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[CoG]

When I hear 'Android' I think utter failure, but if they can tightly regulate the marketplace and fund high quality casual games they may get somewhere. If it's a dump like Android marketplaces usually are this will fail nearly as hard as Ouya.

Technically, Amazon does not use Android it uses FireOS. Yes, it's an Android fork but since the release of the Fire, Google has really done everything they can to prevent another big company from forking Android.

So, Amazon's fork becomes less and less Android and more and more Amazon. The acquisition of Double Helix shows they're ready to bolster the Kindle-exclusive library because the Android marketplace is lacking.

I have to admit, the move seems very un-Amazon.

 

[jhmtehgamr20xx]

This thing has "day one jailbreak emulator box" written all over it. Android is swimming with emulators and they could run very nicely on something with a bit of GPU firepower.

Not condoning. Just sayin'.

Unless it can solve the problem of Saturn emulation with 100% accuracy, I'm not interested.

Aside of that, tho, it could be a very interesting console, especially for Microsoft. Nintendo's kind of a non-starter this gen, and MS's the one in the vulnerable position right now. Another America-focused competitor would cause some problems, and Amazon probably has more global appeal than them, too.

Not that it won't cause problems for PS4, too, but at least in terms of price I don't think they can get that much lower of $300, and a $350 PS4 still looks like a great deal compared to a $250 Amazon console with a small library of games. So does a $400/$450 XBO for that matter (tho arguably less so)

 

[statham]

So buying up a small C tier developer proves this ?

no but they hired others

http://neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=648823
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/halo-writer-joins-amazon/1100-6413105/
and I thought some of the mass effect people.

I think they are going Microsoft's route and making a multi-media console that plays games but will sell for under $250. I'm excited to see what it could be.

 

[EightBitNate]

Hoping it's $299 then. I know it's a bigger risk, but I really don't want to see another Ouya farted into the market.

 

[Xun]

I never thought I'd be so intrigued to see what Amazon can bring to the table.

It'll be an interesting year for gaming.

 

[Mlatador]

Amazon's "console" is gonna bomb harder than the OUYA (well, maybe not AS hard). The console gaming market is just too damn hard to get into.

 

[Jobbs]

ouya's about to have some competition.

 

[SwiftDeath]

It's interesting that Amazon will be releasing their console what at least a year after the PS4/XB1?

I have trouble imagining them gaining any serious ground marketwise launching later with no brand history in the field, and no confirmation if they'll have big 3rd party support

 

[Drainer]

If it's going to cost that much I hope it has the balls to handle N64, Dreamcast and Saturn emulation.

Id love to not have to ever set up those consoles again.

OUYA solved my 8 and 16-bit problem which is nice.

 

[Graphics Horse]

What if they have Half Life 3 as an exclusive tho?

 

[DeaviL]

Amazon doesn't even have accounts for my country and many others, this'll probably be targeted at America first because i don't see it doing all that well anywhere else.

 

[orhnsnmz]

The Verge reported that Google is making its own Android high-end (!) gaming console sometime last year.

So I guess the story here is, that Amazon got wind of that and is going to release a similar console and try to catch the bandwagon even before its departure.

Smart move, really (if my theory is right). Developers wouldn't even have to change anything to target Amazons console too.

 

[Somnid]

Amazon doesn't even have accounts for my country and many others, this'll probably be targeted at America first because i don't see it doing all that well anywhere else.

You sure? http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201146240

 

[DocSeuss]

Still trying to wrap my head around why anyone would want to sit down in front of their TV and play games that are designed to be played in short bursts.

 

[DigiMish]

They should just give it out for free for all PRIME members.

 

[EightBitNate]

Still trying to wrap my head around why anyone would want to sit down in front of their TV and play games that are designed to be played in short bursts.

Amazon has been hiring non-indie devs lately, so I doubt they're out making Flappy Bird clones. I'm expecting some decently sized games. And there are also a shit-ton of emulators for Android, but this thing will probably be closed to Google Play like the Kindle Fires.

 

[Zok310]

Under $200 with a focus on casuals and streaming and they might cut out a nice nich market from themselves.

I think they should just buy up developers the best money can buy and just publish AAA software on WiiU, PS4 and XB1 under the amazon brand.
I like amazon, but video game hardware is a tough business.
I wish them all the best.

 

[infiniteloop]

Still trying to wrap my head around why anyone would want to sit down in front of their TV and play games that are designed to be played in short bursts.

Why would they be?

Under $200 with a focus on casuals and streaming and they might cut out a nice nich market from themselves.

They'll have competition from Apple in a couple of months.

 

[Xun]

It's a shame the OP hasn't been updated, because that was posted before the Double Helix acquisition.

I honestly do think people will be presently surprised at what they show.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

I don't know why I'm so ready to dismiss this as being anything significant, at least for me and possibly most people who would browse a site like NeoGAF. I only really got into gaming when the big three—Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo—were the ones mainly involved, which is still the case.

I guess if Amazon comes up with a system and it's good, whatever.

 

[Sandfox]

Under $200 with a focus on casuals and streaming and they might cut out a nice nich market from themselves.

Casual console gamers need their CoD and AC.

 

[jrcbandit]

Who wants an IOS or Android based console when 98% of "games" are microtransaction-oriented gameplay? Gameplay based around in-app purchases and time wasters might work on a cell phone and tablets where people tend to play a few minutes at a time throughout the day or play distracted while watching TV, but it makes for a horrible console experience where the game is at the fore-front of your attention and involve play sessions of 1+ hours.

 

[clubstoic]

So now there will be 7 console competitors, like that one time.

 

[RayMaker]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY37w7wxLFE

If they do put a NK1 in the amabox and say 6gb ddr3 and maybe some edram (1gb for os)

What would modern multiplats look like on it? it does have 384gflops of power!

Seeney said in the vid that high end pc and console games could be made to run on the K1.

The demos of UE4 do look nice on it but in a real game how good could an exclusive title look on a K1 console ?

 

[DocSeuss]

Amazon has been hiring non-indie devs lately, so I doubt they're out making Flappy Bird clones. I'm expecting some decently sized games. And there are also a shit-ton of emulators for Android, but this thing will probably be closed to Google Play like the Kindle Fires.

Why would they be?

Indication from a lot of rumor articles has been that this is intended for running android games on their console. I'm betting it's intended as a PrimeBox first and foremost.

I'd love it if they were trying to pull off games that were at least XBLA quality, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Sandfox]

If Amazon were to make a powerful console with all the important 3rd party games for around $300 I think it would be a really bad sign for MS.

 

[thehypocrite]

The thing I wonder is what state is the software, just because they bought a developer doesn't mean they have software at the ready. Look at COD, making games that just repeat a tried and true formula/experience takes 3 years now, this amazon project could be stillborn if they don't have the required exclusive software to justify it's existance.

 

[SPDIF]

If Amazon were to make a powerful console with all the important 3rd party games for around $300 I think it would be a really bad sign for MS.

Not Sony too? $300 undercuts them as well.

Spoiler

No, this isn't time for a Sony too! joke

 

[Caayn]

Indication from a lot of rumor articles has been that this is intended for running android games on their console. I'm betting it's intended as a PrimeBox first and foremost.

I'd love it if they were trying to pull off games that were at least XBLA quality, but I'm not holding my breath.

I'd be amazed if they get XBLA/PSN quality games on it. But even if they do, there would need to be more than that for it to be interesting for me.

I'm not interested in a fourth competitor who thinks they can revolutionize the gaming industry with yet another android console.

If Amazon were to make a powerful console with all the important 3rd party games for around $300 I think it would be a really bad sign for MS.

Only for MS?

 

[Killroyskbg]

I really just don´t get these "mobile games" devices. Those who like to play these games do it on there phones while away from home is my experience or a tablet not on there tv even though it can be done even today. Emulators have been available on PC for ages and can run from any laptop with a hdmi out or other outputs. The games are often only meant to be played in short bursts. They will need a lot more than 3 devs to make enough games for it to appeal to gamers and invest in it. Just look at the WiiU and how Nintendo have gone from best selling to worst in a generation because of lack of support. Multimedia box? Just plug your phone to your tv or buy an apple tv or other cheaper alternatives.

 

[Sandfox]

Not Sony too? $300 undercuts them as well.

Only for MS?

It would hurt Sony a lot as well and probably make it harder for the company to stay profitable but I think it would affect MS in a bigger way.

 

[Cartman86]

Brand it as Kindle TV and you have got yourself a hit.

 

[The Faceless Master]

This thing has "day one jailbreak emulator box" written all over it. Android is swimming with emulators and they could run very nicely on something with a bit of GPU firepower.

Not condoning. Just sayin'.

what is there to condone? emulation is legal.

 

[cuyahoga]

They should be trying to compete with the Apple TV. That is a more comparable device. The problem is that so many TVs now offer streaming software built in that it doesn't even offer anything new in that regard.

This is competing against the Apple TV—it's a STB with significant gaming capabilities.

The Verge reported that Google is making its own Android high-end (!) gaming console sometime last year.

So I guess the story here is, that Amazon got wind of that and is going to release a similar console and try to catch the bandwagon even before its departure.

This device has been in the works for two years.

 

[RibMan]

If Amazon were to make a powerful console with all the important 3rd party games for around $300 I think it would be a really bad sign for MS.

At this point, I don't think Microsoft have too much to worry about in terms of losing market share to a new entrant. Microsoft are currently losing market share to Sony, so their focus should be in staying competitive enough to prevent Sony from 'running away' with it.

The company that will be displaced and eliminated from the console space will be the company with the weakest amount of developer, retail and user support. Currently, that company is Nintendo. If you remember what happened to the Dreamcast, then you'll know why 2014 is a do-or-die year for Nintendo's console business. In the same way Microsoft replaced Sega as the third console provider, we might see another company replace Nintendo as the third console provider.

It's unfortunate, but it's the reality of competition.

 

[The12thGripper]

Amazon, you're cool and all; but this is going to flop hard. Nobody wants a Android console, period. So just stop.

 

[Sandfox]

At this point, I don't think Microsoft have too much to worry about in terms of losing market share to a new entrant. Microsoft are currently losing market share to Sony, so their focus should be in staying competitive enough to prevent Sony from 'running away' with it.

The company that will be displaced and eliminated from the console space will be the company with the weakest amount of developer, retail and user support. Currently, that company is Nintendo. If you remember what happened to the Dreamcast, then you'll know why 2014 is a do-or-die year for Nintendo's console business. In the same way Microsoft replaced Sega as the third console provider, we might see another company replace Nintendo as the third console provider.

It's unfortunate, but it's the reality of competition.

In this scenario I actually think MS would be booted first since there would be no reason to buy there platform over the Amazon(which would be $200) one outside of Halo and if they start going on a downward trend and start losing money I could see them getting out or trying to copy the Amazon console. With an Amazon console they would have even less marketshare and have to drop the price to money losing levels. All Nintendo has is gaming and I think it would take a long time for them to go for a 3rd party approach.

 

[DocSeuss]

In this scenario I actually think MS would be booted first since there would be no reason to buy there platform over the Amazon(which would be $200) one outside of Halo and if they start going on a downward trend and start losing money I could see them getting out or trying to copy the Amazon console. With an Amazon console they would have even less marketshare and have to drop the price to money losing levels. All Nintendo has is gaming and I think it would take a long time for them to go for a 3rd party approach.

Except Xbox has the best online service of anyone out there at present in terms of software quality, has a pretty entrenched and large user base, etc. Sony, who lacks any franchises that can touch Halo, is more likely to hurt than Microsoft, and Nintendo even moreso.

Think less like a gamer and more at what consumers want/already have.

 

[JasonUresti]

Indication from a lot of rumor articles has been that this is intended for running android games on their console. I'm betting it's intended as a PrimeBox first and foremost.

I'd love it if they were trying to pull off games that were at least XBLA quality, but I'm not holding my breath.

They've hired Valve's Tom Leonard, Microsoft Games people like Eric Nylund, and people who've a history going back to Looking Glass.

They are hiring people with lots of experience and success making large game projects. Amazon understands all the questions people in this thread are asking about "LOL mobile games on ur TV" and are building and acquiring teams to presumably make attractive exclusives to bring in the more dedicated video game hobbyists. This combined with however they work in Prime with this should give them a jump in install base, making the platform more attractive to developers, both of mobile type games and more traditionally involved console style titles.

 

[orhnsnmz]

This is competing against the Apple TV—it's a STB with significant gaming capabilities.

This device has been in the works for two years.

So is Google's console most probably (there were rumors even way before The Verge picked it up).

Also, I don't get people ITT saying that this is dumb because nobody wants to play Android games on it, because the rumors clearly indicate that this will be a full-power next-gen console (that happens to be ALL the Android games too probably).

Amazon (and Google) need to get the AAA studios on board though. Android can execute native code through the NDK library, but I don't know how much hassle it would be to execute a wholes game's code through that library.

So porting everything to plain Java may be too much of a pain in the ass and not worth it unless these console get a serious market share.

 

[Sandfox]

Except Xbox has the best online service of anyone out there at present in terms of software quality, has a pretty entrenched and large user base, etc. Sony, who lacks any franchises that can touch Halo, is more likely to hurt than Microsoft, and Nintendo even moreso.

Think less like a gamer and more at what consumers want/already have.

So you think online services(we don't even know what Amazon's services would be like) and the eventual Halo 5 would be enough to make consumers buy a console that's $200 more? Also, I don't see how Sony is more likely to hurt than Microsoft just because of one game.

 

[Game Guru]

At this point, I don't think Microsoft have too much to worry about in terms of losing market share to a new entrant. Microsoft are currently losing market share to Sony, so their focus should be in staying competitive enough to prevent Sony from 'running away' with it.

The company that will be displaced and eliminated from the console space will be the company with the weakest amount of developer, retail and user support. Currently, that company is Nintendo. If you remember what happened to the Dreamcast, then you'll know why 2014 is a do-or-die year for Nintendo's console business. In the same way Microsoft replaced Sega as the third console provider, we might see another company replace Nintendo as the third console provider.

It's unfortunate, but it's the reality of competition.

I don't think you can compare the sixth generation's loss of Sega and entrance of MS with the current trend of consoles beyond Sony, MS, and Nintendo. This feels more like the fifth generation in that you have the established Nintendo, Sega, and Atari, but also a slew of new consoles like the 3DO, CD-i, Apple Pippin, Amiga CD32, Pioneer LaserActive, the FM Towns Marty, and the eventual victor, the Sony PlayStation. This time we are seeing extra competition in the console market due to Ouya, MadCatz, Valve, Amazon, Google, and Apple. Most won't succeed, but I can't see Valve and Amazon dropping out, nor Apple and Google dropping out once they get into the business.

 

[Zoned]

Console to play mobile games? Yeah..another Ouya in making. Bomba day 1.

 

[DeaviL]

You sure? http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201146240

Yes, very sure.
For example, my country is on that list but they expect us to make an account in France / use the French site and i can't speak a word French.

 

[BakedYams]

Here we go.

 

[LeleSocho]

I really hope this is going to be everything Ouya didn't manage to be (Ouya's theoretical idea is good, execution is terrible).

 

[Jburton]

At that price it better have decent specs.

 

[Quasar]

Amazon, you're cool and all; but this is going to flop hard. Nobody wants a Android console, period. So just stop.

You don't. I'm interested. I'd like to see Android evolve into a much better gaming platform and this would help. Also I'm still looking for that mystical perfect low cost media/gaming box to put under my TV. So the more people that take a shot the better for me.

I also want to see Apple upgrade their AppleTV and add an app store / allow controller syncing to it.

 

[Biker19]

It seems like there is too much elitism against Android.

It is a decent multipurpose operating system with a lot of support and is useful. And is perhaps the biggest competitor to Windows.

Agreed; Android's more popular than iOS, even.

Only for MS?

Because of Windows, & because that Microsoft's a software company. Sony's more of a hardware company, & Nintendo only does gaming.

 

[Cynn]

Except Xbox has the best online service of anyone out there at present in terms of software quality

360 vs. PS3 this was true. X1 vs. PS4 makes your statement false if not totally opposite now.