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Ouya Looking for a Buyer - Report

Company behind the Android-based microconsole reportedly in "preliminary acquisition talks" with multiple companies in China and the United States.

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Just a year after the $99 Ouya console went on sale, its creator, also called Ouya, might be looking to sell. Tech news site Re/code reports, based on several unspecified sources, that Ouya is in "preliminary acquisition talks" with companies in China and the United States.

These discussions are only just getting off the ground, but sources told the site that Ouya is more likely to pursue a sale than opt to seek additional funds by raising money. Re/code reports that no offers from any companies to buy Ouya have been made, but talks are moving forward.

Ouya is reportedly in buyout discussions with Chinese companies Xiaomi (the company Ouya aligned with to launch the console in China), as well as massive Internet company Tencent. That company has made numerous gaming investments to date, and currently owns 40 percent of Gears of War creator Epic Games.

Ouya has also spoken with Google and Amazon--which already has its own gaming platform in the form of Amazon Fire TV--about a potential buyout, according to the sources. Importantly, such a deal would be for Ouya staff talent, and not necessarily the console itself, Re/code says.

We have reached out to Ouya for comment, and will update this story with anything we hear back.

The Ouya console launched last summer after high-profile Kickstarter campaign in 2012 raised $8.6 million, the third biggest campaign in the platform's history. The console, however, has failed to gather much traction, even after new initiatives like a $1 million Free The Games Fund and the removal of the free trial requirement for games.

Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch

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