Possible Fire in the Gaming World

An opinion about how Amazon will do entering the gaming market with the Fire TV.

There has generally been three major players in the gaming realm, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. The game, no pun intended, may be changing now. Amazon has announced their set-top box, called Fire TV. They talked a lot about the specs of the device and the services available for it, but one thing stood out. They claimed that gaming consoles were too expensive and that they would be offering gaming right on the Fire TV. This is a bold move on Amazon's part because without the gaming option, their set-top box is no different from any other set-top.

Amazon is trying to enter a field, the gaming industry, that is cut-throat and ruthless. The main companies in gaming have been at gaming for a long time. Amazon thinks it will be able to compete on price but price, in the gaming industry, doesn't always mean  success. We have seen other companies hope that a low cost gaming device would allow them to get a foot hold in the industry, i.e. OUYA, and they have to adjust their strategy and they are struggling to stay relevant as a company. Sony and Microsoft are the top two dogs in the gaming business and they got there by building brands and an incredible network with the help of innovative features. People will pay more if they feel it is worth it and we have seen time and time again that gamers are more likely to pay for a console they feel is best even if it seems to have a steep price tag.

We will have to watch and see how the Fire TV does with it first release. It will be competing, not only with set-top boxes, but also with gaming consoles for your time and money. We will all be keeping a close eye to see if Amazon can be the next big name in gaming. Will the Fire TV burn bright or be put out by the foot of Sony and Microsoft?