Ouya is an open-sourced, Anroid-based console with the ability to run emulators, and it’s now available to purchase! Naturally, it was only a matter of time before it came under fire… the very notion of the device is like a controversy magnet.
The Ouya was one of the highest-profile Kickstarter campaigns ever launched, and raised a staggering $8.6 million during its 2012 campaign. Technically speaking, it’s designed to run iOS and Android titles, but because it’s open source… it’s capable of emulation.
And while the folks at Ouya have repeatedly claimed in the past that they’re against the illegal use of emulators on their console, they certainly didn’t back up their claim this week when they Tweeted a photo of the classic NES game Super Mario Bros. along with a hashtag that read #FreetheGames.
“PR disaster” is putting it lightly… because the account then continued to Tweet a list of several reasons why you should buy their console, including among the points the ability to play “retro” games (hence the image of Super Mario Bros.). And that, my friends, is illegal.
The Tweet was removed not too long afterward, but we’re betting Nintendo has received word of this one and will have their eye on Ouya.
Whether Ouya is good or bad for the gaming industry is one thing, but blatantly condoning illegal activities on a public social media account? That’s quite another.
