Rumor: Amazon Working on Android Console

[StewShearerOld]

Rumor: Amazon Working on Android Console

Ouya and its competitors may soon have to contend with an Amazon backed console.

As if the <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/126558-Ouya-Offers-Store-Credit-To-Dissatisfied-Customers>Ouya's problems weren't already prominent enough, rumors would suggest that the poster child for Android-based consoles is about to get another competitor. A big one. According to unnamed sources Amazon, also known as the world's premier online retailer and one of the most successful companies on the planet, may be in the process of developing its own Android console.

While no specific release date or price has been mentioned, the anonymous sources suggested the new console would be out in time for Black Friday. It will also apparently feature its own dedicated controller and be designed to utilize the many titles already available on the Android platform.

While none of this is confirmed and the details are obviously quite vague, if this amounts to any sort of truth it could be big news both for Amazon and the expanding market of Android based consoles. While Ouya had to turn to Kickstarter for its funding, an Amazon console would have the benefit of the company's substantial resources. Resources which, in the past have produced devices like the Kindle Fire. Honestly, we have a hard time seeing how Ouya and its <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/121350-UPDATE-GameStick-Kickstarts-Its-Way-to-Mobile-Console-Glory>current contemporaries would be able to compete. From name recognition alone, Amazon would have a pretty huge advantage. Not to mention that Prime users would have the benefit of free two-day shipping, which means they'd probably get their consoles a <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/125373-Ouya-CEO-Pissed-As-Delays-Continue>lot faster than Ouya backers. It's safe to say we'll be watching this one with interest.

Source: <a href=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/08/08/amazon-developing-android-console-for-release-by-end-of-2013.aspx>Game Informer


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[Insideout Ink Demon]

i hope it has some sort of emulation for windows games to play.
i've yet to see an android game that "wows" me

 

[lancar]

Wow, that is so awesome. This is exactly what the world needs: MORE consoles!

*sarcasm meter explodes*

Then if Apple releases one, and Steam tosses theirs out there, and then there's the Piston...
Couple that together with the Ouya, PS4, Wii U and Xbox one, and you got one seriously crowded entertainment center, all of whom will be attempting to attract customers with exclusives (because exclusives sell hardware. simple as that.)

Can you guess who this trend will benefit?

I'll give you a hint: It's not gamers.

 

[GonzoGamer]

Does the market seem ripe for another Android console? What would be interesting is an Andoid computer OS. I'm surprised we haven't seen that yet.

 

[Reeve]

Wow, that is so awesome. This is exactly what the world needs: MORE consoles!

*sarcasm meter explodes*

Then if Apple releases one, and Steam tosses theirs out there, and then there's the Piston...
Couple that together with the Ouya, PS4, Wii U and Xbox one, and you got one seriously crowded entertainment center, all of whom will be attempting to attract customers with exclusives (because exclusives sell hardware. simple as that.)

Can you guess who this trend will benefit?

I'll give you a hint: It's not gamers.

Wow, you don't seem to understand market economics. A greater amount of consoles on the market means that there's a greater degree of choice for the customer. This increases competition between companies, pushing costs down, and drives the market forwards. It's a sure way of breaking a monopoly.

 

[CriticalMiss]

This isn't much of a rumour, just about everyone is making an android console at this point. Even North Korea are developing one called the Kim Jong fUn.

 

[mixadj]

Does the market seem ripe for another Android console? What would be interesting is an Andoid computer OS. I'm surprised we haven't seen that yet.

....It's called Linux, or for consumer friendliness the Ubuntu flavor. Runs on a variety of hardware, including ARM devices.

 

[BoredAussieGamer]

Wow, that is so awesome. This is exactly what the world needs: MORE consoles!

*sarcasm meter explodes*

Then if Apple releases one, and Steam tosses theirs out there, and then there's the Piston...
Couple that together with the Ouya, PS4, Wii U and Xbox one, and you got one seriously crowded entertainment center, all of whom will be attempting to attract customers with exclusives (because exclusives sell hardware. simple as that.)

Can you guess who this trend will benefit?

I'll give you a hint: It's not gamers.

Wow, you don't seem to understand market economics. A greater amount of consoles on the market means that there's a greater degree of choice for the customer. This increases competition between companies, pushing costs down, and drives the market forwards. It's a sure way of breaking a monopoly.

I'd like to point out that one of the driving factors of the console market crash of the 80's had a lot to do with a lot of companies (who had no game experience) were making consoles to cash in on a popular market.

 

[Hero of Lime]

Instead of making consoles, I wish these big tech companies would just open their own game studios and try to enter the industry that way. They have lots of money to throw around, why not release some great games to earn some extra dough, with a lot of less risk.

 

[Something Amyss]

Does the market seem ripe for another Android console?

Depends. Is it going to be a good one? The Kindle Fire is a gimped version of Android, and I doubt selling a gimped Puya (which is already kind of limited) is going to do much.

A solid version backed by Amazon? That might be something we're in the market for. the interest was there with the Oooooh...Yaaaah! But the problem seemed that people were disappointed by it being obviously as crappy as it was always going to be.

"Hey, Android micro PCs run around 100-150 USD. Let's promise the same functionality but throw in a controller that costs 50 dollars, forcing us to cut corners! What could go wrong?"

 

[Something Amyss]

This isn't much of a rumour, just about everyone is making an android console at this point. Even North Korea are developing one called the Kim Jong fUn.

Except theirs doesn't run on Android, it runs on Undroid. The difference is it's designed for the 50 year old hardware they recently acquired for their nuclear launches.