I really really don't get the part where some early kickstarter backers still haven't seen their consoles shipped...all the while it's selling on Amazon on other retail channels. I just don't get it.
"Backers, I am pissed. Some of you have not yet received your OUYA -- and, to you, I apologize." -- Julie (who usually writes OUYA backer emails)
"Unfortunately, the vast majority of those who haven’t yet received OUYA are international backers. It just takes a lot longer to ship to some countries.... Please accept my personal apology for not yet delivering on our promise." -- Ken, Head of Operations at OUYA
I received the "Your OUYA is on the move" email (with a tracking number) 20 days ago, but here's the thing: my shipping address is in Singapore. Things arrive from Hong Kong via regular airmail within days, not weeks.
They explained that their shipping fulfiller is at fault. They sent the required number of units to the warehouse, they just haven't left the warehouse yet.
The thing that made me think this way is that they claim everything's in order on their end, but they still only sent me the bare package, without the extra controler I've ordered. In a customer service ticket reply, they, however, claim they had to send the console without the extra controler in order to send at least something, and that I'll get the controler in a future shipment.
Bottom line - they can be pissed all they want. They still didn't deliver on their promises.
That's not an excuse. If you're selling thousands of units you need to do test shipments and figure out how long things actually take. And they already delayed retail a month at the last minute, that should be enough time to get shipping worked out.
It's really hard for me to think of a valid excuse for shipments to be significantly delayed for something that was ordered a year in advance. I can think of many valid reasons for production delays; production is hard and unpredictable. Shipping not so much. Maybe a natural disaster.
It was funded a year in advance. "Ordered" a year in advance makes it sound like they had the thing ready and complete and have just been sitting on their asses instead of getting the things built. This was early access--in some cases customized--hardware.
I got mine, I'm not too happy with it, but it was $100. Maybe 6 months from now I can crack it open and fix the major problems with it. But I helped get a company started that is doing something unique. That was worth the $100 alone.
When it comes to shipping delays, and only shipping delays, it does not matter in the slightest when the product was made. What matters is figuring out how to get devices shipped efficiently and legally. Which they utterly failed to do.
And I wish you would have helped a competent android game device company instead of Ouya, but what's done is done.
The graphs they were posting should have been 'delivered' not just 'shipped'. Shipping really means delivered to backers. So backers made retail ship possible but will get their consoles well after.
I am within the first #15000 and in the US and still have yet to receive. I had to contact them when they said everything was shipped 100%. Granted at least they acknowledged it in the last update but it does suck.
See the other comment in this thread. It's basically down to the fulfillment company failing. OUYA sent the last of the backer units shipping weeks ago.
"Backers, I am pissed. Some of you have not yet received your OUYA -- and, to you, I apologize." -- Julie (who usually writes OUYA backer emails)
"Unfortunately, the vast majority of those who haven’t yet received OUYA are international backers. It just takes a lot longer to ship to some countries.... Please accept my personal apology for not yet delivering on our promise." -- Ken, Head of Operations at OUYA