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Businesses Games

Amazon Enters Gaming Market 52

Posted by Soulskill from the competition-is-a-good-thing dept.
eldavojohn writes "Ars brings us news of Amazon's entrance into the casual gaming market after purchasing Reflexive last year. Amazon identifies this sort of gaming as a good start for its demographic of customers and is certainly making competitors in the field nervous. There is a lot of evidence that Amazon is testing the waters to see how these small time games go as a prerequisite to something bigger, although they aren't talking. From Ars, 'For the first week, visitors will even be able to grab three games for free: Jewel Quest 2, Build a Lot, and The Scruffs. That, along with the ability to try every game before you buy, should be enough to entice fans of casual gaming to check out Amazon's offerings. It also looks like this could be Amazon's first step into the world of digital distribution for video games.' Do you think this trial will go well for Amazon?"
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Amazon Enters Gaming Market More

Amazon Enters Gaming Market

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  • Damn you slashdot (Score:4, Funny)

    by afidel ( 530433 ) on Wednesday February 04, 2009 @03:06AM (#26722275)
    You've broken Amazon, good job! I went to checkout with Jewel Quest and there was an unknown error.

  • Fail (Score:1, Redundant)

    by longacre ( 1090157 )
    All the titles on there are Windows only. Any plans to expand to other platforms?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by elrous0 ( 869638 ) *
      Plans as in "We'll say that we have plans just so the Mac/Linux types will shut the hell up" or actual ones? Yes on the former, no on the latter.

    • Sources tell me they would have launched with a copy of "Frozen Bubble" but were so afraid of getting their servers slashdotted by the huge demand from the linux gaming community that they decided to hold off a few weeks...

    • I used the Amazon download program to download and install the free game Big Kahuna Reef using WINE that is in the Ubuntu 8.10 repositories.

  • Windows only (Score:4, Insightful)

    by psergiu ( 67614 ) on Wednesday February 04, 2009 @03:20AM (#26722337)
    The games there are windows-only. Please tag as "windowsonly" so the Linux, BSD & Mac OS loving fellow slashdotters will know that they should skip this slashvertisment.

  • Anonymous Coward (Score:2, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward

    The games are US only too - your IP is tested as well to confirm your location.

    Proxy.

    • Re:Anonymous Coward (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Dunbal ( 464142 ) on Wednesday February 04, 2009 @07:44AM (#26723511)

      The games are US only too - your IP is tested as well to confirm your location.

            Yes because who knows what would happen if these games ended up in Syria, Iran, or in the hands of the Taliban!

            You know, speaking as someone who lives outside the US, these IP checks are a pain - especially when they are poorly implemented. For example, because of my Latin American IP number, I can only buy the "Spanish" version of some software, despite the fact that having been born in Canada and just living here I would still prefer the English version.

            Meh, I guess I should set up a linux box at my US address and just do my surfing through that.

      • Well, if Jack Thompson has taught us anything, it's that video games promote violence. So if Syria, Iran, or the Taliban got their hands on video games, they would become violent.

        (I will not proceed to remove my tongue from my cheek.)

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Rycross ( 836649 )

        And most technical people and a good chunk of the business people would love to just have a single portal servicing the globe. The problem is 1) the people who produce the product like to segment the market and will put pressure on you to do so, and 2) layers and legal restrictions. Do you think Amazon coded up IP checks just for fun? I'm reasonably sure that there quite a few engineers and businesspeople over there that are just as annoyed about having to implement a "worthless" feature as you are.

  • Some info, (Score:1, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward

    1) You need an Amazon account with a credit card number. Hitting the download button directs me to sign in and then choose my payment.

    2) Amazon requires you to use their downloader.

    3) From what I'm hearing, Jewelquest2 is time limited to 30mins. Forced Casual? Heh.

    - AJK

  • Proprietary downloader (Score:4, Informative)

    by Atario ( 673917 ) on Wednesday February 04, 2009 @05:52AM (#26723023) Homepage

    Just tried this.

    They make you download and install their special downloader first. This installs a service and a tray icon that run at startup, and provides no easy way to disable this (short of uninstall). (That is, easier than disabling them with RegEdit and Services console.) The downloader also makes you "name" your machine for its own purposes, and you pick which machine you're downloading to on the download page. I'm guessing this must lock that copy in to that machine (else why ask?).

    Yuck.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Aladrin ( 926209 )

      It's not terribly different than BigFishGames' service. BFG doesn't require you to name the computer, or specify which one will be downloading, though.

      BFG allows you to download each game you buy on up to 3 computers. I even emailed them, and that's how they responded, so it's not a loophole or anything.

      They also allow you to subscribe for a year and pay only $7 per game, as opposed to the $20 regular price or $10 Amazon price. (You must purchase 12 tokens, 1 per month minimum, while you are subscribed.

      • So yes, there's DRM[...]It's not invasive 'destroy your hardware' drm like certain others out there.

        Yet.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by kuviaq ( 893859 )
        Bigfishgames amended their policies and now offer "unlimited" activations on as many computers as you like.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Aladrin ( 926209 )

          I just checked and it's apparently '15', not 'unlimited'... But that's still way better than 3. Thanks for the info!

    • On the other hand, if you're running StartupMonitor or any similar program, or have even a basic ability to use msconfig, you may simply close the downloader, and it will never open again until you need it again.

      I do agree that the DRM on it is rather bogus, though.

  • If this is the same Amazon Video, then am out... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by freedom_india ( 780002 ) on Wednesday February 04, 2009 @06:30AM (#26723199) Homepage Journal

    Amazon has a great reputation as a hard goods shipper. Excellent site, and great shipping. BUT it sucks in areas where Apple is King.
    Video downloads was a disastrous service by Amazon.
    First of all they have this crazy DRM fear so much that they rape your PC installing their downloader.
    Second, they limit you to US by IP address...
    I mean they ship their DVDs worldwide, but can't let me download a video outside of US???
    Stardock got it right with their downloadable games option. Download from anywhere, even outside of US, and play anywhere without screwing up your PC.
    Of course some of their games are lame, but i expect to see more 3rd parties coming in their way.
    As a frequent traveller out of US, i strictly limit myself to Amazon for buying ONLY DVDs and Books. Rest all, i get locally.
    Games? I would rather buy a DVD at a local store or download from Stardock or buy from independent producers (Democracy 2 anyone) instead of going to Amazon.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Aladrin ( 926209 )

      Sounds like it isn't for you, then.

      This is definitely DRM'd and you have to register individual computers with the DRM service.

      They do limit you by area... It says right on the page you must be in the US and have a US credit card.

      On the other hand, the price is half that of what these games normally are. For some, that's enough. Personally, I just want to play the game... As long as it doesn't harm my computer, I'm okay with DRM when I get a discount. It's not like the full versions have no DRM anyhow.

    • I'm not defending amazon, but a lot of places do the US restriction thing because if you live outside of the US, copying/sharing files aren't necessarily prosecuted in your country [see TPB, as of so far], so they want you to not distribute the material to pirates. arrrr.

      • The problem with larger corporates is that they treat every broadband user as a criminal.
        Every single one.
        Smaller game companies or indie producers do not do the same.
        Take Democracy 2 for instance.
        I paid for the PC version BECAUSE:
        1) It was not DRM'ed.
        2) I got the Mac version too!
        If i buy AoM from MSFT, i need to pay twice: Mac & Windows.
        Why can't RIAA/MPAA/BSA make a deal something like this:
        I buy a license to see/play/listen directly from their websites or partners.
        I can then download it from official

  • I guess that explains the spam I received this morning on my Amazon-only email alias.

    Very annoying.

  • I would swear I've seen most of these as Flash/Shockwave games on Miniclip, Armor Games, Kongregate, and others. If I can play for free in a browser, why would I spend $10 to download them?
  • Crimsonland [crimsonland.com] ... Reflexive, are they the same publisher for this game? If you haven't seen it, i highly suggest it, it is a pretty amazingly addictive small game. I don't usually purchase small games like this but after about 10 minutes with it the guy had my 20 dollars.

    I wonder if with some bigger backing there might be another version of this game, which could only be a good thing.

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