So about that Amazon game console…

amazon-fire-tv-bannerOK, well it’s not exactly a game console.  The Amazon Fire TV is more like an all-in-one media streaming box that also plays games.  But it’s got an impressive list of launch titles, and you can get one for yourself for under a hundred bucks.  So read on to learn more about the Fire TV, and take a look at the games it’ll play.

We don’t make a habit of covering set-top boxes here at Save Game.  In fact, this is probably the first piece we’ve ever done on them.  Up until now, the market has been dominated by Apple TV and Roku, neither one of which is known for its gaming prowess.  Roku mostly offers half baked puzzle games, while the Apple TV can’t play games at all.  Unless you count searching for its tiny remote in the couch a game.  The newly announced Amazon Fire TV is a very different animal.  It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.7Ghz quad core processor, similar to the chips found in high end smartphones.  It has 8gb of built in storage, and 2gb or RAM.  Running on Amazon’s own flavor of Android, the Fire TV is the most powerful set-top streaming box ever made, and has more than enough horsepower to run some serious games.

amazon-fire-tv-2Developers like Ubisoft, Take-Two and Mojang are bringing games to the Fire TV, with many more to be announced soon.  Amazon is also developing its own games for the system; their first being a third person shooter called Sev Zero.  Wait, before you start laughing… despite that awful name, the game itself actually looks pretty decent.  Check out the trailer below.

See? Not too shabby for a first try, right?  In addition to Sev Zero, there are currently an additional 131 game titles available for the Fire TV, ranging from crap like Win Big Slots, to gems like Telltale’s The Walking Dead and Double Fine’s The Cave.  Similar to those found on mobile platforms, games prices range from free to a maximum of $9.99.  The Fire TV itself sells for $99, with the controller costing an additional $40.  It’s available for purchase right now, so what do you think?  If you’ve already got a streaming device, I’m not sure how appealing the Fire TV would be.  I mean… do you really need another console?  But for folks like me who haven’t been paying much attention to set-top boxes, the additional lure of quality games might be enough to give it a try.


About the Author: (@Joe_of_the_Dead) Lead Editor, Writer

Joe was born in a time of war. A console war. Two electronic titans were locked in a heated battle for the living rooms of America. Which titans, you ask? Well, the Fairchild Channel F and the Atari 2600 of course. You see, Joe is old. So many of his favorite games tend to be on the older side as well. But that hasn’t stopped him from developing unhealthy obsessions with such modern franchises as Halo and Mass Effect. Just don’t tell him how long it’s been since the original Metroid was released. His aging heart can’t take the shock.

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