Amazon Is Getting Rid of Its Gaming Content Channel Amid Larger Games Layoffs (theverge.com) 10
Jay Peters reports via The Verge: Amazon is cutting "just over" 180 jobs in its games division and making some changes to its games initiatives, according to a memo sent to employees by VP of Amazon Games Christoph Hartmann. The changes include shutting down its Crown channel that streams on Twitch, closing its Game Growth effort that helps game makers market their products, and "refocusing" the work it does with its free games offered through Prime Gaming. "We are proud of the work the teams have been doing, pushing into new areas with weekly content on Crown Channel, and finding more ways to help publishers reach new audiences with Game Growth," Hartmann wrote. "But after further evaluation of our businesses, it became clear that we need focus our resources and efforts to deliver great games to players now and in the future." Reuters reported on the memo earlier on Monday, and you can read the full email, which Amazon shared with The Verge, at the end of this story.
As for Prime Gaming's free games, which you can access if you are an Amazon Prime subscriber, "we've listened to our customers and we know delivering free games every month is what they want most, so we are refining our Prime benefit to increase our focus there," Hartmann wrote. Amazon spokesperson Brittney Hefner declined to share more specifics about what's changing.
As for Prime Gaming's free games, which you can access if you are an Amazon Prime subscriber, "we've listened to our customers and we know delivering free games every month is what they want most, so we are refining our Prime benefit to increase our focus there," Hartmann wrote. Amazon spokesperson Brittney Hefner declined to share more specifics about what's changing.
Amazon Rolls Natural 1 on Gaming Venture (Score:3, Funny)
Re: Amazon Rolls Natural 1 on Gaming Venture (Score:4, Insightful)
Yeah, I don't understand that comment about delivering free games being what we're want most. The quick, free shipping is what I want most, and if there's a online content thing I want it's my Prime Video to be ad-free, without an additional change for that.
I'd also like the Amazon Music app to stop giving me a pop-over ad for Amazon Music Unlimited every time I open it that I have to dismiss. It's become harder and harder to tell what music I can actually play on it with my existing Prime and what is going to trigger yet another Music Unlimited pitch.
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Yeah, I don't understand that comment about delivering free games being what we're want most. The quick, free shipping is what I want most, and if there's a online content thing I want it's my Prime Video to be ad-free, without an additional change for that.
I'd also like the Amazon Music app to stop giving me a pop-over ad for Amazon Music Unlimited every time I open it that I have to dismiss. It's become harder and harder to tell what music I can actually play on it with my existing Prime and what is going to trigger yet another Music Unlimited pitch.
I literally didn't even realize they had a gaming service.
However, given that I somehow ended up subscribed to Music Unlimited for who-know-how-long until I noticed two Amazon charges on my credit card I'm staying far away in case I click the wrong thing.
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I literally didn't even realize they had a gaming service.
They recently updated the interface on the Fire Sticks to try and draw attention to it. The first icon in the middle row used to be an icon to change between different user profiles on the device itself (I guess for home row apps, Watchlist, and the aggregate Live TV Guide preferences). They must have realized most people didn't use the profiles feature as they combined it into the Settings icon at the end of the row, and have a new "Gaming" icon as the very first icon now (before the Search even). The top
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Addendum:
You still have to install the Luna app to play the games it seems.
The OS integration is just browsing and watching trailers. In other words, advertising the service.
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The quick, free shipping is what I want most
Getting my prime orders in two days instead of five like usual is what I want most.
I order from Amazon for exactly one reason, return policy. They no longer have the best prices (they raised them once they gained dominance) and they don't actually ship things as fast as they say they will, so if I can get the same return policy elsewhere then I buy elsewhere.
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In related news, Twitch streamers are now preparing to face the ultimate boss level: real jobs
Considering the relatively recent change to Twitch partner streamers' contracts - which no longer prevents them simultaneously streaming on YouTube and Twitch outside of some things like taking steps to drive audience from Twitch to a competitors platform - I'm doubting that. If only because getting people to watch ads on streamers' stuff is much more straightforward, and advertising is obscenely profitable. That streams don't have to start until an ad play probably gives advertisers a load of raging hard-o
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Playing games, still fun. Watching other people play..