Controversial Ouya game Gridiron Thunder is slated to launch Sept. 30, MogoTXT CEO Andrew Won told Joystiq, after raising eyebrows following donations of $171,009 from just 183 backers on crowdfunding site Kickstarter.
The title is part of Ouya's recent Free the Games Fund, a program designed by Ouya to offer studios incentive to develop for the console by matching funds raised through Kickstarter of at least $50,000. Titles that are part of the program must remain exclusive to Ouya for at least six months to receive the full amount promised by the console company.
"Some of the first accusations made against us was that we were scam artists who would take the money and run and not build the game that we promised," Won told Polygon last month. "They made this accusation despite the fact that the developers on my team previously worked at companies like EA, Kixeye, Glu and so forth. Did they really think that all 10 of us would run off to Bermuda or the Bahamas with $78,000. It's almost comical.
"The current accusations are in the same vein. While we can't stop people from making baseless accusations, we will prove them all wrong again."
Gridiron Thunder became one of the first Ouya success stories alongside point-and-click adventure game Elementary, My Dear Holmes after becoming part of the console company's funding program; however, the latter title was later suspended by Kickstarter when it was discovered numerous suspicious accounts were backing the project.
In response to earlier accusations, Andrew Won told Joystiq: "Kickstarter conducted a full investigation and found nothing wrong with our campaign. This is conclusive and our campaign came to a successful close last Sunday," Won said. "I've answered the same question many times and I have nothing more to add. There is nothing left to discuss."
