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[Hatten]

IF this was below $100 it would be big news, at that price I can see lots of guys buying one for the hell of it?

But just below $300? You can get a Nexus 7 FHD for a little over $200, why bother with a non-portable screenless device?

As far as hardware go there aren't many ARM SoCs that are powerful enough to explain that price (or to compete with nextgen consoles) and I doubt amazon is going to add a huge amount of storage when its forcing everyone to use its cloud services.

The only alternative is android x86 and a beefy APU, but then you have all the compatibility issues for devs, so forget about it.

 

[Somnid]

Makes your only 3 types of people argument a nonsense though.

In ways to justify next gen there is more than graphics .......... but it's a big factor, downplaying to suit your argument makes for a weak argument.

Not at all. You have gamer-focused perspective. Game platforms are in fact the least popular way to play games and the most popular games are not graphical powerhouses.

 

[Suzushiiro]

But the graphics will suck...
Only 3 kinds of people still think graphics matter. Digital Foundry, NeoGaf and Nvidia. You don't see it often because of budget constraints but mobile SoCs are pretty powerful. If this gets a 2014 SoC you're looking at 360/PS3/WiiU grade stuff. More than enough for most people and what will likely be a pretty cheap device.

This doesn't mean they may not explore dedicated GPUs in conjunction with an ARM chip or something either but I wouldn't discount it. Also, there will be yearly upgrades, count on it.

Power isn't relevant because people care about graphics, power is relevant because of third-party support. If the Amazon console could easily take ports of PS4/XBone games, third parties would be interested in supporting it, and you'd get your Assassin's Creeds and Call of Dutys and Maddens and what-not on there. But since it most likely won't, that means it's going to be another Wii U and be forced to make do off of first party and indie games.

 

[Guevara]

Subscription model. For an extra $10/month you get the console and some games credit. Over three years that's $360.

Hell, just make a new Prime tier.

 

[Graphics Horse]

IF this was below $100 it would be big news, at that price I can see lots of guys buying one for the hell of it?

But just below $300?

We don't know if it's 100 below or just below. Who knows, maybe the only info given was 'cheaper than Wii U' and someone else filled in the gaps.
I only expect 'below 300' to mean '299.99' if I'm told it by a someone in the advertising industry. Anyone else should have more dignity.

 

[Jburton]

Not at all. You have gamer-focused perspective. Game platforms are in fact the least popular way to play games and the most popular games are not graphical powerhouses.

So we are talking about mobile, Facebook etc type gaming and those that play that type of game .......... fair enough.

Those are the type of people that don't buy PS4 / XB1 ........ those types are interested in visuals as a aspect of progress.


If Amazon is making a console for those types of games then I could not give a flying fuck about it, much like the Ouya.

 

[Tempy]

So we are talking about mobile, Facebook etc type gaming and those that play that type of game .......... fair enough.

Those are the type of people that don't buy PS4 / XB1 ........ those types are interested in visuals as a aspect of progress.


If Amazon is making a console for those types of games then I could not give a flying fuck about it, much like the Ouya.

There's an enormous range of games between Facebook and AAA console. Also, if one truly values graphics over anything else they'd be playing pc games on a monster rig in 4k res - not some dinky ps4/xb1 console.

 

[disastermouse]

It blows my mind a little that Apple didn't get there first, though.

Android is fine, as long as there's muscle in the hardware and great games you can't find elsewhere.

 

[Buddha Beam]

It blows my mind a little that Apple didn't get there first, though.

Android is fine, as long as there's muscle in the hardware and great games you can't find elsewhere.

From the sound of it, Apple is more focused on lining up the content providers and cable companies with respect to the TV programming. I remember reading that they want to have it so if you have a season pass to The Walking Dead, you can download/watch it live at 9pm EST on a Sunday night, rather than having to wait until it's aired a second time on the west coast, for example. Ditto for stuff like live sports broadcasts.
So it seems like gaming and apps are a secondary concern for Apple there, if that's really the case.

 

[Cipherr]

And they will be crushed and ignored by Sony/MS and the hardcore gamers anyway.

This argument falls apart when you realize people on this very forum are paying attention via posting about it.

No.... it doesn't. People on this very forum talked about the Wii, and talk about the Vita every day. That doesn't translate into a damn thing in the real world. We should all know that by now.

 

[Somnid]

It blows my mind a little that Apple didn't get there first, though.

Android is fine, as long as there's muscle in the hardware and great games you can't find elsewhere.

Nobody got there yet. There's strong rumoring Apple is planning to release controller APIs for Apple TV as well as a new version of it in the next couple of months. Still, if gaming focus isn't as strong out the gate for Apple even if they beat Amazon it may not matter. "Hey, we got 3rd party controllers!" won't bring devs or gamers.

 

[disastermouse]

Nobody got there yet. There's strong rumoring Apple is planning to release controller APIs for Apple TV as well as a new version of it in the next couple of months. Still, if gaming focus isn't as strong out the gate for Apple even if they beat Amazon it may not matter. "Hey, we got 3rd party controllers!" won't bring devs or gamers.

I just don't see Apple getting into games because......well, I've never understood the Apple aversion to games post-Pippin. They already have a TV box in PLACE, for chrissakes!

 

[nasanu]

I would not pay to play android games. Not too sure what amazon are thinking here.

 

[Hatten]

well, I've never understood the Apple aversion to games post-Pippin. They already have a TV box in PLACE, for chrissakes!

Its because of jobs, he trashed every product made by the guys who fired him in the eighties.

He also killed the newton right before pdas took off in the market, and palm made a killing with the pilot.

 

[Saucycarpdog]

Really hope Amazon shows soon what they have been up to (or at least more leaks happen), new gaming hardware always seems to excite me. I had to an aversion to this at first but after finding out that Amazon's game marketplace is separate from android (have never owned a kindle) I have hope that their might actually be quality games with this machine.

 

[kittens]

Below $3.00 or no sale.

 

[infiniteloop]

Re/code thinks Amazon's set top box may be out next month:

http://recode.net/2014/02/21/amazon-gets-its-tv-box-ready-again/

Sources tell me Amazon’s box will be powered by Google’s Android operating system, which is also not a surprise — Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets use a “forked” version of Android.

What I don’t know is whether the device Amazon is producing will also function as a gaming hub. As my colleague Eric Johnson reported yesterday, Amazon has been hiring game developers. And a report from Web site VG 247 last month this year asserted that Amazon was building an Android-based box that would play games, similar to crowd-funded Ouya console that debuted last year.

A new version of Apple TV is rumored to be unveiled in the next couple of months also.

 

[DietRob]

Re/code thinks Amazon's set top box may be out next month:

http://recode.net/2014/02/21/amazon-gets-its-tv-box-ready-again/




A new version of Apple TV is rumored to be unveiled in the next couple of months also.

I'm not sure if this "Web TV" is the same thing we are talking about ITT. I guess we'll find out. But I have a feeling they are separate products.

 

[Deku Tree]

So Amazon is buying Xbox before necpxt month?

 

[infiniteloop]

I'm not sure if this "Web TV" is the same thing we are talking about ITT. I guess we'll find out. But I have a feeling they are separate products.

Maybe. But an amazon roku like box and a amazon game console as 2 separate products doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

[DietRob]

Maybe. But an amazon roku like box and a amazon game console as 2 separate products doesn't make a lot of sense.

It makes sense for those that don't want to pay $300 for a Roku. Amazon could sell a roku style box very cheap and make up for the pricing on the promise of service delivery through their store.