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E3: ESA ask cops to shut Ouya down

Written by James Delahunty @ 12 Jun 2013 10:32 User comments (8)

E3: ESA ask cops to shut Ouya down

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and Ouya are in an interesting stand-off at E3 this year.
Ouya - the Android games console that resulting from a successful Kickstarter campaign - is "kind of" in attendance at E3 this year. You wont find them in the Los Angeles Convention Center with the bigwigs, but you will find them in the parking lot.

Basically, to avoid the fees associated with getting inside the convention center, and then the costs of setting up booths and wooing attendees, Ouya decided to just show up outside the convention center, renting parking spaces in a nearby lot.

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which organizes the E3 event, was not amused and responded at first by parking trucks right in front of Ouya's little booths.

Undeterred, Ouya responded by renting parking spaces in front of the trucks and setting up again.


Pic Source: IGN

If things weren't ridiculous enough already, the ESA decided it was time to call in the boys in blue, hoping the police would move away the pesky Android box peddler. Unfortunately for the ESA, the cops checked Ouya's permits and left them alone to continue.



Julie Uhrman, Ouya founder, believes that the ESA is probably plotting its next move, but that they are ready to circumvent whatever they throw at them.

"If ten more trucks show up, we'll come up with another idea. I have a few up my sleeve," she said, according to IGN.

The whole thing might seem a tad bit ridiculous, but at least it managed to get more attention to Ouya that it was likely to get in the parking lot. The ESA's frustration would appear to play right into their hands.

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8 user comments

112.6.2013 12:01

That's hilarious.

...Those do-hickies the cops are riding are just the icing on the cake. LOL.

212.6.2013 12:07

Originally posted by Jemborg:
That's hilarious.

...Those do-hickies the cops are riding are just the icing on the cake. LOL.

I really want to hear what the sirens sound like as they drive passed :-)

312.6.2013 13:23

This is awesome!

412.6.2013 13:52

Serves Ouya right tho; whether or not they got the consumer attention they wanted and the right kind: but they kind of rubbed off they had the ESA support when they first announced they were going to be at E3. Now even if they do well, ESA is not likely to let them attend E3 next year and will likely *rent* all parking spots around the area to prevent this from happening in the future.

512.6.2013 19:05

I like these Ouya people. They have class!

613.6.2013 02:56

Segways!? **double-take** no, almost. WTF are those things?

713.6.2013 07:14

The idea is to incapacitate the criminals through laughter.

813.6.2013 09:42

Barbra Streisand effect. And I think it's appropriate that OUYA gets advertising this way, in effect they show that they are just like the big boys but don't need to spend a fortune to get the same quality to the consumer.... sort of like their console.

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