Amazon acquires Double Helix Games

Amazon has taken a major step forward into the world of game development by confirming its purchase of Double Helix, the development studio behind Killer Instinct and Strider.

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Amazon's foray into game development has taken a major step forward, as the online retailer has picked up one of its first major gaming studios. Amazon has acquired Double Helix Games (Killer Instinct, Strider), announcing the deal just ahead of a recruiting event set to take place on February 13.

"Amazon has acquired Double Helix as part of our ongoing commitment to build innovative games for customers," Amazon says plainly in a statement givento TechCrunch.

Details on what the acquisition means for Amazon's future in game development are not yet known. However, Amazon does note that Double Helix's current lineup of games will continue to receive support, meaning ongoing add-ons for Killer Instinct and other Double Helix games should not be affected by this news.

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Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?

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  • reply
    February 5, 2014 10:15 PM

    Ozzie Mejia posted a new article, Amazon purchases Double Helix Games.

    Amazon has taken a major step forward into the world of game development by confirming its purchase of Double Helix, the development studio behind Killer Instinct and Strider.

    • reply
      February 5, 2014 10:20 PM

      Do you think they got free 2-day shipping?

    • reply
      February 6, 2014 3:43 AM

      Didn't Amazon partner with Sony not too long ago? Double Helix made the new Killer Instinct? Killer Instinct PS4 confirmed.

    • reply
      February 6, 2014 4:09 AM

      Free game rentals for prime members.

      • reply
        February 6, 2014 1:55 PM

        Then I could justify the $40 incline in price.

    • reply
      February 6, 2014 4:30 AM

      I just hope they don't get turned into a casual / mobile game developer. But I also hope they get leeway to build really rewarding projects, far more rewarding than the trail of journeyman games that lie behind the well-regarded Killer Instinct and Strider:

      (from Wikipedia)
      2008: Silent Hill: Homecoming
      2009: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
      2010: Front Mission Evolved
      2010: MX vs ATV Reflex
      2011: Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters
      2012: Battleship

      • reply
        February 6, 2014 6:37 AM

        There are rumors of an Android based console which pretty much would solidify this emerging developer studio who got their break into a lousy casmob dev.

        Personally, I hope they don't make an Android console. The market is flooded with them and they all are awful. They are probably better off making titles for other platforms that are exclusively sold through the Amazon marketplace.

        • reply
          February 6, 2014 12:24 PM

          [deleted]

          • reply
            February 6, 2014 2:07 PM

            and there is MOJO also coming. I just hope that Amazon abandons this sinking, burning ship that's headed for an iceberg laced with TNT

    • reply
      February 6, 2014 6:04 AM

      Isn't amazon trying to make an android console?

      http://bgr.com/2014/01/28/amazon-video-game-console-release-date-2/

    • reply
      February 6, 2014 7:19 AM

      Guess they mean business then.

    • reply
      February 6, 2014 7:20 AM

      They doing what Nintendo should be doing. acquiring developers.

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