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Amazon Hiring Devs For Its First PC Game
An anonymous reader writes: Several outlets are reporting that Amazon is preparing to dip its toes in yet another market: PC video games. They're specifically hiring for this purpose now, though they seem to have had plans for some time: "In addition to acquiring Killer Instinct developer Double Helix last year, Amazon has also hired notable developers like Kim Swift, designer of Portal, as well as Clint Hocking, who previously worked on franchises like Far Cry and Splinter Cell. Meanwhile, according to a report from Kotaku, Amazon has spent a lot of cash licensing the CryEngine, the same one used to make high-end PC games like Crysis 3. Outside of development, Amazon also acquired game streaming service Twitch last August for $970 million, and made gaming a big focus for its Fire TV media box."
Big business can't create art... my bet is against it
Finally, the video game adaptation of Foodfight!
How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
It will suck big time.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
I couldn't help but noticed you were unemployed. AMAZON.COM is hiring, GAME DEVELOPERS, right now! Of course, if you wanted to obtain a fine job at a company like, AMAZON.COM, you COULD TRY a job listing board like the one at dice.com! It has plenty of jobs that would fit perfectly for a, SLASHDORT READER, like yourself!
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
Amazon is not EA. Their attitudes are different and their profoilo is a pretty diversified at this point.
Will the game be any good? I have no idea. But I'm excited to see new money come into the market and try things.
Frankly, I like games more than I like movies or tv shows. My music collection hasn't changed much further in the last 10 years. I've hit that age.
And that means if you want to sell me content, you have to target me. And game... I likes them.
I've decided to stop wasting my time responding to AC trolls/sockpuppets... so if you want a response from me... login.
that's not necessarily a bad thing. Think Hawken, Hearthstone & LOL. But there isn't much money in AAA titles unless you're an established franchise and there isn't squat in the indies.
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I get why Amazon wants to/has to make their own video content: People expect it these days and they have to compete with Netflix and HBO. But in gaming, there are already a ton of publishers and a ton more developers in all shapes and sizes and for all markets and kinds of games.
It is a great time to be a PC gamer. There's so much choice. If you don't think there is, try playing something new instead of the same old things.
Anyway, there are a lot of people making games. Some great, some good, some bad. What is Amazon going to bring to this that isn't already being done? It's not like the video service where they have to meet expectations, and it's not an unmet need since there already are tons of games.
Amazon is hiring some heavy hitters and spending A-level cash on game engines. This says they intend to bring out an epic franchise brand, which means they will have to spend a LOT on making it, and take years, and after all the work, maybe people won't want to play it. Most games end up like that, especially the big, grand, spendy grand attempts. Very few of those command lasting presence. So they're basically betting a lot on what will probably be ONE title and the odds are it won't be huge hit. Maybe a moderate hit. Why do this? Why take on that financial risk when there are plenty of existing companies and people who already do that?
Amazon already sells their games, and now they have Twitch to show them off too. Amazon doesn't need to make content in this space.
Sig for hire.
Due to the lack of sufficiently advanced image recognition software Amazon is going to employ gamers to identify shelf items.
Hardly anyone makes money these days on games. Amazon has had another brainstorm that will end up losing money big time. I suspect they hope to do something like Steam eventually through its Prime services. Unfortunately, like much of everything Amazon does, it tends to lose money not make money.
People will eventually realize that Amazon is much like Walmart was early on. A retail business bent on providing consumers with low prices and good service.
But somewhere along the line it got out of control and while it makes for good chit chat to talk about drones delivering packages and eliminating more and more human labor and moving to robots. Eventually this will all be a negative to people who now know people who were negatively affected by Amazon's obsession with eliminating jobs. I guarantee you Amazon will not pay a handsome price for gaming developers.
Now its time to hire even more H1B's!
who used to dictate the placement of every pixel on Amazon website, according to Steve Yegge.
Fire smartphone had 3-D features that required immense processing power (which meant sacrificing battery life and other things) and therefore written off by the engineers as being not practical. But Bezos was in love with the features and he basically said the phone ships with 3-D or you're all fired.
I can't see the Amazon game ending well.
This is just cover for their warehouse bot dev recruitment program. Only problem is that their warehouse bots might end up competing with each other for survival in the Amazon Warehouse Wars.
Spend the dime and fix the Kindle for Android app first. Many people can't get it to work *at all*.
Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
Why does everything have to be Politically Correct these days? Just make the game fun to play.
If Amazon hires the good talent, let's them do what they need to do, great things could come out of this. As long as they aren't Yahoo-ing it. I remember back when Yahoo purchased All Seeing Eye, and then they ignored it and let it languish. So sad, with some focused effort a lot of the properties that Yahoo picked up could have flourished, instead they stagnated and died. Hopefully Amazon won't go too far either way and picks the sweet spot right in the middle where they are going to hire talented people and then let them do talented things.
My guess: Attack of the Drones.
Therefore, by the (faulty) logic you're using, you're just a cow with a keyboard - osu-neko (2604)
Ubisoft, who are right up there with EA released Valiant Hearts, which from editorial seems to have been borne from a desire of their internal "drones"
MS and Sony have both released a plethora of great Indie stuff on their platforms
The PC's renaissance is leading the pack mind - but I've never in my life had so many great and different games exposed to me as a have today.
Maybe "big business" can't create art - but it can certainly provide an environment in which it can flourish, and hand over a percentage of sales.
I'm sure we can argue over the details - but gaming is getting more commercial by the year, and I've never had games so good.
Yes. Yes you are.
Now go put your helmet back on and play in your room.
Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
then it's not a PC game.
"It isn't an over reaction. You make a claim? You back that shit up."
Hi, shiftless here.....410350. I don't know the person you are arguing with. From your comments, you are clearly an insecure little bitch. That's why you reacted so defensively and hatefully.
You need to work on that.
captcha: impudent