2013 is already filled to the brim with console launches, but it seems as if we’re in for at least one additional competitor in the fourth quarter. Rumors now point towards Amazon launching an Android-based game console by the end of the year, and the few details we have sound surprisingly compelling. While the world definitely doesn’t need yet another half-hearted Android gaming device, this could be Amazon’s big move towards launching a full-fledged set-top box to compete with the likes of Apple TV and Roku.
This week, unidentified sources told Game Informer that Amazon has plans to bring out its Android-based console in time for Black Friday — the kick-off to the holiday shopping season in the United States. While we don’t have any information about the potential horsepower, controls, app compatibility, or price, the rumor mill is already cranking out ideas for this theoretical Amazon console.
While Android-based consoles like the Ouya or GameStick haven’t exactly set the gaming world on fire, Amazon is a company that has the money and business relationships to potentially execute on this idea properly. Since the Seattle-based company already has a successful hardware and software division in place for the Kindle Fire, it’s plausible that Amazon can pull off something compelling despite the lukewarm response to these Kickstarted consoles.
This week, unidentified sources told Game Informer that Amazon has plans to bring out its Android-based console in time for Black Friday — the kick-off to the holiday shopping season in the United States. While we don’t have any information about the potential horsepower, controls, app compatibility, or price, the rumor mill is already cranking out ideas for this theoretical Amazon console.
While Android-based consoles like the Ouya or GameStick haven’t exactly set the gaming world on fire, Amazon is a company that has the money and business relationships to potentially execute on this idea properly. Since the Seattle-based company already has a successful hardware and software division in place for the Kindle Fire, it’s plausible that Amazon can pull off something compelling despite the lukewarm response to these Kickstarted consoles.
Interestingly, this rumored hardware could end up being much more than a low-cost gaming novelty. Instead of a boring machine designed just to play Angry Birds, this might actually serve as Amazon’s stealthy entry into the world of set-top boxes. As small WiFi-enabled boxes like the Apple TV and Chromecast continue to grow in popularity, it would be no surprise to see Amazon wanting a piece of that pie. With a full-fledged library of movies, TV shows, music, and apps ready for streaming, a cheap Amazon-branded set-top box in the style of the Kindle Fire tablets is a no-brainer.
Even if this rumored console has no hope in competing head-to-head with the PS4 and Xbox One, Amazon is clearly focused on becoming a top-tier hardware and media provider. With Google’s continued television fumblings, and Apple’s recent legal issues surrounding its business practices, Amazon is primed to take a substantial bite out of the market. Unfortunately, now we have to sit and wait to see if it can actually execute on something worthwhile.
Even if this rumored console has no hope in competing head-to-head with the PS4 and Xbox One, Amazon is clearly focused on becoming a top-tier hardware and media provider. With Google’s continued television fumblings, and Apple’s recent legal issues surrounding its business practices, Amazon is primed to take a substantial bite out of the market. Unfortunately, now we have to sit and wait to see if it can actually execute on something worthwhile.
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