Amazon Developing Android Console For Release By End Of 2013

[NiKKoM]

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/08/08/amazon-developing-android-console-for-release-by-end-of-2013.aspx

Amazon Developing Android Console For Release By End Of 2013

 

Sources have approached Game Informer with an interesting bit of news from one of the world's largest retailers. Amazon is developing an Android based console for release by the end of this year, most likely by Black Friday.

According to those we spoke with who have knowledge of the in-development hardware, Amazon will be leveraging the titles already available on its platform. Each day, the company offers one productivity or game app for free and stocks a healthy library for its own devices, like the Kindle Fire. The console will also have its own, dedicated controller.

We have reached out to Amazon for comment.

Developing...

Matt Bertz contributed to this report.

Our Take
Unlike the Ouya, which has meager capital and influence, Amazon could make a serious run at the affordable home gaming sector. It already has a bevy of titles at its disposal and relationships with key developers responsible for some of the biggest titles on the Android platform.

It's easy to write off Android consoles as novelties. That is, until an enormous player like Amazon enters the picture.

Amazon also moves a lot of televisions, and is a key player for those companies. Just ask home appliance retailers if they've heard the term "Amazon's Showroom." It wouldn't surprise me to see Amazon cut a deal to have their Android gaming technology integrated with key television manufacturers' products.

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Source: https://twitter.com/supererogatory

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UPDATE

http://techcrunch.com/2013/08/09/amazon-could-launch-qualcomm-powered-games-console-and-media-box-by-end-of-year/

We’ve heard from a reliable source that the hardware Amazon is building could be powered by a Qualcomm MPQ chip, which is the Snapdragon processor line the chipmaking company builds specifically for smart TV and set-top box devices. That, combined with earlier rumours that have emerged suggesting Amazon is working on a set-top device as reported by the Wall Street Journal, combine to suggest that while gaming may be part of this potential new hardware, it won’t be the sole focus. Nor does it make sense for Amazon to focus only on games; it has a huge vested interest in pushing digital music and movies, so why not do a device that combines all three?

Ow... xb1 and ps4 are so doomed!