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[DirtyLarry]

If it had XBMC or DLNA support would have been a purchase for me as I could have gotten rid of a few of my current smaller devices.
Since it does not will stick with my older stuff for now.

 

[mugwhump]

OMG

The amazon arrow is supposed to be a smiley face


BUT IT'S ALSO POINTING

FROM A

TO Z

 

[outunderthestars]

If it had XBMC or DLNA support would have been a purchase for me as I could have gotten rid of a few of my current smaller devices.
Since it does not will stick with my older stuff for now.

Is there anything stopping the XBMC people from making an app?

 

[v1lla21]

Does the amazon store have real racing 3?

 

[SPACECADET]

It's not a dedicated mobile gaming advice. It's a STB that has games support, among other things. Try to keep up.

but the gaming part is what i would use it for, the rest doesn't interest me either. don't be a prick.

 

[DoubleTap]

Remember these guys?

+ mobile quality games.

Yeah.

Amazing. It's like the Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast which are listed on the OP never existed.

I bet people were saying no one needs a Kindle Fire tablet when we have iPads and Android tablets already. Am I right?

 

[Opiate]

Oh I agree. Its not something I ever even wanted, but I thought that was going to be the real story here, not a Ouya/Roku competitor.

At this point, if I hear "X company is getting in to gaming," I automatically assume it's outside the traditional console space, because most to all new entrants aren't looking to get in there.

I think the final convincing evidence was when they stated it would be running on Android (you may not have known this). Once we knew that, it was pretty clear what this was, at least in broad strokes.

I think it's intended to shave off some of the console space the way iOS has shaved off some of the handheld space; obviously dedicated consumers will stick with their chosen products, but for a lot of people iOS was more than enough, and Amazon Fire may fit the same bill for a lot of console gamers who would be perfectly happy with a media device that also happens to play games.

Maybe they're wrong, or maybe they're right but this device doesn't happen to work right for that audience. I think it's a reasonable goal, though.

 

[Grief.exe]

Just ordered one, but looking for an easy, cheap solution until I can build by own HTPC.

Hopefully I can find a way to sideload a video player so I can play my existing movies and TV shows.

 

[outunderthestars]

Just ordered one, but looking for an easy, cheap solution until I can build by own HTPC.

Hopefully I can find a way to sideload a video player so I can play my existing movies and TV shows.

I imagine there are hundreds of android developers sitting down right now to convert their android video player/sideloading apps to this thing.

 

[DR2K]

Cell phone games with a controller on a tv. This will bomb like ouya.

 

[DrROBschiz]

Why is there no SD card slot

 

[Grief.exe]

Why is there no SD card slot

Next iteration will probably correct such oversights.

Cell phone games with a controller on a tv. This will bomb like ouya.

Ya...this seems to be mainly targeting the media streaming demographic, of which there are millions of customers.

Gaming seems to be a secondary focus to increase value of the service.

 

[outunderthestars]

Cell phone games with a controller on a tv. This will bomb like ouya.

I would bet that by the end of the day this device will have already outsold the Ouya.

 

[Snuggles]

but the gaming part is what i would use it for, the rest doesn't interest me either. don't be a prick.

I don't think very many people at all would purchase a FireTV solely for the gaming functions, unless Amazon starts releasing some compelling exclusives. The appeal of a device like this is that it's many things in one small box.

 

[Ziek]

Looks great. I'll be getting one for my father for his 60th birthday. He's got a Roku now and 5 Chromecasts (Amazon screwed up and sent him 5 for 1 order), but he's got Parkinson's so I think the voice commands on this will serve him better. Too bad about not having HBO Go.

 

[outunderthestars]

Next iteration will probably correct such oversights.

Doubtful. Amazon is big on their cloud services. I don't think that any of their tablets have sd card slots either do they?

 

[Grief.exe]

Doubtful. Amazon is big on their cloud services. I don't think that any of their tablets have sd card slots either do they?

Fair point, they do all allow you to select your level of storage (16, 32, 64GB) so maybe that will be the option for future iterations.

 

[Zero-Crescent]

oh man, that's lame. I'm waiting for a device that will allow Android OS games to operate on a TV. There are a few games I've missed and want to play including FF4: After Years 3D remake and FF: Dimensions, among others. I guess I'll have to keep waiting.

Supposedly, Google has their own set-top box in the works, but no info has come out about it. Like someone else said, you could probably wait until someone roots the Fire TV and install Stock Android on it (Though the FF4TAY may have some problems due to Square-Enix's bone headed anti-root junk in it).

 

[DrROBschiz]

Doubtful. Amazon is big on their cloud services. I don't think that any of their tablets have sd card slots either do they?

Are the games in the cloud?

Because otherwise you will have to store games on external USB storage which is stupid. I mean you can fit a lot of games on 8GB I guess

 

[Orayn]

Cell phone games with a controller on a tv. This will bomb like ouya.

It's not relying on the games to sell the hardware, that's the major distinction. The gaming side may or may not flourish, but they'll move plenty of units just as a set-top box with some nice features and a connection to a major content ecosystem.

 

[Game Guru]

Again, virtually no one wants in to that market. There's a lot of companies entering in to other gaming segments (Apple, Google, Facebook, now Amazon, among others), but literally no one has made a serious move to enter the traditional console market for 15 years, and you could make the argument that at least one competitor (Nintendo) has tried to escape it, even though they helped create the market in the first place.

This isn't coincidence; the traditional console market is not growing and isn't very profitable. Smart companies aren't looking to enter the space, and Amazon is a smart company.

I would say that none of those companies actually entered the gaming market, but instead had a gaming market thrust upon them just due to opening support for their platforms to developers. For Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon, gaming is just a value-add among many other potential uses, not the focus as Sony and Microsoft is expected to give.

 

[Raistlin]

I don't think so because the remote uses BT. Wouldn't make sense to include IR.

Actually that's exactly what Roku does for this very reason.


Remote is RF, but it also supports IP and IR for control.

 

[outunderthestars]

Looks like the first batch of controllers is already sold out.

 

[Raistlin]

If it had XBMC or DLNA support would have been a purchase for me as I could have gotten rid of a few of my current smaller devices.
Since it does not will stick with my older stuff for now.

Plex is listed already ... and I expect XBMC and other DLNA clients will be in shortly.

 

[Mondy]

The next Ouya, as far as I'm concerned. This is not a viable video game console and people have enough small set top boxes in their entertainment units that already do everything this thing is purportedly supposed to do.

What a waste of time.

 

[Raistlin]

The next Ouya, as far as I'm concerned. This is not a viable video game console and people have enough small set top boxes in their entertainment units that already do everything this thing is purportedly supposed to do.

What a waste of time.

At this point Nirolak, I'm blaming you for this thread falling apart

 

[KMS]

Ouya was the zune to the now released Ipod. It's a combination of capabilities with brand that will make this far more successful than the Ouya. If this is decent hit wouldn't be surprised if Amazon beats Facebook to the mainstreaming of VR.

 

[Opiate]

I would say that none of those companies actually entered the gaming market, but instead had a gaming market thrust upon them just due to opening support for their platforms to developers. For Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon, gaming is just a value-add among many other potential uses, not the focus as Sony and Microsoft is expected to give.

We mostly agree, but would probably come to a semantic distinction: I think the Playstation and Xbox as platforms are gaming first but which also do other media on the side. iPhones and Android phones, by contrast, are phones first which also happen to be able to play games.

It's a matter of emphasis, form factor, and cost. I think, broadly, that the Google/Apple approach has been a winning one for convergence devices for some time, while systems which are gaming-first have not been especially successful at convergence generally. I think this Amazon box is the first console to even vaguely fit that Google/Apple paradigm; it is a multimedia box that also happens to play games, not a game device that also happens to do multimedia. I think there is a considerable portion of the home console market that would prefer the latter to the former, but we'll see.

 

[outunderthestars]

The next Ouya, as far as I'm concerned. This is not a viable video game console and people have enough small set top boxes in their entertainment units that already do everything this thing is purportedly supposed to do.

What a waste of time.

Source for this? Roku has sold around 5 million, and the AppleTV around 10 million. Netflix alone has 35 million streaming customers. Amazon has over 20 million Prime members. There appears to be a viable market there, or else Amazon wouldn't be launching a major product to attempt to capture it.

 

[Papacheeks]

Cell phone games with a controller on a tv. This will bomb like ouya.

The walking dead, GTA Vice City, MAX PAYNE,Crazy Taxi, Sonic adventure, Dead trigger, modern combat (which came to PS3) Deus EX: The fall(coming to other game platforms) are cell phone games?


Got it.

With the Amazon brand behind it, it will sell as much if not more than Apple tv.

Also they are being Developer friendly if you look :

Immersive Entertainment and Gaming Apps

Amazon Fire TV makes it easy for your customers to take their apps and games into the living room. With powerful performance and features such as second screen and multi-controller support, Amazon Fire TV gives you a familiar Android–based platform to extend your apps and games to the big screen.

High-Performance Gaming

Amazon Fire TV has been designed around supporting HDTV and enabling powerful and immersive apps and games. It uses a Qualcomm Quad Core Snapdragon Krait 300 processor with Adreno 320 GPU and 2GB of RAM to support high performance game experiences. Fire TV also supports a variety of controllers to let you design the best experience for your customers, including a free Amazon Fire TV remote and the Amazon Fire game controller for a richer gaming experience.

Second Screen Integration

Amazon Fire TV supports second-screen experiences using DIAL, an open standard that allows customers to discover and open apps on their television right from their tablet or phone. Extending apps to two screens gives you the ability to take your apps and games to the next level – creating truly immersive gaming experiences for customers through multi-player functionality.

Multi-Player Support on Your TV

Amazon Fire TV allows up to 7 remotes and game controllers to be connected at one time. Each game controller can be associated with a player ID, opening up multi-player gaming in the living room. Games can even use different combinations of input types (remotes and game controllers) to make multi-player gaming easy for everyone.

Android Compatible

Android developers can use existing tools and frameworks to develop apps and games for Fire TV. Sample code, documentation and guidelines are available to help you make the most of your apps and games. Take an existing PC, console, or mobile app or game and optimize for the 10-foot experience, include controller support, or integrate a second screen to discover and open apps on the TV screen right from an Android device.

Integrated with Amazon Payment Services

When customers buy Fire TV devices and register with their Amazon accounts, they are already set up with their verified Amazon Payment profiles, and are ready to purchase apps or in-app items with no further effort. Amazon Fire TV supports the Amazon In-App-Purchasing API so you can offer consumable items, permanently entitled items, and even subscriptions for sale in your app.

To help you tune your gameplay and monetization implementation, Amazon offers A/B Testing and Analytics tools that can help you hone your app for maximum user retention and optimized monetization. And all of these tools work on Fire OS devices and Android devices, and most will work on iOS devices as well.

 

[ultratruman]

Will Amazon be at E3?

If this thing takes off and they shun E3, I can see Sony and Ms doing the same.

 

[Mondy]

Source for this? Roku has sold around 5 million, and the AppleTV around 10 million. Netflix alone has 35 million streaming customers. Amazon has over 20 million Prime members. There appears to be a viable market there, or else Amazon wouldn't be launching a major product to attempt to capture it.

So they plug their laptops into their flat screen T.Vs with an HDMI cable and save themselves 99 bucks. Also, Netflix and Instant Video apps are readily available on a lot of other devices. Many of which already have a well established install base.

Who is this device for? I'm not even sure Amazon knows. It reeks of pissing into the wind and hope it doesn't splash back to me.

 

[RyudBoy]

Interested, but I'll wait for a new version with updated specs and a controller included. If that should never happen, fuck it. I won't lose any sleep over not owning it.

Spoiler

I wonder if Double Helix will deliver something truly spectacular.

 

[Papacheeks]

Well there's Game Center, but nobody I know actually uses it.

That's because it's not integrated like this eco-system is. You can hit a button on the controller and it brings up achievements, leader boards, and your friends list.

 

[Balb]

I'm getting mixed signals from this announcement. On one hand they seem to be taking gaming seriously by acquiring/hiring AAA talent. On the other hand, they're not including a controller with the base package and on the front page of Amazon.com it merely says that the device can play games "as a bonus."

 

[tookhster]

Don't really see the point of this for me when I already have like 3 consoles that do this, plus a Chromecast in the living room.

I guess it's nice for people who don't have those, but at this point are there really that many people who don't own a console/Apple TV/Chromecast/Roku box that are willing to spend $100 on something when they can spend 30 bucks on a Chromecast?(if they don't want games or voice commands, which I don't see as a primary selling point)

 

[Magwik]

More competition in the STB market is always good, as well as new things. It may also change gaming quite a bit too, we don't know yet. I wonder if Sony is gonna bother with the Vita TV now though.

 

[cripterion]

I really don't understand the point of these mobile systems turning to home systems. I get that some people want better controls for these kinda games but does it really warrant a new console? For example I got a vita to play on the vita, not to hook it up to my tv, kinda feel it defeats the purpose...

I guess gotta have something for everyone.

 

[Deku Tree]

Which console does this most closely compare to power wise? N64 or dreamcast?

 

[Maybesew]

I can see why people are dismissing this right away like Ouya, but I'll take a wait and see approach. I haven't been impressed with any Amazon hardware yet, maybe the e-ink kindle for legibility and battery life, but not the kindle fire for sure.

The GPU this comes with isn't remotely impressive, so I think gaming will struggle.

Am I correct that it lacks DLNA? Maybe if Plex makes an app I will consider it, but it kind of fits into that space where if I didn't already have devices like this that can do these things I would consider it, but since I do have devices that can already do these things, there is nothing that differentiates it enough to migrate to it.

 

[thefit]

Until it gets rooted and xbmc gets running on it ouya still looks more attractive only thing holding me back on ouya is that 1080p xbmc does not run well and newegg had a sale on a mini itx amd dual core motherboard wich im building a lil htpc with.

 

[Rnr1224]

this looks interesting but honestly i cant see myself using it that much. ill wait till the next version of hardware to see if it would better appeal to me

 

[FiggyCal]

Again, virtually no one wants in to that market. There's a lot of companies entering in to other gaming segments (Apple, Google, Facebook, now Amazon, among others), but literally no one has made a serious move to enter the traditional console market for 15 years, and you could make the argument that at least one competitor (Nintendo) has tried to escape it, even though they helped create the market in the first place.

This isn't coincidence; the traditional console market is not growing and isn't very profitable. Smart companies aren't looking to enter the space, and Amazon is a smart company.

Or maybe those other avenues, such as mobile are more affordable to get into with a larger margin of profit. But I agree; I don't see why any company would want to compete against Microsoft and Sony at this point. Though I have to disagree that the console market isn't growing. That is simply untrue going from the information we currently have. Console sales have been increasing gen over gen, tripple A games are making more money and indie developers are finding success as well digitally.

 

[Alchemy]

Source for this? Roku has sold around 5 million, and the AppleTV around 10 million. Netflix alone has 35 million streaming customers. Amazon has over 20 million Prime members. There appears to be a viable market there, or else Amazon wouldn't be launching a major product to attempt to capture it.

Do we know how many "Smart TVs" are floating around? I know family members that use Netflix despite having no set top box.

I do think Amazon can get some good numbers selling this though. It just will end up being video first, games second.

 

[Hoho for breakfast]

Well the voice search is a good thing if it actually works. Pretty soon I think everything will have it. Other than that nothing really interesting.

 

[Dawg]

Anyone seen this new Gary Busey ad? :lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHoNQrxG_8M

 

[TheSlySoul]

It is cool until you realize that no Google Play support. Tis a shame because a media box for $100 is actually a great idea.

 

[Opiate]

Or maybe those other avenues, such as mobile are more affordable to get into with a larger margin of profit.

Certainly barriers to entry matter. No argument here. This is a multifactorial problem.

But I agree; I don't see why any company would want to compete against Microsoft and Sony at this point. Though I have to disagree that the console market isn't growing.That is simply untrue going from the information we currently have. Console sales have been increasing gen over gen

Virtually every analysis I've seen has predicted a contraction of the console market this generation. Maybe they're wrong, but I don't think it's likely the PS4/Xbone/Wii U will sell ~280m units combined.

tripple A games are making more money and indie developers are finding success as well digitally.

This is simply not true. I'm not sure if you look at publisher financial reports, but the big AAA publishers are absolutely not making significant money. They are contracting quickly and producing fewer games, producing very low profit margins in aggregate.

Indies are considerably more focused on PC, iOS, and browser than they are on consoles.

 

[Graphics Horse]

Anyone seen this new Gary Busey ad? :lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHoNQrxG_8M

:lol well that was different.

 

[Wag]

No HBO Go, no buy.

.