Amazon launches Game Download Service
Dave U. Random
Amazon.com is jumping into the digitally distributed games
market with "Amazon Game Downloads."
http://atu.ca/GameDownloads The service begins its beta
today and offers 500 casual titles for under $10 each.
During the initial launch week, full versions of Jewel
Quest 2, Build-a-lot and The Scruffs will be available to
download for free.
We spoke with Greg Hart, vice president of video games and
software at Amazon, who explained that the digital
distribution service evolved from the company's acquisition
of Reflexive late last year. He stated that the service
does require downloading a client (think Steam), but that
the 3MB application isn't invasive. When asked if we'll be
seeing bigger (less casual) games available, he expressed
that the company would have to see how things go during the
beta first...
Jonah Falcon
inter.net> wrote:
> joystiqhttp://atu.ca/dd98
>
> Amazon.com is jumping into the digitally distributed games
> today and offers 500 casual titles for under $10 each.
> During the initial launch week, full versions of Jewel
> Quest 2, Build-a-lot and The Scruffs will be available to
> download for free.
>
> We spoke with Greg Hart, vice president of video games and
> software at Amazon, who explained that the digital
> distribution service evolved from the company's acquisition
> of Reflexive late last year. He stated that the service
> does require downloading a client (think Steam), but that
> the 3MB application isn't invasive. When asked if we'll be
> seeing bigger (less casual) games available, he expressed
> that the company would have to see how things go during the
> beta first...
I'm not bowled over by Amazon offering something GameStop, Steam, etc
already do.
Dave U. Random
inter.net>
Dave U. Random <anonym...@anonymitaet-im-inter.net> wrote:
>
> joystiq http://atu.ca/dd98
>
> Amazon.com is jumping into the digitally distributed games
> market with "Amazon Game Downloads."
> http://atu.ca/GameDownloads
Kotaku http://atu.ca/ebb11
We spoke to Greg Hart, Vice President of Video Games and
Software for Amazon.com about the new service, who
explained that offering casual games for purchase and
download via the popular online shopping marketplace is a
boon to both customers and developers. Customers benefit by
having a safe place to download their games with the same
quality and convenience they've come to expect from
Amazon.com, while casual developers who have never released
a retail box have the online equivalent of a big box
retailer where they can display their wares.
Customers are able to download and try any game sold
through the service for 30 minutes, after which they can
either purchase the full game or forget they ever played
it. As a special promotion good for the first week only,
customers can download full versions of Jewel Quest II, The
Scruffs, an Built-A-Lot completely free of charge.
So why casual games, instead of just going for an all-
encompassing online store model like Valve's Steam?
http://store.steampowered.com/
"Casual Games are a natural fit with our demographic,"
explains Hart. "We have 88 million active customers who can
appreciate the convenience of the true amazon shopping
experience combined with the casual games experience." The
man makes a very good point. The person who spends a great
deal of time browsing Amazon.com is open to new experiences
on their computers, and quick, inexpensive casual games
delivered by a trusted source should prove extremely
popular to the shopping masses.
That's not to say that the Game Downloads section won't
expend into other, more mainstream titles in the future.
"We always want to offer the widest selection possible,
just like we've done with our boxed games over the past two
years."
So don't worry, Valve. With Amazon focused strictly on
providing inexpensive casual titles to the shopping masses,
they are no threat to your digital download empire at all.
For now.
Cavadure
inter.net> wrote:
> In article <972cb0e0588d490bb6b59f04bcba89c6@anonymitaet-im-
> inter.net>
> Dave U. Random <anonym...@anonymitaet-im-inter.net> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> > Amazon.com is jumping into the digitally distributed games
> > market with "Amazon Game Downloads."
> >http://atu.ca/GameDownloads
>
>
> We spoke to Greg Hart, Vice President of Video Games and
> Software for Amazon.com about the new service, who
> explained that offering casual games for purchase and
> download via the popular online shopping marketplace is a
> boon to both customers and developers. Customers benefit by
> having a safe place to download their games with the same
> quality and convenience they've come to expect from
> Amazon.com, while casual developers who have never released
> a retail box have the online equivalent of a big box
> retailer where they can display their wares.
>
> Customers are able to download and try any game sold
> through the service for 30 minutes, after which they can
> either purchase the full game or forget they ever played
> it. As a special promotion good for the first week only,
> customers can download full versions of Jewel Quest II, The
> Scruffs, an Built-A-Lot completely free of charge.
>
> So why casual games, instead of just going for an all-
>
> "Casual Games are a natural fit with our demographic,"
> explains Hart. "We have 88 million active customers who can
> appreciate the convenience of the true amazon shopping
> experience combined with the casual games experience." The
> man makes a very good point. The person who spends a great
> deal of time browsing Amazon.com is open to new experiences
> on their computers, and quick, inexpensive casual games
> delivered by a trusted source should prove extremely
> popular to the shopping masses.
>
> That's not to say that the Game Downloads section won't
> expend into other, more mainstream titles in the future.
> "We always want to offer the widest selection possible,
> just like we've done with our boxed games over the past two
> years."
>
> So don't worry, Valve. With Amazon focused strictly on
> providing inexpensive casual titles to the shopping masses,
> they are no threat to your digital download empire at all.
> For now.
I figured PopCap has more to worry about than Steam.
Dave U. Random
inter.net>
Dave U. Random <anonym...@anonymitaet-im-inter.net> wrote:
>
>
> Amazon.com is jumping into the digitally distributed games
> market with "Amazon Game Downloads."
> http://atu.ca/GameDownloads The service begins its beta
VentureBeat http://atu.ca/2b88
...PopCap Games has dropped Amazon, declining to
participate in the new service, says Dennis Ryan, an
executive vice president of the company behind Bejeweled.
During a panel discussion, iWin.com’s production director
Andy Hieke said, “We pulled all our games down from Amazon
when we found out what they were doing.” Speaking of the
new price-point he adds, “We find that completely
unacceptable.”
Hieke added that, while he supports the $9.99 price point,
it shouldn’t be done at launch and that games should be
given the best possible chance of making higher sales –-
$19.99, for example.
And he believes that publishers can’t take a game to Wal-
Mart if it’s priced too cheaply online. Each game has a
value. Jewel Quest is $19.99, says Hieke, “And that’s the
price it should be.”
But the controversy is a tempest in a teapot. Many casual
games are already priced below $9.99 — disguised by price
clubs. Much like the Columbia music and movie clubs, sites
like Real can sell full casual games at the price of $5.99
each as long as users purchase several games to fulfill the
membership.
The real issue is the iPhone, where games in Apple’s App
Store can be as low as $0.99, or even free. Amazon’s price
point is higher than current game clubs and offers the
possibility of a new audience.
But the 15 million iPhone users can easily satisfy their
casual gaming needs without spending the full $19.99 that a
first-run casual game might cost.
So it’s with a certain sense of relief that developers at
the conference report a rumor that Apple will start setting
their own price points for products in the App Store -–
something that takes away freedom but offers a chance of
fairly fixed prices.
EMan
service that I can skip. I pre-ordered Sins of Solar Empire:
Entrenchment last night and discovered its only available through
Impulse, Stardock's download service. Which seems to be nothing more
than a tool to push their own desktop enhancement apps (Colors,
Fences, My Dock), nice to have stuff, but things I can completely do
without. I like my desktop as minimalistic as possible. The previews
don't look to bad, but after installing the free Sins Colors theme, it
looks cheesy as hell. Other themes are $20 each!
Like with music, Amazon is trying to carve out a share of the
electronic download market with lower costs, freebies (which will
probably get me to download the program, cuz I like free stuff, even
if I'll never use it), and no DRM. But, if major software sales are
going to Valve or EA, I don't see how they can be competitive with
Steam or EA Downloader. Do casual game revenues surpass titles like
Orange Box and Sims?