Amazon is working on a new videogame streaming platform, according to reports. The company already has a gaming division in Amazon Game Studios, but it appears that will soon expand with a cloud gaming platform akin to Google Stadia or Microsoft’s Project xCloud.
Citing two people familiar with Amazon’s plans, technology site CNET reports the new service will be unveiled next year. The retail giant has seemingly already hired multiple ex-Microsoft staff for the new initiative, with more still to come on board. This “new initiative” will lie within Amazon’s Web Services team, but it will apparently be integrated into the company’s other teams such as Twitch.
Amazon’s plans for a streaming service were previously reported on by The Information, which said the platform will launch in 2020. PCGamesN has contacted Amazon for comment.
Aside from Twitch, which was acquired years after the livestreaming platform became established, Amazon’s forays into the gaming world have experienced mixed success. Projects such as The Grand Tour Game have struggled to make much of an impact, and the division was forced to lay off staff earlier this year.
Streaming may be the way Amazon truly cracks the market, but even Google’s Stadia release has not been a huge success, with mixed reviews, reports of delayed pre-orders, and a swathe of features missing at launch.
Microsoft’s Project xCloud, which is currently in beta, is likely to be the next streaming service to launch. Sony’s platform, PlayStation Now, has been available since 2014 and recently got a price cut, while Valve is also reportedly working on a streaming service for Steam. For now, we’ll have to wait and see if Amazon join the streaming party.