BREAKING: Amazon.com acquires Double Helix.

http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/05/amazon-acquires-video-gaming-studio-double-helix-games/

Amazon has acquired a gaming studio called Double Helix Games, TechCrunch has learned, and Amazon now confirms. The deal was for both talent and IP, we understand. Financial terms have not been disclosed.

The Irvine, California-based company, founded in 2007 through the merger of two well-known game development shops, The Collective, Inc. and Shiny Entertainment, today employs 75 people who will now become Amazon employees and will continue to operate out of their Orange County home.

News of the deal leaked due to an invitation to joint recruiting event from Amazon and Double Helix Games taking place in L.A. on February 13th. The acquisition announcement was planned to take place at that time, most likely.

Amazon has provided TechCrunch with the following statement regarding the deal:

“Amazon has acquired Double Helix as part of our ongoing commitment to build innovate games for customers.”

The Double Helix deal may fuel to the recent rumors that Amazon is preparing to release its own gaming console in the coming months. Last week, the video game industry blog VG247.com reported that Amazon is planning to launch an Android-powered “dedicated games and entertainment device this year priced below $300… [that] will compete directly with Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.” Buzz about an Amazon console has been around for a while: This past summer, the rumor was that the company was planning to debut a Qualcomm-based console system. Amazon declined to comment on the console speculation when reached today.

What happens to Killer Instinct now? :(

(soon) BREAKING: Microsoft acquires Amazon.

What will this mean for the upcoming Strider that DH is helming I wonder?

They've made nothing remarkably interesting. Still, it'll be interesting to see what Amazon are up to.

Probably nothing. Strider has either gone Gold or is about to, as it's releasing in a couple of weeks.

The real question is what happens to Season 2 of Killer Instinct (the other half of its roster) and its sequels. KI has really been the only worthwhile launch game for the One for me. Now its fate is a gigantic question mark.

Killer Instinct is excellent, current bugs aside. It really is.

A game console. That's what they're up to.

Whatever amazon is seeking, I'm buying. LOVE Amazon

@Dreams-Visions said:

@lundy86_4 said:

They've made nothing remarkably interesting. Still, it'll be interesting to see what Amazon are up to.

Killer Instinct is excellent, current bugs aside. It really is.

A game console. That's what they're up to.

I haven't played, so I can't comment. Still, an Amazon console could be interesting. They have the resources, or rather, they're acquiring them.

I want to suspect an Android based system. They seem to be launching an immediate library, so I expect a range of current games... Largely indie/mobile. Still, I may be way off base.

Hmmm what is Amazon up to? I'd support them, no question. I have had the best consumer experiences with them. Better than any other online store, better than any brick and mortar store.

A game console.

They seem to be giving it a serious run.

I'll ride with Amazon any day of the week. I've only had amazing experiences with them. I buy 90% of my games from them, and do most of my general shopping with them as well.

That would be so exciting. I would love to see what would happen.

A new console from amazon would be spicy for Sw's. Hope it doesn't go the OUYA route.

Gonna need some bigger guns than this to get me interested.

Too bad I don't care for Double Helix and their games range from very, very poor to at best average/somewhat decent (when they get high quality outside external support)...and considering Amazon has the Kindle.

Perhaps they just want to add games to a new Kindle product that's in the works. I like Amazon, but I'm not excited by anything involving Double Helix, at least yet.

right after they sell off xbox

If they were to make a dedicated console, would it be a home or handheld console? The OUYA could have been great but it really lacked the store support and games to make that happen. Amazon however I think could make an amazing OUYA style console since Amazon already has their own marketplace and already sells digital movies, music, e-books, and games.

@Chutebox: I love them too. Did you hear about the possibility of prime getting pricier?

I did not. The hell is this??? Just read that. Sucks. Not sure if I'll keep my prime membership for that.

@Chutebox: they're considering raising it by $20 to $40. I'm going to be pissed if they do it.

I don't really use their instant video, so I will def cancel it if they do.

@Chutebox: aha. I subscribed for the free shipping. I was considering dropping netflix since I don't use it much, and just keep prime even with the smaller library. Now I'm not so sure.

Substantiates the rumor they're making a platform. No reason for Amazon to become a content creator unless they're planning on turning Kindle tablets into a viable platform.

Killer Instinct dead before it hit season 2. Microsoft should've bought those guys.

@Chutebox: at 100 bucks a year it's still a damn good value.

Xbox One Amazon game app incoming. There's already a video app.

@BlessedChill: Meh, not to me. I can wait a little longer for something

Amazon could want content creators for the sole purpose of having more people subscribe to services like Amazon Prime.

They don't necessarily have to make a new hardware platform, or modify their existing ones.

While that would upset the natural balance of the world - I don't think MIcrosoft could afford Amazon.

___

I wonder what this means for Killer Instinct....?

In what ways would a game developer contribute to Prime? I mean, I imagine they're making games, but for which platform? I'm curious as to how you imagine they'd contribute to Amazon's service offerings.

I just don't see a scenario wherein Double Helix isn't making games. Next question is: for which platform? It would have to be something that makes Amazon money on both the hardware & software, so either Kindle or their Android-based console. Those seem natural fits but perhaps I'm just not being imaginative enough.

I'm confused.

Look at Valve with Steam, or EA with Origin. Both make games exclusive to those services, and both services reside on the PC platform.

Amazon could be doing the same thing. I'm not ruling out the idea of Amazon pushing Kindle products. I'm just saying there's no guarantee they're buying game developers specifically to push hardware. They may just want to make more people subscribe to Amazon Prime by offering a lineup of games that you can't get in other digital stores.

I would really love to see if Amazon is truly making a real console to compete with Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft. I'm hoping this isn't just some Amazon Ouya with a bigger budget.

@Locutus_Picard:

How would this kill off KI? The IP is owned by MS and they could take it to another developer IF amazon didn't want DH to keep working on it. I don't see why they would give up the one thing DH has going for it right now. Their previous games weren't exactly special and KI had already built up a good following. I really don't see this buyout changing anything.

An android based console, that means low quality phone style games, apps and other rubbish like that so no threat to the big 3.

I guess this was inevitable, that forward integration was just inevitable considering the barriers to entry for the home video game market is at an all time low. Hopefully they can bring some interesting competitive edge the the market and not be another Microsoft

Love Amazon but I won't be buying another Android based system until they show it is a viable platform for games. The Ouya is absolutely terrible and sits in the box for me.

Interesting to see what contract MSoft has with Helix for KI.

If Amazon plays its cards right, they could become a serious competitor.

Google should join the console fray too.

What a waste of money. KI is the only good game they've done and that was with heavy consultation from Ken Lobb and MS every step of the way. KI isn't even finished in the sense that it's constantly a work in progress.

If MS bought them, it would have been mutually useful and I think MS could have developed the team further into at least a good team. But what are Amazon going to do? They're novices in the industry with a developer that can't stand on its own two.

100 a year? I only pay 79 a year. Hmm..

This makes me concerned for the future of Killer Instinct cause who knows if we'll get all the content that Double Helix wants to bring to the game now.

I just hope that if they launch their own console they won't stop selling games for other systems. Then I wouldn't use them anymore. I buy the majority of my games from them. :)

I think the new Strider has a lot of potential though.

@ArisShadows: currently I do but amazon may be raising it in the future.

MS losing more of what little talent they having to make exclusive? People jumping ship, hard time to be lem.

LOL people hoping Killer instinct dies on XB1. Supreme victory.

@Dreams-Visions: I guess you missed this story.

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-s-killer-instinct-not-affected-by-sale-of-its-developer/1100-6417563/

Last night, online retailer Amazon made the surprise announcement that it had purchased Killer Instinct developer Double Helix, leading some to question what that meant for the free-to-play Xbox One game's ongoing support. No need to worry, Microsoft Studios executive Phil Spencer assured fans, saying the company is prepared to handle the transition.

"Our internal Killer Instinct team is still here and franchise is in good hands," Spencer said on Twitter after news of the deal broke last night. "We had a plan in place for this transition."

Killer Instinct is free-to-play, but you can also purchase additional characters for $5 each. A second "season" of content is coming to the game in 2014, Microsoft told IGN last summer. The game was one of the Xbox One's 23 launch titles.

Spencer went on to say that the Killer Instinct franchise--which Microsoft owns--"will continue," because the series is something that he believes in. No further plans were revealed.

Double Helix also created the all-new Strider game coming to consoles and PC later this month. The reasoning behind Amazon's purchase of Double Helix remains a mystery, though the company reportedly has big plans for game development going forward.

And nothing of value was lost.

I wouldn't mind Amazon taking over Microsofts place in the console industry. Amazon are fuking awesome as hell!

They will never sell off XBox. Too big of a brand. IF Microsoft worked with Amazon though there could be some great things. Amazon is the only other company who has more dedicated servers then Microsoft.

Awesome but in a whole other industry. What do they know about software and games? The only thing I can think about is that fork they did to android on their kindle and that's crap.