Amazon illustrates its commitment to game development with a new studio opening, despite the struggle to make the past year a hit game. The company on Tuesday announced the Montreal – based team of the new studio, which will create original AAA games with the first focus on a new online multiplayer title.
The new studio will be led by industry veterans working on Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege. Amazon Games’ Montreal studio is its fourth studio, with three other locations in Seattle, San Diego and Orange County.
“Build on 8 years of experience with Beleg, we are excited to start with a blank page and the creative freedom to create a unique experience in the multiplayer space, ‘says Xavier Marquis, the creative director of the new studio and one of the founding members hired by Ubisoft is.
Amazon has struggled to make a name for itself in the game development space despite large investments in original titles and own studios. Most importantly, the company canceled its hero shooter with a free game and then canceled it immediately Furnace last year. Other issues Amazon has faced include customizing video games The Grand Tour from store windows after it was announced in 2019 with poor reviews, and the delay of the other major original project, New world, until sometime later this year.
These failures do not deter Amazon’s new CEO Andy Jassy, who is committed to the company’s game development efforts after a damning Bloomberg reported on the struggle of the division. Jassy said in an email to employees last month that he believes the game development department can thrive “if we hang in there.”