Amazon wants to further expand its presence in the video game industry. For this reason, it has presented its new GameOn platform, which will offer developers and companies various facilities to organize competitions on consoles, mobiles, and PCs.
According to the company, GameOn was built from the infrastructure of Amazon Web Services, which offers various services through the cloud. Developers interested in the new platform may give different types of prizes in their tournaments, as rewards within the games or even outside of them.
GameOn services will start with small events, which seek to encourage the interest of players in the competitive scene. Marja Koopmans, director of Amazon Competitive Gaming, said that the developers are looking for a way to retain more time for players in their titles.
It is there that GameOn will have a relevant role. “We built Amazon GameOn to give developers simple, yet powerful tools to foster community through competitive gameplay,” said Koopmans.
Amazon will, of course, have profits thanks to GameOn. Developers interested in the service can use the programming interface for free until May 1. They can also organize competitions at no cost for a limited time. Amazon will earn a fee for each game that takes place on its platform.
The physical prizes obtained in the competitions will only be available for the moment in the United States. The platform has already been tested with titles from Eden Games, nWay, Mindstorm, among other studios.
Amazon expects its service to grow little by little to offer all kinds of experience, that surpasses the casual game and focuses on a great diversity of genres. The developers will be able to implement matchmaking, leaderboards and various types of competitions.
Phil Harrison, a former executive of Sony and Microsoft, said that Amazon could change the gaming industry and give a balance to the entertainment sector. The company has a video game studio, as well as an engine to develop titles, so that little by little its presence in the industry is consolidated.
