- Consoleinfo

Ouya partners with Chinese smartphone giant to bring games to the region.

Following Xbox and PlayStation, the Android-based microconsole company, Ouya, has revealed plans to enter the potentially lucrative Chinese market. Reuters reports that Ouya has partnered with Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi Inc to bring Ouya games--not the console itself--to Xiaomi's streaming boxes and smart TVs.

Ouya founder and CEO Julie Uhrman told Reuters that details are still being finalized, though it's probable that Ouya will get its own channel on Xiaomi's devices where users can buy games. Ouya's partnership with Xioami will also see the Chinese company commit marketing dollars to Ouya games. Uhrman says this deal could be a major move for Ouya. "This could be a turning point...in bringing great content and developers to gamers and into a region that they have never had access to before," she said.

The Ouya console came to life after a massively successful Kickstarter campaign in 2012 that took in $8.6 million--making it the third-largest campaign ever on Kickstarter. The console officially went on sale for $99 last year, but it has failed to gather much attention. However, the potential of the Chinese market should not go overlooked; after all, the number of gamers in China is greater than the total American population, according to a recent study.

The Xbox One will launch in China on September 23. Meanwhile, though Sony has announced plans to bring PlayStation to the region, launch details have not been announced. China lifted its 13-year console ban last year, paving the way for video game consoles and games to be sold in the country, so long as they meet certain content requirements.