(Updated with response from Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman.)
The Ouya console was a tremendous hit on Kickstarter, the fastest project to reach a million dollars, and only the eight in Kickstarter history to do so. The idea of a cheap, customizable, Android-based platform was far too tempting for gamers, and over 63,000 people helped bring it to reality, with many buying it once it was made readily available. It doesn't appear that many of them are actually playing their consoles, however. Towerfall is the best-selling Ouya title by a wide margin and it's been revealed today in an interview with Eurogamer that it has only moved 7,000 copies.
That's not terrible news for developer Matt Thorson. He's a one-man team and, even with Ouya's cut, at $15 a pop he's made a nice bundle of money from the system. While TowerFall was originally an Ouya exclusive it's now out for PC and PS4, and Ouya represents only a tiny bit of the total sales for his game. Across all platforms he's grossed $500k. Not bad for an indie platform shooter.
One suprising fact, however, is that the PS4 version has sold the most copies.
"I think it's just a console game, ya know?" Thorson said to Eurogamer of TowerFall. "People have controllers - it's not confusing to get the controllers like it is for PC - and people have it in their living rooms already. I think a lot of people still sit down with their friends when they play their consoles, whereas they don't do that on PC. Even if it's a single-player game. I know me and my friends will sit down and one of us will be playing a game while everyone else is just hanging out."
It's certainly something that would seem to plague other titles like Broforce and Samurai Gunn- while they're indie PC titles they work best with a group of friends in front of a tv, and it's not till they make it to consoles that their true potential will be unlocked.
Thorson also apreciates Sony's help in selling it. "They've featured and promoted it really well," he says. The Ouya version continues to sell too, at least. "Being the best game on Ouya isn't a huge deal, but it is nice. It still sells on there."
Good for Thorson- TowerFall Ascension is out right now and easily worth your money.
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OUYA CEO Julie Uhrman reached out to us with the following statement about this news: "21% of Towerfall's total revenue comes from OUYA, which is pretty impressive when you consider the legacy and size of the Steam and Playstation communities. Plus, OUYA helped put Towerfall and Matt on the map. His story signals that OUYA works: We are finding the next great developers and making them household names, while rewarding their great games with real money in their pocket."
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