov]

Doing a some quick napkin math here. There are in total, 63,416 backers for OUYA. Of that 3668 backes pledged below the line of people who get an OUYA. Asuming everyone above $95 gets an OUYA. This leaves 59,748 backers that get a OUYA. If thier percentage is correct at "20% shipped" 11,949 backers have recieved their OUYA. This means that 47,799 backers have not recieved their OUYA.

Who sounds like they are going to complain more/louder?

The Haves, or the Have Nots?

Of course the people that dont have it yet are going to complain more.

This is a simple distribution delima. Stop complaining and wait, They will pull through.

[Carthaginian]

Doing a some quick napkin math here.

Have YOU visited their site?

In the last TWO DAYS backers AS LOW AS THE FIVE HUNDREDS have stated they have not yet received NOTICE OF SHIPPING... much less the units themselves.

[bandit4910]

Are they confirmed by kickstarter to be in the five hundreds? If not, they could be lying. This goes with the saying don't trust everything you read on the internet. If they are then OUYA is a horrible company. Also, if a company gives a release date they do not HAVE to meet it. Especially if there is a major setback. This is why Squad and a lot of other companies don't give any release dates.

[Person012345]

It sounds like you have no idea what you are talking about.

Hop on over to their Facebook page.

They are claiming to have shipped '20% of the units' by the week before last... but backers well within that percentage ARE POSTING THEY ARE LYING.

Don't talk about it till you know what's going on.

I posted to see if anyone here was actually involved. If you are not, then please refrain from posting about things you are completely uninformed on.

Are you utterly stupid? I made it very clear I was not sure about the exact conditions but what you said DOESN'T DISPUTE MOST OF MY POST ANYWAY. So good one there. In fact, you're now just saying it's a delay of 2 weeks. Which is even whinier.

You have a terrible attitude.

Edited May 2, 2013 by Person012345

[Carthaginian]

Are they confirmed by kickstarter to be in the five hundreds? If not, they could be lying. This goes with the saying don't trust everything you read on the internet. If they are then OUYA is a horrible company. Also, if a company gives a release date they do not HAVE to meet it. Especially if there is a major setback. This is why Squad and a lot of other companies don't give any release dates.

Bandit,

Random people seem to be reporting in.

In my latest check, people- especially on the West Coast, specifically in Kalifornia- are reporting getting their emails at numbers as high as 10,000+. Others are stating that they have numbers as low as mid 500's and still haven't gotten a shipping notice. It's like they are just randomly sending things out IN SPITE OF DELIBERATE STATEMENTS THEY WOULD NOT DO THIS.

So far, Ouya has proven to be then antithesis of Squad... maybe the guys at Squad should send their managers over to give classes on responsible startup ops?

Person012345,

The delay has been SINCE 28MAR13! THAT was the original promised ship date. Now they are saying we will get them NO MORE THAN TWO WEEKS before the retail backers... more than a month and a half after they promised. The truly galling thing is THEY DIDN'T GIVE ANY PUBLISHED NOTIFICATION THAT THE UNITS WOULD NOT SHIP UNTIL AFTER APRIL. In fact, they posted deliberately misleading info on their company website stating that pre-orderers should 'order now for shipping before the endof April.'

You don't seem to really be following anything I'm saying.

[Person012345]

Person012345,

The delay has been SINCE 28MAR13! THAT was the original promised ship date. Now they are saying we will get them NO MORE THAN TWO WEEKS before the retail backers... more than a month and a half after they promised. The truly galling thing is THEY DIDN'T GIVE ANY PUBLISHED NOTIFICATION THAT THE UNITS WOULD NOT SHIP UNTIL AFTER APRIL. In fact, they posted deliberately misleading info on their company website stating that pre-orderers should 'order now for shipping before the endof April.'

You don't seem to really be following anything I'm saying.

I'm following it, but you're not saying it right.

We're now back to the point I was making. It's a delay of 1 - 2 months. And I don't know exactly what the terms are, but at worst you seem to be saying there's a short delay. Which I'm saying, is hardly the worst thing ever. You can disagree with me, but you don't have to be an ass about it.

[Nibb31]

It very rarely happens that hardware is shipped on schedule. Even companies like Samsung or Sony screw up sometimes, and this is a small startup company with no experience. Hardware design is one thing, but logistics and manufacturing are totally different jobs. You can't put them to the same standard as multinational companies with thousands of enmployees that sell millions of units and have 50 years of experience.

As an "investor", not a "customer", you should know these things. You chose to invest in a project because you believed in it. It was an informed decision, and a gamble. You haven't been screwed yet, because it's just a minor delay of one or two or maybe even three months. But when you invest in this sort of thing, there is always a chance that you will be screwed, and you are supposed to accept that risk.

[Carthaginian]

As an "investor", not a "customer", you should know these things. You chose to invest in a project because you believed in it. It was an informed decision, and a gamble. You haven't been screwed yet, because it's just a minor delay of one or two or maybe even three months. But when you invest in this sort of thing, there is always a chance that you will be screwed, and you are supposed to accept that risk.

1.) The project was basically funded when I committed.

I knew that it was a risk, and only pledged a week before close in order to minimize that risk. The company is apparently producing units, as several game magazines have reviewed the units. A random privileged few seem to be receiving them, in no rational order.

2.) Investors are NOT supposed to 'accept being screwed.'

That ain't how it works. If you think it is, look at the large number of companies sued by investors- and who are forced to provide them with money or goods as a result- when the companies do not deliver.

3.) MONTHS are not 'short delays.'

Be one, two or three months late on a bill and see if it is a 'short delay.'

[Carthaginian]

You can disagree with me, but you don't have to be an ass about it.

What's being an ass?

You didn't read what I said right.

I told you you didn't.

Please, if you didn't order, don't post anymore.

I made this thread to try and locate more people and see if their experiences were similar to mine, and perhaps drum up support for a united front to take to the Facebook page to try and get some answers. I didn't make it to argue about the issue with people that aren't involved and have no clue what is going on.

[Leonov]

You seem to be throwing out information with little to no factual basis, everything you have said is heresay at best. Nibb31 brings up a very good point about the risks of investing, Especially in this sort of gamble situation. You can follow suit and keep ranting about how your not one of the 20% that recieved their product, or you can get some patience, sit back, and wait. Just doing a little look around the web, it looks like they might have sent them out to game reviewers first, as a PR standpoint this makes sence as they will put out reviews and unboxing videos which will make their investors happy, and excited about the product they threw money at. As can be seen in this situation, sending them to game reviewers first has made the investors angry. Put down the Torch and Pitchfork, sit back and be patient. I am sure they will deliver on their agreement.

[Person012345]

What's being an ass?

You didn't read what I said right.

I told you you didn't.

Please, if you didn't order, don't post anymore.

I made this thread to try and locate more people and see if their experiences were similar to mine, and perhaps drum up support for a united front to take to the Facebook page to try and get some answers. I didn't make it to argue about the issue with people that aren't involved and have no clue what is going on.

Yes I did. You apparently didn't understand what I wrote though because your response didn't address any of it.

If you don't want to argue then don't argue.

And yes, months are short delays. Yes, there is every chance that an investor will "get screwed". When businesses perform poorly, investors are regularly put out of pocket, as other people have pointed out that's part of investing. If you described yourself as a customer, then maybe you'd have more of a point. The business should not be out to please investors, but customers (the other way around and you get EA). As it happens, kickstarter is a bit of both, so you actually have some legitimacy to complain as a customer. Also, there is no risk from a kickstarter project failing to get funded, since if it fails to meet the goal you don't get charged. I don't know why you think coming in late would "minimize the risk". The risk comes in the form of the project potentially being terrible.

[Nibb31]

LG had supply problems that delayed the Google Nexus 4 for at least 2 months.

Nintendo delayed the NDS for 3 months, missing the holiday period.

Samsung is late in providing the Galaxy S4

GTA V has been delayed from "Spring 2013" until september.

This is what you are looking like right now BTW...

Try typing "Apple delays" or "Sony delays" in Google, and you will see that delays are common in the hi-tech industry. Although frustrating, they are usually a good sign, meaning that the manufacturer is confident with releasing a quality product rather than rushing it just to make deadlines. Now if these companies, with their thousands of employees, can screw up product launch schedules, imagine how hard it must be a few dozen geeks in a startup company with no experience and no logistics network.

I don't know how old you are, but you've lived all your life without an Ouya. I'm pretty sure you can survive another 2 or 3 months without one. Plus, you don't even know if it will be any good. At first view, it's the price of a Wii with nowhere near the capabilities or game library. Though I might be missing the point, buying into a new console (like any new technology) without any reviews available or seen any of the games, is risky.

[Crush]

Whenever a project resorts to crowd funding for financial backing, it usually means that the project can't get capital the usual way. There is usually a reason why no venture capitalist trusts them. Either the makers lack experience or it's a very unusual project where nobody can say if it will be successful or not.

You have to be aware that such a high-risk project might not run as smoothly as expected.

Please don't get me wrong. I think crowd funding is a wonderful new concept. By distributing the risk of a venture on thousands of people it becomes possible to make projects which would never happen otherwise. But you have to be aware that when you back a crowd-funded project, that you are not a customer. You are an investor betting money on a risky project. When you want to be sure that you get what you pay for, be patient and wait until the project is finished, and then buy the product like everyone else.

Edited May 2, 2013 by Crush

[stibbons]

Whenever a project resorts to crowd funding for financial backing, it usually means that the project can't get capital the usual way.

Wait, is a forum dedicated to a pre-release game really this opposed to crowdfunding other projects? Weird.