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Forums - Gaming - Amazon Acquires Video Gaming Studio Double Helix Games

NiKKoM on 06 February 2014

I said this a day ago:

"Well i actually hoped that Amazon will buy itself into the PC business.. With a 0 dollar margin on hardware but with an exclusive software shop/music/video shop and maybe an interactive desktop with ads.. It will be the future but Apple kinda ruined it when they made tablets the big thing.. Amazon went with Kindle which is more effective in that strategy then a PC"

Amazon TVbox will also work.. they could go so much lower with hardware price



 

Face the future.. Gamecenter ID: nikkom_nl (oh no he didn't!!) 

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yo_john117 on 06 February 2014
AstroGamer said:
yo_john117 said:
AstroGamer said:
Could be interesting but if this Amazon console tanks, its quite damaging to Double Helix. And Killer Instinct is screwed since while MS owns the IP, Double Helix owns the game content. And the Amazon console is going to have a difficult time with no IPs of its own

I really don't think that's how it works. If DH is not able to work on the Killer Instinct game, Microsoft could just have one of their other studios (or a different 3rd party) continue supporting that game for DLC or whatever else they have planned for it.

Generally when you own an IP you own everything about that game.

I worded that poorly. I should have said something more along the lines of the engine(since its Double Helix's own engine) so Killer Instinct can only be updated by Double Helix. if Amazon doesn't allow them to work of Season 2 of Killer Instinct, it'll never get done. I think Double Helix owns the rights to the original character too. Microsoft would have to make a new killer Instinct post season 2 DLC pretty much if they want to turn it into stable pillar of their library

Ah I get what you're saying, but most likely Double Helix signed a contract to make a certain amount of KI content, so regardless of what Amazon wants, they have to finish up all the work that is required of them. Also I'm sure when they made the contract that they planned out for everything including the game engine aspect that you brought up.

Double Helix doesn't own the rights to a single thing in that game though. Microsoft bought Rare (along with KI) and they own everything about that game.



JazzB1987 on 06 February 2014
Jizz_Beard_thePirate said:
Clearly the ps4, x1 and wiiU are doomed cause of this and Nintendo, Sony and MS should be frightened by Amazon's actions


Amazon will sell their own games for 5 bucks and   Nintendo Sony and Microsoft games will still sell for 60 on amazon.

Amazon games dominating the amazon software charts  CONFIRMED!



QuintonMcLeod on 06 February 2014
ganoncrotch said:
QuintonMcLeod said:

So... What happens to KI? DH aren't done adding all the characters and stages to this game. Suddenly, they get bought out by Amazon? This doesn't look good for KI at all.


How bold of you! But no, Killer Instinct firmly belongs to Microsoft since they purchased Rare, DH were just contracted to make a game out of the IP, they dont own anything to do with it.

As for what will happen with the other stages/characters? they'll finish off their contracted work of course.


No one mentioned anything about whether Microsoft keeps KI or not. What was in question was whether the quality of the game will go down. Also, DH will not be working on the game anymore:

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/06/microsoft-has-a-new-development-partner-for-killer-instinct/?ncid=rss_truncated

Whenever a game gets passed between developers, the vision usually always disappears. What results is typically a bad or broken game.



QuintonMcLeod on 06 February 2014
Ryuu96 said:
QuintonMcLeod said:
ganoncrotch said:
QuintonMcLeod said:

So... What happens to KI? DH aren't done adding all the characters and stages to this game. Suddenly, they get bought out by Amazon? This doesn't look good for KI at all.


How bold of you! But no, Killer Instinct firmly belongs to Microsoft since they purchased Rare, DH were just contracted to make a game out of the IP, they dont own anything to do with it.

As for what will happen with the other stages/characters? they'll finish off their contracted work of course.


No one mentioned anything about whether Microsoft keeps KI or not. What was in question was whether the quality of the game will go down. Also, DH will not be working on the game anymore:

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/06/microsoft-has-a-new-development-partner-for-killer-instinct/?ncid=rss_truncated

Whenever a game gets passed between developers, the vision usually always disappears. What results is typically a bad or broken game.

Update: In a statement, a Microsoft spokesperson told Polygon that Microsoft Studios will be working with a "new development partner" on Killer Instinct for Xbox One.

"We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Double Helix and wish them success in their next endeavor," a Microsoft spokesperson said. "We want all of our loyal fans to know that the Killer Instinct team at Microsoft is not changing and that the franchise will remain with Microsoft Studios. We remain dedicated to delivering a great experience and plan to announce our new development partner soon. We're excited about the future of this popular franchise."

Looks like the majority off people working on Killer Instinct are still going to be working on it anyway but just have to find a new studio to work at

Which part of the KI team is staying? The whole team? Maybe the core team? Perhaps a few people here and a few there? They don't go into detail, so we don't know exactly. Doesn't make sense to rip out a team from a development studio and then sell off the development studio. Seems pretty asinine. 



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Xen on 06 February 2014

Hehehe, Shiny Entertainment.

edit: thought of some other studio when laughing at that. Apparently Shiny Entertainment isn't so bad.



justinian on 06 February 2014

Amazon stuff is always Linux based (as is Android). As an owner of the Kindle Fire HDX I find their version of Andorid (Fire OS) to be very well done. They have streamlined it for their purposes and apps. It is likely FireOS will also power any console that they may have planned.

Amazon have a lot going for them:

They have plenty of resources

They have one of the best cloud systems on the planet.

They pretty much have everyone's credit card on their books.

Their accounting system with books, films etc can easily incorporate games.

They have had a whole lot of time to study and implement a plan to be successful in the gaming industry.

Apart from games and an established name (in gaming) they have a bit over Nintendo who lacks any cloud support and have a horrible accounting system.



QuintonMcLeod on 10 February 2014
Ryuu96 said:
QuintonMcLeod said:
Ryuu96 said:
QuintonMcLeod said:

No one mentioned anything about whether Microsoft keeps KI or not. What was in question was whether the quality of the game will go down. Also, DH will not be working on the game anymore:

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/06/microsoft-has-a-new-development-partner-for-killer-instinct/?ncid=rss_truncated

Whenever a game gets passed between developers, the vision usually always disappears. What results is typically a bad or broken game.

Update: In a statement, a Microsoft spokesperson told Polygon that Microsoft Studios will be working with a "new development partner" on Killer Instinct for Xbox One.

"We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Double Helix and wish them success in their next endeavor," a Microsoft spokesperson said. "We want all of our loyal fans to know that the Killer Instinct team at Microsoft is not changing and that the franchise will remain with Microsoft Studios. We remain dedicated to delivering a great experience and plan to announce our new development partner soon. We're excited about the future of this popular franchise."

Looks like the majority off people working on Killer Instinct are still going to be working on it anyway but just have to find a new studio to work at

Which part of the KI team is staying? The whole team? Maybe the core team? Perhaps a few people here and a few there? They don't go into detail, so we don't know exactly. Doesn't make sense to rip out a team from a development studio and then sell off the development studio. Seems pretty asinine. 

The team at Microsoft is staying, I'm sure there not going to go naming every single person in that team and Microsoft was working with Double Helix on Killer Instinct along with some Rare people, Double Helix will be gone, The Microsoft team that worked with Double Helix on Killer Instinct will stay so they should be good enough (From working with Double Helix on the game) to make the last what..8 Characters and Story mode good, The game is already great so it will be hard to make it broken or a bad game just from extra characters (Only 8-9 are left I think and that's if they include all original Killer Instinct characters)

 


It's not hard to take a really good game and make it terrible. It has happened before.



LiquorandGunFun on 10 February 2014

Sigh.... Such a waste. Its like EA bought them.



 

QuintonMcLeod on 12 February 2014
Ryuu96 said:
QuintonMcLeod said:
Ryuu96 said:
QuintonMcLeod said:
Ryuu96 said:
QuintonMcLeod said:

No one mentioned anything about whether Microsoft keeps KI or not. What was in question was whether the quality of the game will go down. Also, DH will not be working on the game anymore:

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/06/microsoft-has-a-new-development-partner-for-killer-instinct/?ncid=rss_truncated

Whenever a game gets passed between developers, the vision usually always disappears. What results is typically a bad or broken game.

Update: In a statement, a Microsoft spokesperson told Polygon that Microsoft Studios will be working with a "new development partner" on Killer Instinct for Xbox One.

"We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Double Helix and wish them success in their next endeavor," a Microsoft spokesperson said. "We want all of our loyal fans to know that the Killer Instinct team at Microsoft is not changing and that the franchise will remain with Microsoft Studios. We remain dedicated to delivering a great experience and plan to announce our new development partner soon. We're excited about the future of this popular franchise."

Looks like the majority off people working on Killer Instinct are still going to be working on it anyway but just have to find a new studio to work at

Which part of the KI team is staying? The whole team? Maybe the core team? Perhaps a few people here and a few there? They don't go into detail, so we don't know exactly. Doesn't make sense to rip out a team from a development studio and then sell off the development studio. Seems pretty asinine. 

The team at Microsoft is staying, I'm sure there not going to go naming every single person in that team and Microsoft was working with Double Helix on Killer Instinct along with some Rare people, Double Helix will be gone, The Microsoft team that worked with Double Helix on Killer Instinct will stay so they should be good enough (From working with Double Helix on the game) to make the last what..8 Characters and Story mode good, The game is already great so it will be hard to make it broken or a bad game just from extra characters (Only 8-9 are left I think and that's if they include all original Killer Instinct characters)

 


It's not hard to take a really good game and make it terrible. It has happened before.

With allot off the original team their and Ken Lobb? I think it will be very hard, Internal team was working on Killer Instinct before Double Helix came into it and internal team leads development while DH just done some extra work

  1.  Feb 6

    How big is the internal team for Killer Instinct and did any Double Helix employees that worked on KI come over to MS or stay?

     Expand
  2.  Feb 6

    Int team's same size. KI was planned int before DH was brought in to dev. Other ext devs will do work but int team leads.

      Hide conversation
    5:20 PM - 6 Feb 2014 · Details

Well, that's good, but its odd that they internal team doesn't belong to any one development studio. That sounds kind of funny to me.