Amazon Web TV Box Rumored for March, But Will it Play Games?
- Frank Lucci
- Feb 21, 2014 02:32 PM EST
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Amazon may be readying a new device similar to Apple TV and Roku that can also play video games.
The online retailer has been rumored to be trying to get into the video game business, and it is possible that the new Web TV box the company is developing could be able to play video games through a wide variety of different methods, according to Recode. The Web TV box is rumored for a March release and Amazon has built up a large library of digital content that users will be able to access on the new device. The device will run on the Android operating system and will be capable of running different apps similar to the streaming devices made by Apple and Roku.
It is unclear if this Web TV box is the same device also rumored to be able to play video games, or if Amazon is planning two different devices for release in 2014. This newly rumored machine could possibly play mobile games that use Android or developers could create games specifically for the system like the Ouya console. Amazon has been reportedly hiring video game developers for an unknown project, indicating that they may try to make some in-house games for users. The company also has bought Double Helix Games, the creators of Killer Instinct and Strider, for an undisclosed amount of money.
Games could also appear on the Amazon Web TV box through PlayStation Now. The new program would allow users to stream PlayStation 3 games such as The Last of Us to their televisions without actually needing the console. Sony has not yet discussed which partners may be able to use PlayStation Now, but the two companies could possibly reach an agreement to put PlayStation Now on the new streaming device when it is released.
It looks like 2014 could be the year that the console market explodes with new platforms for gamers. If Amazon is serious about creating its own gaming system, the company will join the Ouya and the variety of Steam Machines as new consoles trying to compete with the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Wii U. This could lead to gaming becoming bigger than ever or an over saturated market that weakens the industry as companies fight over increasingly crowded territory.
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