It’s been quite a long time since we’ve heard anything from the little $99 Android-based console that started a new industry for cheap consoles in the living room. If you had any interest in the Ouya, how quiet they’ve been since launch would be a cause for concern.

However, the folks at Ouya have come up with a new plan to inject some life into the console. They’ve announced plans for a 12-month subscription to their game library for $60 per year.

The plan isn’t an outright purchase of all of the games in Ouya’s library. The Ouya All-Access Pass will only work on one-time purchases under $30 in its library. Ouya includes game purchases/unlocks and level packs as part of the content. Not included are items that Ouya says “enhance gameplay” including extra lives and power-ups. So it would seem that anything that could be termed a microtransaction won’t be covered by the subscription and must be paid for separately.

Given the reportedly low monetization rate for games on the Ouya, a slightly radical new plan to make money from the games of Ouya was needed. Last year, we reported that the top Ouya games had a monetization rate of 8% and only 27% of console owners actually spent money on even one game.

This isn’t the first big move by Ouya corporate to try to boost the console’s prospects. Back in March, Ouya eliminated the requirement that developers and publishers include a free demo or go free-to-play with microtransactions for all releases. That’s enticed some devs to get their game onto the Ouya when they otherwise might not have.

Whether this helps the Ouya’s prospects and makes it more financially viable to develop for the Ouya remains to be seen. A new plan of attack certainly couldn’t hurt after what seems to have been a quiet first year for the console.

Source: Ars Technica