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Latest News

Amazon Takes On Digital Game Downloads

by Aaron Linde, Feb 18, 2008 2:14pm PST

Related Topics – Steam, Valve

Online retail giant Amazon.com is looking to incorporate video game downloads into its digital distribution service, as revealed by a job posting on Gamasutra.

The posting calls for a software development engineer for a position in video game and software downloads. "The Software and Video Games Digital Technology Team ... is responsible for digital distribution of software and video game products from the Amazon website," the listing reads. At present, no official announcement of digital game distribution has been made.

A significant portion of PC gaming sales have shifted towards digital distributors such as Valve's Steam platform over traditional retail channels, as reflected in recent sales trends and analyses. Amazon currently only provides digital download service for MP3s, movies, and PC software applications.

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Comments

4 Threads | 25 Comments

#10

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By: K1Bond007 x Show Full Post

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I love Amazon, but to be honest, I'm not really keen on seeing another company get into digital distribution for games. I think the market is going to get fractured with differing platforms and distribution methods that will become a headache and turnoff for consumers/gamers. I wouldn't put it past Microsoft to incorporate their GFW stuff into Windows to muscle everyone else out too.

:( I don't know. Wait for exclusives to being playing a role. It's all gonna suck.

Feb 18, 2008 3:51pm PST

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I love Amazon, but to be honest, I'm not really keen on seeing another company get into digital distribut... : K1Bond007
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  I fear all that stuff too, but it can probably be dealt with. Right now there are plenty of IM clients, A... : kinnoch
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    I doubt it since all of them would probably have their own set of features and all of them to protect the... : K1Bond007
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      It would probably be in the interest of the distributers to have open API's for applications like this to... : kinnoch
      
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      I guess i didn't say why that would benefit the distributers. Basically they don't have to worry about pe... : kinnoch
      
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      I would think a client like you're saying would take money away from a distributor by making it seem like... : K1Bond007
      
      I haven't looked at downloadable music much, but if there aren't any exclusives then something like this ... : kinnoch
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  What does it really matter? Once the game is installed you just play it, these distribution systems will ... : quazar
  - I don't know if thats true, at least not hte way valve implemented it. You have to launch valve games thr... : kinnoch

#11

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By: mobab x Show Full Post

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What? Amazon is like the walmart of online stores!

Feb 18, 2008 3:59pm PST

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What? Amazon is like the walmart of online stores! : mobab
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  wait, I thought walmart.com is the walmart of online stores! : aasyranth
  - Yeah, I thought about that. But I visit amazon for all my general online shopping like someone would vis... : mobab

#3

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By: majinpsyduck x Show Full Post

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I wonder, as more high profile companies like Amazon embrace digital distribution, if we'll see more discounted prices. You are starting to get more of this on Steam, so perhaps Amazon's entry could make things more interesting.

Feb 18, 2008 2:50pm PST

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I wonder, as more high profile companies like Amazon embrace digital distribution, if we'll see more disc... : majinpsyduck
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- I think if Best Buy jumps in it'll definitely open the flood gates. Be nice if they work out a deal like ... : Sailor of Fortune
- Peggle will be there : Iwannaacura
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  Steam>Amazon I think steam be huge in the next few years. : tKillbox
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    will be huge** : tKillbox
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      15M users isn't huge? = ) : pixelat3d
      
      to be grammatically correct --> more huger : tKillbox

#1

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By: MikkleThePickle x Show Full Post

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<3 Amazon... they are probably my favorite retailer ever

Feb 18, 2008 2:19pm PST

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<3 Amazon... they are probably my favorite retailer ever : MikkleThePickle
Thread Truncated. Click to see all 6 replies.