OUYA partners with Paul Bettner and Tim Schafer

OUYA founder and CEO Julie Uhrman announced at the DICE (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit that it has partnered with Words With Friends creator Paul Bettner and Double Fine Productions' Tim Schafer. Both Bettner's studio and Double Fine will be bringing two games each to the Android-powered $99 game console.

For its part, Double Fine will be providing two game titles to OUYA – Reds and The Cave. Paul Bettner's Verse studio will also be bringing two titles to the console, but they are currently unannounced. No other details about the partnerships have been announced, and release dates for the titles won't be available until a future date.

Said Paul Bettner: "OUYA and Verse are nothing less than The Return Of Console Gaming. The last big wave was mobile ... And yet I believe we're about to see another disruption even bigger than this last. Gamers want the App Store in their living room. OUYA will be the first to deliver it, and it's going to change everything. Again."

OUYA is a $99 game console that was a running success on Kickstarter, and that is now available for pre-order. The device is currently expected to ship in the beginning of March to Kickstarter backers, and will then roll out to others, with those who order before February 4 getting theirs in April.