High-end gaming accessory maker Razer is believed to have acquired micro-gaming console company Ouya for an undisclosed amount.
Rumors of the acquisition have been doing the rounds but neither Ouya nor Razer hinted about any acquisition plan. However, Mesa Global, an investment bank that acts as financial adviser for acquisitions, has accidentally revealed the deal before any official announcements from Ouya or Razer.
The acquisition of Ouya was reflecting on Mesa's official website but it has now been removed.
Ouya is believed to be one of the first companies to offer a micro-gaming console that came running on the Android operating system. The project first appeared on crowdfunding website Kickstarter where it raised more than $8.5 million and soon became a success.
The sleek design, low price and hackability were some of the selling points of Ouya. However, by the time the micro-gaming console was launched, the hardware was somewhat outdated and the selection of the games offered failed to attract many customers. Experts believe that the team behind the $100 Ouya gaming console focused more on software and did not put a lot of attention on the hardware.
The competition in the gaming industry was also very stiff when Ouya was launched. Gamers preferred top gaming consoles the likes of Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo DS and more.
In April this year, Julie Uhrman, CEO of Ouya, wrote to advisers and investors that the company was in urgent need of a purchaser.
"Given our debtholder's timeline, the process will be quick. We are looking for expressions of interest by the end of this month," said Uhrman in the memo. "Our focus now is trying to recover as much investor capital as possible."
Mesa Global was said to be managing the acquisition but an asking price for Ouya was never revealed.
Razer also has a micro-gaming console called Forge TV that costs $100. Forge TV runs on Android TV software and it has the capability of streaming media, playing games and also streaming PC games.
It is not clear what Razer bought Ouya but some experts believe that the acquisition means kicking off a competitor from the market. Some experts also suggest that the acquisition will enable Razer to pick the best human resources from Ouya that may be helpful in improving Forge TV.
Photo: Carlos Sancho | Flickr
