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[Nirolak]

This should at least contain Double Helix's first new game and presumably Amazon Seattle's first game.

SAVE THE DATE: September 29th at 6:00 PM

Join Amazon and Twitch on the eve of TwitchCon 2016 for the Amazon Game Studios Unboxing Event & Afterparty. Learn about some of the PC games Amazon’s been working on, and enjoy an afterparty with drinks and entertainment.

Register your interest now - space is limited!

WHEN
Thursday, September 29, 2016 from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM (PDT) - Add to Calendar

WHERE
Copley Symphony Hall - 750 B St, San Diego, CA 92101 - View Map

Source: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/save-t...ing-event-afterparty-registration-27359099804

 

[letmetrythisname]

Battleship 2 confirmed

 

[Pudge]

This kind of excites me?

The notion of a halfway decent game just being announced and released in short order without the usual marketing nonsense is a great one. Amazon doesn't need to do pre-order nonsense because they have the Amazon.com homepage for marketing, just like Valve wouldn't need to market their games if they ever made another one.

I have some sort of hope!

 

[Nirolak]

This kind of excites me?

The notion of a halfway decent game just being announced and released in short order without the usual marketing nonsense is a great one. Amazon doesn't need to do pre-order nonsense because they have the Amazon.com homepage for marketing, just like Valve wouldn't need to market their games if they ever made another one.

I have some sort of hope!

I'm assuming these are all f2p, but I could be wrong.

 

[SOR5]

Sooo Amazon wants to get into the industry eh

 

[thehillissilent]

I'm assuming these are all f2p, but I could be wrong.

I also think these will be heavily multiplayer dependent due to how they modified CryEngine into Lumberyard to utilize Amazon's EC2 service.

 

[SOR5]

Battleship 2 confirmed

FINALLY the Fire TV has an exclusive

 

[Buttonbasher]

Sooo Amazon wants to get into the industry eh

They've been hiring up for a few years now. Some pretty big names too. It's about time we start seeing the fruits of that labor.

 

[Bolivar687]

 

[Barack Lesnar]

I'm assuming these are all f2p, but I could be wrong.

which would be fantastic. I'm extremely interested. I've spent more time playing F2P PC games over the past 5 years than any other genre. I just hope theyre not too casual...

 

[DorkyMohr]

I'm assuming these are all f2p, but I could be wrong.

The fact that every product Amazon puts out is designed around making it easier to buy more things from Amazon, this wouldn't surprise me.

 

[MuchoMalo]

"games"

 

[Nirolak]

I also think these will be heavily multiplayer dependent due to how they modified CryEngine into Lumberyard to utilize Amazon's EC2 service.

which would be fantastic. I'm extremely interested. I've spent more time playing F2P PC games over the past 5 years than any other genre. I just hope theyre not too casual...

They're aiming to make major eSports-esque multiplayer titles that leverage Twitch (their other recent acquisition).

IIRC Amazon Seattle is making something in the Hero Shooter and/or MOBA conceptual space as one of their many games (I think it was the furthest along?), and I'm unsure what Double Helix is doing, though an f2p Fighting Game would make sense.

Edit:

For Amazon Seattle:

At Amazon our goal is to develop ground-breaking PC games that become cultural touchstones, redefine the boundaries of player experience, and change the way the world sees digital entertainment. Join us and you’ll have the power of Twitch, Amazon Web Services, and the entire Amazon ecosystem to help shape the future of games. You’ll work alongside talented industry veterans, including key contributors from titles like: Half Life 2, Left for Dead, Thief, System Shock 2, Age of Empires, Shadow of Mordor, Guild Wars, The Last of Us, Gears of War, Forza, Bioshock, and Sunset Overdrive.

...

You’ll be sharing your hard-earned knowledge while working within a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary team of designers, artists, and programmers developing AAA, third-person, competitive, melee-action game.

Source: http://www.amazon.jobs/jobs/340940/creative-director-amazon-game-studios

· Deep understanding of the competitive, multiplayer game landscape.

Source: http://www.amazon.jobs/jobs/340941/senior-level-designer-amazon-game-studios

 

[CosmicQueso]

Sooo Amazon wants to get into the industry eh

They bought Double Helix 2 1/2 years ago, and hired both Clint Hocking and Kim Swift. They started Amazon Game Studios in 2014.

"I’ve been flipping over tables for seven years now trying to get people—executives, I guess—to understand that there’s a sea change," says Hocking, one of the high-profile new recruits. He rattles off what’s different about the business now. Millennials outnumber Generation X-ers; mobile devices and the cloud are changing what’s possible; the technological arms race between Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox is no longer a prime factor in enabling new entertainment experiences.

There’s no question that games have the capacity to be art now," he says. "Everything is different. And Amazon is totally open to all of these realities and possibilities."

So... yes.

Though I feel I should note that they switched focus from 10-30 person AA downloadable games for Kindle Fire devices to 80-100+ staff multiplayer focused PC games, which caused them to lose some of that staff (like Clint Hocking), but gain a lot of others.

Right. But the idea of getting into developing and selling video games is not a new thing with Amazon.

 

[Nirolak]

They bought Double Helix 2 1/2 years ago, and hired both Clint Hocking and Kim Swift. They started Amazon Game Studios in 2014.



So... yes.

Though I feel I should note that they switched focus from 10-30 person AA downloadable games for Kindle Fire devices to 80-100+ staff multiplayer focused PC games, which caused them to lose some of that staff (like Clint Hocking), but gain a lot of others.

This is essentially the start of Try 2™.

But the idea of getting into developing and selling video games is not a new thing with Amazon.

Certainly.

 

[whitehawk]

They bought Double Helix 2 1/2 years ago, and hired both Clint Hocking and Kim Swift. They started Amazon Game Studios in 2014.



So... yes.

That quote seems odd.

There’s no question that games have the capacity to be art now,

They have for a long time.

 

[Nirolak]

That quote seems odd.

They have for a long time.

They were essentially explaining that their pitch to developers was that they could make "art games" and get stable funding from a large publisher.

 

[Nzyme32]

They bought Double Helix 2 1/2 years ago, and hired both Clint Hocking and Kim Swift. They started Amazon Game Studios in 2014.



So... yes.



Right. But the idea of getting into developing and selling video games is not a new thing with Amazon.

Clint Hocking left Amazon a year or so back iirc

 

[pje122]

Garnett post if you're OK!

 

[CosmicQueso]

That quote seems odd.

Standard operating procedure for young-upstart-company (or new division of a company)-out-to-change-the-world.

"We know the right way to do this! We're going to break all the rules! The tired old system won't keep us down! We're young! We're fresh! We're going to do things differently!"

Clint Hocking left Amazon a year or so back iirc

Noted 3 posts above yours.

 

[The Lamonster]

I, for one, am looking forward to this.

 

[Dynomutt]

Amazon: The Game by Jeff Bezos.

RTS/SIM/Strategy

Create your dynasty. Compete against other corporate entities. Protect your IP and ideas. Use abilities such as appeasements and "Prime" to make your customers happy! Only you take Amazon to the top!

VR compatible DLC: The Package.

Follow a package from warehouse to customer! Will it make it?

 

[Akronis]

Amazon: The Game by Jeff Bezos.

RTS/SIM/Strategy

Create your dynasty. Compete against other corporate entities. Protect your IP and ideas. Use abilities such as appeasements and "Prime" to make your customers happy! Only you take Amazon to the top!

VR compatible DLC: The Package.

Follow a package from warehouse to customer! Will it make it?

I'd play it

 

[ashecitism]

Well, let's see what they have in store. Wonder what their competitive game is going to be more like, shooter or Moba?

Funny, Stump was just wondering about Amazon Games in the Steam thread.

Was thinking about what happened to Amazon Game Studios. Before they announced the Fire TV, they had such promise: they had bought and hired a lot of talent, including ex-Valve staff. They were huge, geared up presumably to make big games, and their set-top box was going to be the breakthrough mobile-console crossover. Then the Fire TV ended up being shit. The Fire Phone might be one of the single worse electronics failures launched in the modern era. Then most of the games they announced for the Fire TV never came out. Then slowly many of the talented people working at Amazon games left. In the end, they trickled out a half-dozen unremarkable mobile titles, first exclusive to Amazon stuff, then on Android and iOS when the Amazon stuff gained no traction. Then they spent bazillions of dollars to save Crytek and license their engine... and promptly release it for free, not releasing any games on it.

Their games website has been updated to remove any mention of the games they released, just says they're helping devs to use Twitch and AWS to make community-driven games:
https://www.amazon.com/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Twitter hasn't been updated since 9 days after they announced their engine, total abrupt death of any talk about the games they released. Facebook has been updated twice since then, once for a GDC session for their engine, and once to update their cover photo to some concept art that is clearly not going to be a game. They have a reasonably updated game dev blog that's all about how to use their engine.

No games have released since May 2015. No ports of the existing games to PC, or announcements of anything. What a failure of potential, and they can't even support and be proud of the stuff they did release.

 

[Stumpokapow]

Well, let's see what they have in store. Wonder what their competitive game is going to be more like, shooter or Moba?

Funny, Stump was just wondering about Amazon Games in the Steam thread.

Yes, the chain of thought here was me thinking about that -> me asking a gaming journalist -> that gaming journalist sending me this event invite -> me sending it to Nirolak -> him making this thread

 

[Mcdohl]

It will be an 'ok' game trying to join an MMO trend (be it MOBA, MMORPG, Team based FPS like TF2/OW, World of Tanks).

Amazon is purely money-based I assume.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Any Double Helix joints?

 

[Nirolak]

Amazon is purely money-based I assume.

...As opposed to?

Any Double Helix joints?

Yes, they said their game is unveiling this year, so it's assuredly here.

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

Honestly trying to maintain optimism. We shall see.

I kind of expect them to start with smaller games anyway. It'd be amazing if they came out of the gate with huge 'AAA' caliber titles.

 

[Ryuuga]

The first thing that came to mind was "Extreme Backgammon" though I'm not sure why.

 

[Sumio Mondo]

Probably MOBAs, online multiplayer shooters in the style of Overwatch and an RTS.

 

[Loudninja]

Amazon,Adult Swim and Gamestop are releasing games interesting times.

 

[Nirolak]

Honestly trying to maintain optimism. We shall see.

I kind of expect them to start with smaller games anyway. It'd be amazing if they came out of the gate with huge 'AAA' caliber titles.

Would you consider something like Overwatch, Street Fighter V, or Paragon AAA?

 

[Slamtastic]

third-person, competitive, melee-action game

i'm in

 

[Abilidebob]

Would you consider something like Overwatch, Street Fighter V, or Paragon AAA?

What makes a game AAA again? Only the development costs?

 

[Mcdohl]

...As opposed to?

Sorry, it's very hard to put into words.

I know all game companies are in the business for the money (sans some indies maybe), however, it certainly feels like many of them are out there because of the art/craft.

For example:
It's different when you have a group of passionate artists, designers, and developers come up with ideas THEN publisher greenlights what they think makes sense money-wise. And of course every now and then take risks.

I get the impression Amazon would be the type of company who skips that part and has the directive of going straight for what makes the most money, THEN tasking a group of possibly passionate artists, designers, and developers to do it.

It's an example, in reality, it probably doesn't work that way, but again, it's very hard to put into words: I just don't think there will be love behind this game.

Just my 2 cents, hopefully I'm wrong.

 

[Alucrid]

well i hope prime members get some good shit if it's f2p

 

[wanderingprostheyltite]

Sorry, it's very hard to put into words.

I know all game companies are in the business for the money (sans some indies maybe), however, it certainly feels like many of them are out there because of the art/craft.

For example:
It's different when you have a group of passionate artists, designers, and developers come up with ideas THEN publisher greenlights what they think makes sense money-wise. And of course every now and then take risks.

I get the impression Amazon would be the type of company who skips that part and has the directive of going straight for what makes the most money, THEN tasking a group of possibly passionate artists, designers, and developers to do it.

It's an example, in reality, it probably doesn't work that way, but again, it's very hard to put into words: I just don't think there will be love behind this game.

Just my 2 cents, hopefully I'm wrong.

I'm with you, and am hesitant about the end product myself due to that. Then again I'm not into moba so I'm out of the discussion for that title at that point anyhow

 

[HK-47]

What makes a game AAA again? Only the development costs?

That is what AAA refers to.

 

[Plesiades]

I wonder what the Twitch hook will be.

 

[SOR5]

Hey you know what, Amazon is the only company I can think of where i've had nearly no problems dealing with them, I think they can do this right

 

[.la1n]

Looking forward to whatever Double Helix is cooking up. The netcode should be amazing.

 

[Deadbeat]

I learned something new in this thread: there was a fire phone.

 

[120v]

well i hope prime members get some good shit if it's f2p

yeah was wondering if Amazon games take off if they'll roll benefits into Prime or have you subscribe to something else (if anything)

would be great to have a membership to something that has you covered on movies, music and games in one drop, assuming the games are worthwhile.

 

[Crazyorloco]

Damn we are getting so much gaming news in Sept...

 

[ashecitism]

Yes, the chain of thought here was me thinking about that -> me asking a gaming journalist -> that gaming journalist sending me this event invite -> me sending it to Nirolak -> him making this thread

lol

 

[Blazyr]

Garnett post if you're OK!

All good

Hope you all enjoy the show!