Ouya "surprised" by Free the Games Fund controversy

Julie Uhrman has fought back against the critics who have attacked Ouya’s Free the Games Fund.

The scheme, which offers to match the Kickstarter cash of any successfully funded game on the site that pledged Ouya exclusivity, has come under fierce attack after two of its applicants were accused of dodgy dealings in order to secure Ouya’s cash.

The always-positive CEO is having none of it, however.

Recently, the intention behind our Free the Games Fund seems to have been lost,” she wrote. This response surprised us — we thought this was going to be great — how could it not be?

The truth is, openness is hard. Being open means everything is fair game, and it means sometimes things don’t work out exactly as you hope. And when it doesn’t work out, everyone knows.

We’re OK with all that, though, because being open is worth it. It’s a value we stick to because it comes with so many benefits for us, and for you — the gamers and developers. For us, openness includes the benefit of your insight. We misstep, and we correct.

In launching this campaign, we’ve been called everything from naive and foolish to crazy and idealistic. This is not the first time we’ve been called any of that. Maybe we’re naive … and YES we’re definitely idealistic. It’s gotten us this far.

If we can put aside the doubt and embrace the spirit of this fund as it is meant, and of OUYA as it is meant, we might just be surprised by what a little positivity can produce.

The Free the Games Fund is for you — the developer with a great idea and the community of gamers who would do anything to see a game on the TV. Today, more than 40 developers have contacted us with their game ideas, and we are honoured.”