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ex-Valve veteran Tom Leonard is recruiting "top game development talent" for Amazon

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tom-leonard/0/86b/493


Senior Manager of Software Development
Amazon


July 2013 – Present (2 months) Greater Seattle Area

Games.

We are always looking for top game development talent. Message me if you're interested.

Senior Developer, Source 2
Valve Corporation
November 2010 – February 2013 (2 years 4 months)

Senior Developer/Project Lead, Left 4 Dead 2
Valve Corporation
November 2008 – February 2013 (4 years 4 months)

Senior Developer, Portal 2
Valve Corporation
February 2008 – April 2011 (3 years 3 months)

Senior Developer, Left 4 Dead
Valve Corporation
February 2008 – November 2008 (10 months)

Senior Developer, The Orange Box/Half-Life 2 Episode 2
Valve Corporation
January 2006 – January 2008 (2 years 1 month)

Senior Developer, Half-Life 2/Xbox
Valve Corporation
February 2005 – December 2005 (11 months)

Senior Developer, Steam
Valve Corporation
November 2004 – February 2005 (4 months)

Senior Developer, Half-Life 2
Valve Corporation
April 2002 – November 2004 (2 years 8 months)

...
 

Kydd BlaZe

Member
Shaking up the stagnant console market.

If done right they could be a powerhouse next gen and force innovation.
Agreed.

I also hope Valve's Steambox resurfaces at some point. I'm all for some new innovative technology. These two companies (Valve/Amazon) could most certainly become major players in the console space.
 

Hoo-doo

Banned
Shaking up the stagnant console market.

If done right they could be a powerhouse next gen and force innovation.

Yeah, unless they are going far, far, FAR beyond the current garbage that's on current Android devices, they will shake up zilch in the console market.
And I don't see it happening.
 

Hindle

Banned
He needs to try and persuade Warren Spector to return to mature game development. No more Mickey Mouse crap basically.
 

Valnen

Member
With Android games? Really?

Android is just an operating system. It's capable of playing great games like any other operating system if the developers are willing to make them.

And what's with all the ex valve people? Did Valve really get rid of a ton of talent like that? What are they, stupid?
 

DESTROYA

Member
Steamazon box!
I hope it's something good and not just some slapped together console that plays Android games, at least the guy looks legit.
 

Striek

Member
Has there been a single notable traditional console team confirmed to be working on Amazons box? Maybe this is asking too much since the thing is still technically a rumour...

Most of the chatter has been focused around individuals.

With the rumoured hardware and everything else we've heard I'm sure this is going to basically be a mobile port-box with a few (timed) exclusive indie titles. I doubt Amazon is going to have the long-term focus to make the box anything worthwhile.
 

wazoo

Member
People completely underestimate how powerful and big Amazon is and how it could completely crush Sony Or Nintendo if it undercuts them enough.

You are dreaming. Talents are not appearing everywhere, it took 20 years to Sony to get all its 1st party force starting with Psygnosis buyout, it took 10 years for MS starting with Bungie and Rare. IT is not on how much money you have anyway, otherwise MS would be number one since 2001.

What this will have is the usual "made by 2 people" android shovelware.

Ouya, Shield, now this, this seems like the new "let's do an android game tablet".
 
Ouya, Shield, now this, this seems like the new "let's do an android game tablet".

Well, every bit helps since they're all working on a single ecosystem. Ouya is a really hard sell because it's jsut a small company with limited resources. Nvidia? Much bigger but still rather small in the grand scheme of things. Amazon? Now we're talking.
 

Kuroyume

Banned
The Kindle hasn't crushed the Ipad.

Amazon Instant hasn't crushed Netflix.

Amazon Games hasn't crushed Steam.

And I doubt this is going to "crush" any of the current major console players. That said I'm curious. Personally, I'm more interested in the Steambox and PS4 so I doubt I'll room for another.
 

wazoo

Member
Well, every bit helps since they're all working on a single ecosystem. Ouya is a really hard sell because it's jsut a small company with limited resources. Nvidia? Much bigger but still rather small in the grand scheme of things. Amazon? Now we're talking.

We are still talking about different hardware.

Amazon will also probably be store locked looking at its ebook history.

I am not sure Amazon is ready to the kind of investment, videogaming is needed. They are known to offer deep discounts on things they sell, but this is just lowering what you get from the sales. Videogames require a big upfront investment before arriving to the shelf. they never did that. It is like Valve with the steambox. Currently, they are well placed with zero investment beside managing the store. Hardware and software invstment to sustain a console. This is a completely different story, especially if people expect low prices on the hardware and low price on the software.
 
The Kindle hasn't crushed the Ipad.

No, but Android did surpass iOS in marketshare, yes? The benefit of an open ecosystem is that every part of it helps the whole. Gather enough of these platforms and suddenly you have a solid userbase that you can build on, even if no single one of these devices is a runaway success.
 

Liha

Banned
He was last year at QuakeCon

emil-pagliarulo-tom-leonard-looking-glass-panel-quakecon-120803-p.jpg
 

hwy_61

Banned
No, but Android did surpass iOS in marketshare, yes? The benefit of an open ecosystem is that every part of it helps the whole. Gather enough of these platforms and suddenly you have a solid userbase that you can build on, even if no single one of these devices is a runaway success.

Not hard to believe that they've surpassed iOS in marketshare, when android is a much, much bigger platform!
 

ari

Banned
Just means the next appletv will be a gaming console. :/

Oh, and the Console market is only built around three brand names. There is PLENTY of room for competition if amazon invest enough in the market. Their capitol could easily pick up a studio or two right off the bat like they did book publishers for the kindle, app developers for the kindle fire, and TV studios for exclusive streaming content.

Ouya, they are not.
 

LAA

Member
Very eager to see this...
I dont think it'll be enough to stop me getting a PS4, I cant see it being that great, but they have every chance to prove me wrong.

Though I may not get it, I'm still pretty excited to see this thing...
 
The Kindle hasn't crushed the Ipad.

Amazon Instant hasn't crushed Netflix.

Amazon Games hasn't crushed Steam.

And I doubt this is going to "crush" any of the current major console players. That said I'm curious. Personally, I'm more interested in the Steambox and PS4 so I doubt I'll room for another.

The Kindle has crushed other e-readers (yes I know there are decent alternatives)
But this is a bit of a moot point anyway
 

test_account

XP-39C²
People completely underestimate how powerful and big Amazon is and how it could completely crush Sony Or Nintendo if it undercuts them enough.
Any examples on how they can completely crush Microsoft, Nintendo or Sony in the gaming department? Also, any examples on how it will lead to more innovation?
 

Trose

Neo Member
Amazon has the cash to make a legitimate console.

Why are they making an android console? Where did people get the idea that there's a demand to play cell phone games on your big screen?
 

Marvel

could never
Where did people get the idea that there's a demand to play cell phone games on your big screen?

They might not be making crappy cell phone games though...that's the thing. Amazon really could throw a curve ball with this machine.

I'm not expecting PS360 graphics but neither am I seeing another Ouya.
 

Valnen

Member
Amazon has the cash to make a legitimate console.

Why are they making an android console? Where did people get the idea that there's a demand to play cell phone games on your big screen?

Just because it's android doesn't mean it's just cell phone games. Android is nothing more than an operating system.

That's like saying Xbox One can do nothing but spreadsheets because it has the windows kernel.
 

Sendou

Member
Amazon has the cash to make a legitimate console.

Why are they making an android console? Where did people get the idea that there's a demand to play cell phone games on your big screen?

Developing what you call a legitimate console is a huge investment and a very risky one too.
 
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