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Let’s hope the gaming community comes together to support those affected and help them find new opportunities in this exciting and ever-changing industry.
Amazon Games has made the difficult decision to lay off 180 employees in an effort to realign its resources and prioritize Prime Gaming. The layoff affects teams from both Crown Channel and the Game Growth division. This move is part of a broader strategy to concentrate on the development and expansion of Prime Gaming, which offers exclusive benefits and free games to Amazon Prime members. While these cuts undoubtedly come with their share of challenges and hardships, Amazon Games aims to streamline its operations and invest in the future of Prime Gaming, ensuring an enhanced gaming experience for its loyal user base.
In a recent statement to Aftermath, Amazon Games has confirmed the occurrence of layoffs within the company. The decision comes as a response to customer feedback, as the company aims to enhance its focus on delivering free games every month, a feature highly demanded by its users. In an email sent to employees, Amazon Games vice president Christoph Hartmann acknowledged the importance of listening to their customers and expressed the intention to refine their Prime benefit to better cater to their needs. This strategic move reflects their commitment to providing an exceptional gaming experience to their loyal customers.
He continued, “With these changes in our business approach come changes to our resourcing, resulting in the elimination of just over 180 roles.” Crown Channel is one of Amazon’s channels on Twitch, focusing on ad-supported original programming.
The video game industry has been hit hard by layoffs this year, with prominent studios like Bungie and BioWare being affected. Unfortunately, Amazon’s games division also experienced a round of layoffs earlier in 2023, letting go of approximately 100 employees. However, despite these setbacks, Amazon remains committed to its internal game development efforts. The company recognizes the potential and significance of the video game market and is determined to continue investing in creating innovative and successful games. While the industry as a whole is facing challenges, Amazon remains focused on its goal of contributing to the vibrant and ever-evolving world of video games.
According to a Bloomberg report earlier this year, Crown Channel, an Amazon-owned streaming platform, was allegedly not as popular as Amazon claimed it to be, and there were suspicions of artificially boosting its viewership numbers. Despite this controversy, Amazon Games remains focused on their ongoing projects, including Lost Ark and New World, both highly anticipated games. Additionally, the company is also involved in the development of a new massively multiplayer online game (MMO) based on the renowned Lord of the Rings franchise. Despite the challenges faced by Crown Channel, Amazon Games continues to strive towards delivering exciting and immersive gaming experiences to its audience.
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