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Amazon's new CEO remains confident the company can succeed in gaming

Despite major setbacks, incoming Amazon CEO Andy Jassy remains dedicated to the ongoing efforts of Amazon Game Studios.

TJ Denzer

February 4, 2021 8:22 AM

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Amazon Game Studios has tried to put in the work for the company to make its mark on the game industry, but hasn’t quite gotten there yet. Delays and a disastrous launch on previous projects mean AGS is still trying to find a semblance of footing. That said, Amazon’s new CEO Andy Jassy is confident that Amazon Game Studios can find success. He recently signaled his commitment to the continuation of game design efforts at the company.

Jassy shared his commitment in an email to Amazon staff recently, as reported by Bloomberg. Andy Jassy is Amazon’s incoming CEO after it was recently announced that previous CEO Jeff Bezos would be stepping down from the role to an Executive Chair position within the company. Bloomberg recently profiled the troubles of the company in its recent gaming efforts, prompting both Jassy and Bezos to email company staff addressing the previous mistakes and ongoing commitment.

“Some businesses take off in the first year, and others take many years,” wrote Jassy. “Though we haven’t consistently succeeded yet in AGS, I believe we will if we hang in there.”

Though Amazon Game Studios formally launched in 2012, the company has had trouble finding success just yet. The studio launched Crucible in May 2020. However, several subpar months after forced Amazon Game Studios to shut the game down later in the year. Meanwhile, MMO New World remains in development at Amazon and though the game has gone through several betas as late as last July, it has also seen several delays. Currently it sits on track for a supposed Spring 2021 launch.

For Andy Jassy, the setbacks are a part of the process and success will come if the company remains committed in the long run.

“Being successful right away is obviously less stressful, but when it takes longer, it’s often sweeter,” Jassy continued in the email. “I believe this team will get there if we stay focused on what matters most.”

As Spring 2021 sits right around the corner with New World in the cards, we’ll find out soon enough if it’s a part of the long road to success Jassy is looking for. Stay tuned to Shacknews for further updates on Amazon Game Studios and projects like New World as they become available.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.