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| Amazon Pushes Into Making Video Games, Not Just Streaming Their Play | Amazon Pushes Into Making Video Games, Not Just Streaming Their Play |
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| Opening a new front in the campaign to dominate digital entertainment, Amazon is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into becoming a leading creator and distributor of video games. | Opening a new front in the campaign to dominate digital entertainment, Amazon is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into becoming a leading creator and distributor of video games. |
| The internet giant said it intended to release its first original big-budget game, an ambitious science-fiction shooter called Crucible, in May after several coronavirus-related delays. It is also developing a full-fledged cloud gaming platform under the code name Project Tempo. And it is working on new casual games that broadcasters on its popular Twitch streaming service can play alongside viewers in real time. | The internet giant said it intended to release its first original big-budget game, an ambitious science-fiction shooter called Crucible, in May after several coronavirus-related delays. It is also developing a full-fledged cloud gaming platform under the code name Project Tempo. And it is working on new casual games that broadcasters on its popular Twitch streaming service can play alongside viewers in real time. |
| The push is Amazon’s most significant investment in original entertainment since it became a major producer of streaming series and films over the last decade. Amazon is also aiming at strategic rivals like Google and Microsoft, which have expanded their video game offerings. | The push is Amazon’s most significant investment in original entertainment since it became a major producer of streaming series and films over the last decade. Amazon is also aiming at strategic rivals like Google and Microsoft, which have expanded their video game offerings. |
| In a demonstration of Amazon’s commitment to video games and the imprimatur of its founder, Jeff Bezos, the company has bestowed the name Relentless Studios on its flagship game operation in Seattle. Mr. Bezos originally considered naming his company Relentless.com and personally registered the domain, which still points to Amazon. | In a demonstration of Amazon’s commitment to video games and the imprimatur of its founder, Jeff Bezos, the company has bestowed the name Relentless Studios on its flagship game operation in Seattle. Mr. Bezos originally considered naming his company Relentless.com and personally registered the domain, which still points to Amazon. |
| “The big picture is about trying to take the best of Amazon and bringing it to games,” said Mike Frazzini, Amazon’s vice president for game services and studios, who is largely directing the games strategy. “We have been working for a while, but it takes a long time to make games, and we’re bringing a lot of Amazon practices to making games.” | “The big picture is about trying to take the best of Amazon and bringing it to games,” said Mike Frazzini, Amazon’s vice president for game services and studios, who is largely directing the games strategy. “We have been working for a while, but it takes a long time to make games, and we’re bringing a lot of Amazon practices to making games.” |
| The potential prize: attracting millions more people to Amazon’s ecosystem of services. Over the last decade, video games have blossomed into one of the world’s most popular — and lucrative — forms of entertainment. | The potential prize: attracting millions more people to Amazon’s ecosystem of services. Over the last decade, video games have blossomed into one of the world’s most popular — and lucrative — forms of entertainment. |
| Gaming is expected to generate more than $160 billion in revenue in 2020, making the business more than twice the size of the global recorded music industry (around $19 billion) and worldwide film box office (around $43 billion) combined. Now, with much of the world staying home in the pandemic, video games are becoming even more popular. | Gaming is expected to generate more than $160 billion in revenue in 2020, making the business more than twice the size of the global recorded music industry (around $19 billion) and worldwide film box office (around $43 billion) combined. Now, with much of the world staying home in the pandemic, video games are becoming even more popular. |
| Next month, Amazon plans to ship not only Crucible but also New World, a “massively multiplayer online” game in which thousands of players occupy a persistent fantasy realm based on an alternate 17th century. Crucible was developed by Relentless in Seattle, but New World was created by a separate Amazon game studio in Irvine, Calif., built after the company acquired Double Helix Games in 2014. | Next month, Amazon plans to ship not only Crucible but also New World, a “massively multiplayer online” game in which thousands of players occupy a persistent fantasy realm based on an alternate 17th century. Crucible was developed by Relentless in Seattle, but New World was created by a separate Amazon game studio in Irvine, Calif., built after the company acquired Double Helix Games in 2014. |
| The Irvine studio is also developing a massively multiplayer game based on the “Lord of the Rings” franchise. John Smedley, a former president of Sony Online Entertainment, joined Amazon in 2017 to start a third internal Amazon game studio in San Diego, but his new project has not been revealed. | The Irvine studio is also developing a massively multiplayer game based on the “Lord of the Rings” franchise. John Smedley, a former president of Sony Online Entertainment, joined Amazon in 2017 to start a third internal Amazon game studio in San Diego, but his new project has not been revealed. |
| With these in-depth online games, Amazon is going after hard-core players, who are typically the most demanding in the world. | With these in-depth online games, Amazon is going after hard-core players, who are typically the most demanding in the world. |
| If Crucible and New World succeed, Amazon will not only build a consumer games business but also show the potential of its technology tools. The company has developed a game processing engine called Lumberyard and hopes to harness the power of its cloud computing services to deliver innovative online experiences, such as huge multiplayer battles in New World. | If Crucible and New World succeed, Amazon will not only build a consumer games business but also show the potential of its technology tools. The company has developed a game processing engine called Lumberyard and hopes to harness the power of its cloud computing services to deliver innovative online experiences, such as huge multiplayer battles in New World. |
| Mr. Frazzini, Amazon’s game chief, transferred from the company’s book division to its retail game segment in 2009. He quickly spotted an opportunity for Amazon to start marketing cloud computing services to game developers and begin the journey toward making top-end games of its own. He said persuading Amazon to lean into video games hadn’t been difficult. | Mr. Frazzini, Amazon’s game chief, transferred from the company’s book division to its retail game segment in 2009. He quickly spotted an opportunity for Amazon to start marketing cloud computing services to game developers and begin the journey toward making top-end games of its own. He said persuading Amazon to lean into video games hadn’t been difficult. |
| “It was very clear to everyone that people, customers, love video games,” he said. “It was so obviously important to customers that we need to be doing something.” | “It was very clear to everyone that people, customers, love video games,” he said. “It was so obviously important to customers that we need to be doing something.” |
| Crucible, a team-based combat game, borrows elements from “battle arena” games like League of Legends and Dota 2 to give the typical shooter formula more strategic depth. Louis Castle, a longtime games executive hired by Amazon to run Relentless, said Crucible had been redesigned many times since its inception in 2014, coming to focus on competitive online play and live-streaming on Twitch. | Crucible, a team-based combat game, borrows elements from “battle arena” games like League of Legends and Dota 2 to give the typical shooter formula more strategic depth. Louis Castle, a longtime games executive hired by Amazon to run Relentless, said Crucible had been redesigned many times since its inception in 2014, coming to focus on competitive online play and live-streaming on Twitch. |
| “It’s the active involvement of hundreds and hundreds of people over very long periods of time that gets to a great product,” Mr. Castle said, crediting Amazon’s deep pockets for underwriting patience with the Crucible team. “Thankfully, we’re with a company that has the resources to let this new team fully gel and get a great expression out there.” | “It’s the active involvement of hundreds and hundreds of people over very long periods of time that gets to a great product,” Mr. Castle said, crediting Amazon’s deep pockets for underwriting patience with the Crucible team. “Thankfully, we’re with a company that has the resources to let this new team fully gel and get a great expression out there.” |
| Crucible was scheduled to be revealed early last month and released on March 31. After coronavirus travel restrictions interfered with marketing plans, the start date was pushed to April 14. On March 23, Mr. Frazzini, Mr. Castle and other executives convened a videoconference from their homes on Amazon’s internal Chime conferencing system and decided to delay Crucible again, to May. | Crucible was scheduled to be revealed early last month and released on March 31. After coronavirus travel restrictions interfered with marketing plans, the start date was pushed to April 14. On March 23, Mr. Frazzini, Mr. Castle and other executives convened a videoconference from their homes on Amazon’s internal Chime conferencing system and decided to delay Crucible again, to May. |
| Updated July 7, 2020 | |
| The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization. | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. | Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| “We just don’t know where the world is going to be in a couple of weeks,” Mr. Castle said. The executives decided to delay the game, he said, “rather than put a ton of pressure and onus upon a team that’s worked very hard for many years of their lives when they might be going through some pretty difficult times with themselves or loved ones.” | “We just don’t know where the world is going to be in a couple of weeks,” Mr. Castle said. The executives decided to delay the game, he said, “rather than put a ton of pressure and onus upon a team that’s worked very hard for many years of their lives when they might be going through some pretty difficult times with themselves or loved ones.” |
| After releasing Crucible and New World in May, Amazon plans to introduce interactive games on Twitch over the summer. Millions of viewers merely watch other people play video games on Twitch now, but Amazon aims to break that virtual wall. | After releasing Crucible and New World in May, Amazon plans to introduce interactive games on Twitch over the summer. Millions of viewers merely watch other people play video games on Twitch now, but Amazon aims to break that virtual wall. |
| “We love this idea that you have a player, a streamer and a viewer all sharing in this synchronous interactive environment of Twitch,” Mr. Frazzini said. | “We love this idea that you have a player, a streamer and a viewer all sharing in this synchronous interactive environment of Twitch,” Mr. Frazzini said. |
| Even more far-reaching is Amazon’s shrouded cloud-gaming effort, Project Tempo. Usually, the calculations required to power a video game are performed on a console, computer or mobile device owned by the player. But with a cloud service, that processing happens in a corporate data farm. That can allow users to play games on cheaper devices without downloads. | Even more far-reaching is Amazon’s shrouded cloud-gaming effort, Project Tempo. Usually, the calculations required to power a video game are performed on a console, computer or mobile device owned by the player. But with a cloud service, that processing happens in a corporate data farm. That can allow users to play games on cheaper devices without downloads. |
| Google unveiled the first major cloud gaming service, Stadia, last year. Nvidia, the graphics chip giant, introduced a cloud gaming platform, GeForce Now, in February. Microsoft is developing Project xCloud, its own version of the technology. | Google unveiled the first major cloud gaming service, Stadia, last year. Nvidia, the graphics chip giant, introduced a cloud gaming platform, GeForce Now, in February. Microsoft is developing Project xCloud, its own version of the technology. |
| Game executives and analysts have suspected that Amazon was working on its own cloud gaming service; people close to Project Tempo said that the company had hoped to introduce an early version this year but that it could slip into 2021 amid coronavirus disruptions. | Game executives and analysts have suspected that Amazon was working on its own cloud gaming service; people close to Project Tempo said that the company had hoped to introduce an early version this year but that it could slip into 2021 amid coronavirus disruptions. |