Amazon has long been known as the Internet’s largest book seller. Since its launch in the 1990s, it has seen the rise of international sites in the United Kingdom, Japan, France and Canada, among other countries. It has also since branched out from books to other products like e-books, electronics, music, and even clothing and video games.
Amazon has recently added direct-download video games. The game download service allows the player to play for 30 minutes free before buying the game. Amazon has said that it is aiming at casual gamers with its array of at least 600 downloadable PC, PS3, and PSP games.
Amazon’s move is seen to benefit Reflexive Entertainment, a developer that Amazon purchased late last year. Reflexive Entertainment has been creating games for different platforms, and has even launched its own online distribution site, "Reflexive Arcade" five years before Amazon bought it.
To give online customers a taste of what it has to offer, Amazon will be giving out free full-versions of popular games such as "The Scruffs" and "Jewel Quest 2".
Personally, I think it is great that Amazon is continuing its drive to become the online equivalent of Sears. With book sales dwindling over the years, it only makes sense that it replicates its highly successful business model to other retail products. Amazon has had some success with one of its newer offerings, e-books released via the Kindle e-reader (which reportedly sold more than half a million units in 2008). Mac users, however, might feel left out because Amazon’s new offering does not carry games for the Mac.
I am a casual gamer and I have played more than my share of games. While I normally pay $10 for an app or a game that I like for my iPhone, I do not, however, see the need to use Amazon’s new service, much more pay for it when there are other sites that offer the same games (or somewhat similar versions) free of charge. For years, I have been able to log on to Popcap’s Web site and have mindless (and not-so-mindless) fun that lasts for hours or days.
