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  • Amazon’s $99 box might be called Fire TV, but it’s the games that have me interested
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    Amazon’s $99 box might be called Fire TV, but it’s the games that have me interested

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    Amazon pulled a Sega Saturn today (perhaps not the most auspicious comparison) and announced that you can buy the Fire TV for $99 at this very moment.The device is a clear competitor for set-top boxes like Apple TV, Chromecast and Roku. You'll be able to stream video from the obligatory services like Netflix and Hulu Plus alongside Amazon's own Instant Video apps.On the hardware end, it sports a dedicated graphics processor, 2GB of RAM and a Mimo dual-band wifi which, theoretically, makes it three times faster than those other devices I just mentioned. It also has voice control, so everyone can know when you're binge-watching Scandal as you shout it out to an empty room.What's most interesting about the little black box is how open it is. It operates on the open Android operating system, meaning it's very simple for software designers to bring content to the device in just about any way they choose. To me, that smells like a greater focus on games than its prime competitors.
  • Could Amazon’s game machine be a dongle made for streaming?
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    Could Amazon’s game machine be a dongle made for streaming?

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    Ready yourself for the most interesting rumor of the morning. We all know that Amazon is getting into the games hardware business. I'm not keeping score, but it seems safe to say that this is the worst kept secret of the year. What's been a rather well-kept secret, however, is what this gaming hardware would be.Now it looks like we have our first hint.TechCrunch is saying they've learned from multiple sources that the device is going to look an awful lot like the Chromecast, Google's $35 streaming device that plugs into your TV's HDMI port.There's also the very real possibility that the device will be more of an "all-in-one" unit than a dedicated games console. With a variety of instant services already in-house - Prime customers can stream unlimited movies, TV shows, books, and soon music - offering a set-top box to bring it all to your living room is just good sense. Think AppleTV meets Chromecast meets Spotify meets Netflix, but with games.
  • Amazon will Conquer the Games Market
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    Amazon will Conquer the Games Market

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    It faced down long-established booksellers in 1994, expanded that fight to big box retailers a few years later - and, in 2011, it took on Apple and Google with the launch of the Kindle Fire tablet. Now it has its eye on the mobile gaming market - and to win this fight, it will need to take its gloves off.The Kindle Fire is already a decent gaming device. 70% of all users play games on it - with ARPU's that are higher than Google Play and neck-to-neck with Apple. But there's room to grow. And while Amazon might be behind to the gaming world, Microsoft was also a latecomer in the console space - and it went on to be a leader.In fact, Amazon appears to be following a trail similar to the one Microsoft blazed, using a three-pronged strategy: Implement a top-down approach; invest in the necessary talent; and create a developer friendly ecosystem and platform.
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    • PC
    Amazon launches Indie Games Store

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    Proving once again that they're a force to be reckoned with in online video game distribution, Amazon has launched its very own Indie Games storefront today" in an attempt to give gamers a chance to buy all of their favorite PC and Mac downloadable indie titles with reduced prices, all in one place.
  • Amazon announces Amazon Coins, a new virtual currency for Kindle Fire
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    • Android
    Amazon announces Amazon Coins, a new virtual currency for Kindle Fire

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    Amazon has announced a new kind of virtual currency this morning, called Amazon Coins, which will be exclusive to the company's Kindle Fire devices. The new currency will let customers shop in the Amazon Appstore, and make in-app purchases for their favorite Kindle Fire games. So now Kindle Fire owners will be able to use their real money to buy virtual money, and then use that virtual money to buy other virtual forms of game-specific currency. Convoluted? Perhaps, but Amazon Coins is the latest in line of exciting new features the company is pushing towards for its mobile department, including Game Circle, a Game Center-like service with Global Leaderboards and Achievements. 
  • Amazon announces Kindle Fire: The iPad finally gets some real competition
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    • Android
    • iOS
    • iPad
    Amazon announces Kindle Fire: The iPad finally gets some real competition

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    When it comes to tablet computers, there's the iPad, and there's everything else. Since Apple introduced it's "not quite a desktop, not quite a phone" device in early 2010, every other manufacturer under the sun has tried to play catch up - and almost all have met with dismal results. HP's Touchpad was quickly discontinued and dropped to $99. The Blackberry Playbook has just started down the same route. And Android tablets, while doing modestly well, haven't seen nearly the success that the iPad has. Thanks to Amazon, though, all of that is about to change.