Source: http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/7/5478198...

Last year, I predicted that the rising tide of Android gaming would raise all boats — that indie game consoles like the Ouya, the Shield, and the Gamestick could mount a challenge against Xbox and PlayStation because of all the attention they were getting as a whole. Sadly, it looks like I was wrong. This week, the leader of the indie console charge is standing down.

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Ouya arrived late, the hardware was panned, and the plan to fund games was beset by scams. Promised titles like Hawken and OnLive never materialized, and a much-hyped exclusive from Portal designer Kim Swift didn't move the needle. The only exclusive game worth playing on the system, Towerfall, isn't exclusive to Ouya anymore — and early reports suggested that even Towerfall wasn't really a hit.

Meanwhile, the Gamestick got an even poorer reception, and Nvidia hasn't been willing to share sales figures for its surprisingly well-built Shield. Valve's Steam Box, thought to be another console competitor, turned out to be a disorganized collection of gaming PCs — at least until Alienware and company can get the original vision off the ground.

So now, amidst a seeming blasé attitude towards failed microconsoles, Ouya is pivoting to become a software platform. The company hopes to embed the software into televisions and set-top boxes, starting with its former competitor the Mad Catz Mojo, and will keep its own console around only as a "reference design" from now on.