Looking back from the other side of Ouya's just-completed $8.6 million Kickstarter campaign, the project's initial funding goal of $950,000 seems overly humble. But Ouya founder Julie Uhrman said it didn't feel that way when the concept for an open, Android-based TV game console was first being put forward.

"I thought [$950,000] was high at the time," Uhrman told Ars Technica in a recent interview about the Kickstarter success. "I was freaking out. At the last minute I was like 'let's not do it.' It was one of the highest Kickstarter asks at the time. We were nervous about going so high, but we knew what we needed to create a market."

Since its launch on Kickstarter on July 10, Ouya has attracted practically equal parts interest and skepticism from those following the future of the home game console market. The tinkering community has gotten behind the system in a big way, thanks to its sub-$100 price and openness to hardware modifications and software hacks. Some gamers, though, are worried the system's Android-based Tegra 3 hardware won't be able to deliver the kind of experience modern console gamers are used to, and that the system will have trouble attracting games other than simple Android phone ports (there are currently a few dozen confirmed games for the system, and major publishers Square Enix and Namco Bandai have committed to support the system).

The Kickstarter success may help with that last point. With more than nine times more money than the minimum they expected to need at this point, Uhrman said the Ouya team will be able to better support developers with new tools and invest directly in funding exclusive games for the system. Kickstarter provided Ouya with more than just money, though. Uhrman said the crowdfunding service helped the team engage in an ongoing conversation with backers, leading directly to the addition of features like an Ethernet port and support for up to four controllers.

But being responsive to consumers doesn't mean Ouya can fulfill every player request. While many backers asked for more internal storage, for instance, Uhrman said the option to add external USB storage will provide a more flexible, lower-cost solution for those who want it.

"All along we've been really focused on keeping it affordable, keeping that price point under $100," Ouya spokesperson Tiffany Spencer said. "Of course gamers are going to say we want X, Y, and Z, but fundamentally the specs that we chose allow us to provide a maximum experience at a super reasonable price point."

Continuing hardware tweaks

Sales of Ouya won't stop just because the Kickstarter campaign is over; the team is still taking pre-orders on their website and is "very optimistic" about discussions with a variety of retail partners. And the conversation between Ouya and its backers won't end now that the Kickstarter is over, either. The team is reaching out to fans through sites like reddit as it continues to finalize the hardware.

It might seem odd to still be tweaking a system just months before developer units are supposed to go out, and consumer Ouyas are being promised for next March. But Uhrman projected deep confidence that they'd be able to make their targets, even though they're now committed to producing tens of thousands more systems than they initially thought.

"This isn't rocket science," she said of the design. "We're not building custom chips, it's standard technology combined in a new way.... We are very confident and committed to launching in March 2013, and we know we can do it."

"All the tech is standard, so we're essentially wrapping it up in a well-designed package and developing the software, and we have the right team in place to do that," Spencer added.

Piracy prevention and non-gaming expansion

As an open, Android-based system that encourages hardware and software hacking, Ouya seems like the perfect target for widespread piracy. But Uhrman said that she's not even slightly concerned about that risk, saying that the time-of-purchase authentication system on the Ouya Store will protect developers.

"Many great developers and publishers are already putting their content on Android devices, and Ouya is going to be just as secure," she said. "Because we've embraced this free-to-play model, all content will require server authentication to get it. Rooting the box will not get you any greater access than you have today."

And while some of the highest profile announcements for the system of late have been for non-gaming apps like XBMC, Plex, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, and Vevo music videos, this doesn't mean the Ouya is turning away from its gaming roots. "Fundamentally this is a game box, it's going to play great games," Uhrman said. "The reality is, because it's based on Android, all different types of content can find its way to Ouya, whether it's streaming music or streaming videos or other types of applications, but fundamentally this is for gamers and we're building it with gamers and developers in mind."