Amazon Enters Gaming Market

eldavojohn writes "Ars brings us news of Amazon's entrance into the casual gaming market after purchasing Reflexive last year. Amazon identifies this sort of gaming as a good start for its demographic of customers and is certainly making competitors in the field nervous. There is a lot of evidence that Amazon is testing the waters to see how these small time games go as a prerequisite to something bigger, although they aren't talking. From Ars, 'For the first week, visitors will even be able to grab three games for free: Jewel Quest 2, Build a Lot, and The Scruffs. That, along with the ability to try every game before you buy, should be enough to entice fans of casual gaming to check out Amazon's offerings. It also looks like this could be Amazon's first step into the world of digital distribution for video games.' Do you think this trial will go well for Amazon?"

Comments

Re:Yes

[StingRay02]

I don't know how much I'll use the service later on, but I've already grabbed the free games. Incidentally, there's a fourth free game available; Big Kahuna Reef. It's not advertised, as far as I can tell, so I don't know if there might be more hiding in the pages.

Anonymous Coward

[Anonymous Coward]

The games are US only too - your IP is tested as well to confirm your location.

Proxy.

Some info,

[Anonymous Coward]

1) You need an Amazon account with a credit card number. Hitting the download button directs me to sign in and then choose my payment.

2) Amazon requires you to use their downloader.

3) From what I'm hearing, Jewelquest2 is time limited to 30mins. Forced Casual? Heh.

- AJK

Proprietary downloader

[Atario]

Just tried this.

They make you download and install their special downloader first. This installs a service and a tray icon that run at startup, and provides no easy way to disable this (short of uninstall). (That is, easier than disabling them with RegEdit and Services console.) The downloader also makes you "name" your machine for its own purposes, and you pick which machine you're downloading to on the download page. I'm guessing this must lock that copy in to that machine (else why ask?).

Yuck.