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Amazon's Fire TV is a hit among US consumers, says report
Its ability to do everything, from video-streaming to gaming, makes the Fire TV a solid home entertainment product. And people in the US are starting to take note of this. According to Strategy Analytics, an independent firm that researches the consumer market, Amazon's Fire TV accounted for 30 percent of streaming set-top box shipments in Q1 2015. During this period, which measures numbers from January 1st to March 31st, a total of 3.5 million units were shipped to US consumers, with Fire TV picking up steam despite being introduced over a year ago. That said, the Apple TV is reportedly still king of the streaming set-top space, having shipped more than 15 million units to date -- not bad for a hobby, Apple.
Fully crossplatform LEGO Minifigures Online is coming to the Kindle Fire HDX
Funcom has today announced a partnership with Amazon that will put LEGO Minifigures Online on Amazon Fire TV as well as the Kindle Fire HDX line of tablets. Says the studio, Working with Amazon on this project includes support for the Fire TV game controller as well as Amazon's store and payment systems. Fire TV is currently widely available in North America and Germany, and is launching in the United Kingdom in November 2014. LEGO Minifigures Online is scheduled to go live on Fire TV at the end of 2014. Funcom will also be bringing LEGO Minifigures Online to the HDX line of Fire tablets. The game will be optimized for these devices and will fully support Amazon's store and payment systems for these devices. This version of LEGO Minifigures Online is set to go live at the end of Q1 2015. Of note, Funcom promises that the family-friendly MMO will feature full cross-platform play across "Windows PC, Mac, iOS tablets, Android tablets, Fire TV and Fire tablets," making it one of the few MMOs playable on pretty much everything with the possible exception of your toaster. We've included the game's recent Space World trailer below.
Feedback Loop: Fire TV questions, remembering Windows XP, Chromebooks and more!
Welcome to Feedback Loop, a weekly roundup of the most interesting discussions happening within the Engadget community. There's so much technology to talk about and so little time to enjoy it, but you have a lot of great ideas and opinions that need to be shared! Join us every Saturday as we highlight some of the most interesting discussions that happened during the past week. This week, we took a closer look at the Fire TV and answered your questions about Amazon's latest gadget, reflected on the end of Windows XP, discussed options for coding and writing on a Chromebook and shared our impressions of RBI Baseball 14. Head on past the break to find out what other Engadget users like you had to say and then join the conversation in the Engadget forums!
Amazon Fire TV review: the set-top that tries to do everything
Here's the thing about Amazon: We can't figure the company out half the time. Few things embody that quite as well as the Fire TV. The company is adamant that the set-top box is not a gaming console, but it's invested heavily in original game development for it and even produced a shockingly good gamepad accessory. Still, video games are just a "bonus." One of the pillars of the streaming-media box is supposed to be openness, but there's no denying that other services like Netflix are treated like second-class citizens here. They're invited to the party; they just better not outshine the host. The Fire TV may be the next step for Amazon as it tries to build its own ecosystem, but it's also yet another entry in the crowded streaming-media market. And the big question is: Do we need another? We've got TV set-tops for cable, satellite and fiber (at one time joined by a disc player for movies and maybe a game system or two). The next-gen game consoles do double duty as entertainment hubs, and there's no shortage of cheap boxes designed specifically to stream Netflix, HBO Go and Pandora. Add in smart TVs and the rise of pint-sized dongles, and the question of what to watch becomes how to watch. The Fire TV is trying to muscle out competitors with its $99 price and a strong focus on performance, search and openness. Now that we've spent a few days living with one, we can judge whether it's just another option among many, or truly a standout that finally fixes problems the others have so far ignored.
Joystiq Weekly: Amazon Fire TV, Reaper of Souls review, Mario Kart 8 video preview and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. With this week's announcement and release of the gaming-capable Amazon Fire TV, we're starting to think we'll need a spreadhseet to keep track of all the gaming platforms that aren't from Sony, Nintendo or Microsoft. Want to check Instagram after a round of Super Hexagon on your TV? Okay, there's Mad Catz's MOJO for that. Want something a little beefier that you can take on the go? Alright, Nvidia's Shield might be your thing. Spreadsheets are boring though - maybe a mock Pokedex would work better? Come on, it'd be fun! We could assign attributes, treat future improvements as evolutions and pit them against each other in battles! There could a category for dual-type devices like the Ouya, a console that's both its own thing and associated with a storefront on other platforms. We'd even have ghost-type entries, for efforts that have returned from the grave. We'll let this idea stew for a bit longer, but you can read this week's bulletpoints of news, previews and original content right now! Amy Hennig is now serving as creative director of a Star Wars game, Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls has been properly reviewed and we've got glimpses of Mario Kart 8 and Soma to share, too. It's all waiting for you with more stories after the break!
Daily Roundup: 5-year-old hacks Xbox Live account, Amazon Fire TV teardown and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Amazon Fire TV lineup trailer has dinosaurs, lasers, and laser dinosaurs
Amazon announced a plethora of development partners when it revealed Amazon Fire TV, its new streaming video and games device. While Mojang's Minecraft got top billing during Amazon's Wednesday presentation, the company's own Amazon Game Studios has plenty in the works as demonstrated by this trailer. For a device Amazon deems "not a game console," Fire TV has some fetching and very traditional looking games in the works based on this teaser. A side-scrolling platformer where you play as a caveman clubbing dinosaurs and then inexplicably disintegrating dinosaurs with a giant laser; a soft-colored world of papercraft woodland animals not dissimilar to Tearaway; and what looks like a turn-based medieval RPG; Amazon Fire TV will cover its genre bases if nothing else. There's even another platformer that looks like some bizarre version of the Jetsons, but you control Ernie from Sesame Street's doppelganger as he shoots aliens. While Ernie Shoots All the Aliens isn't a likely title for Amazon Game Studios' sci-fi platformer, the teaser doesn't provide titles for that game or any of the others in this lineup. It also doesn't say what developers in Amazon's stable are working on what games. Amazon acquired Double Helix, developer of Killer Instinct and Strider, in February. Far Cry 2 and Splinter Cell designer Clint Hocking announced he'd joined Amazon alongside Portal creator Kim Swift on Wednesday as well. The potential talent behind these new games makes them all the more mysterious. Except for the one about dinosaurs. That seems pretty straightforward. [Images: Amazon]
You Don't Know Jack dev brings two games to Amazon Fire TV
While the Amazon Fire TV is "absolutely not a game console," developers such as Telltale Games and now Jackbox Games are already supporting the media-streaming device. The Chicago-based developer launched both You Don't Know Jack Party and a new trivia party game Fibbage for free on the Fire TV today. You Don't Know Jack Party first arrived on iOS last fall. Fibbage, like You Don't Know Jack Party, uses smartphones and tablets as game controllers while linking up with the Fire TV for big-screen multiplayer sessions. In it, up to eight players trick one another by filling in the blanks of trivia statements with lies as they see fit. Each round of play lasts seven questions and includes special categories like "Celebrity Tweets" and "Road Trip." The free version of Fibbage offers a "handful" of questions, while the paid upgrade of Fibbage brings with it hundreds more. Jackbox didn't offer a price for the upgraded version, though it noted plans to launch DLC for the game in the future. Amazon just announced (and launched) the Fire TV today for $99. [Image: Jackbox Games]
Telltale's Walking Dead, Wolf Among Us, Game of Thrones coming to Amazon Fire TV
Telltale Games is bringing three of its story-driven adventures to Amazon Fire TV starting with the first season of The Walking Dead, which launched today with the media streaming device. The second season, in addition to The Wolf Among Us and the developer's Game of Thrones-based adventure, will arrive on Fire TV later this year, Telltale confirmed with Joystiq and Engadget. Amazon launched the $99 game and video streaming machine today, announcing it alongside a $40 game pad (though developers have the option to support other Bluetooth controllers). Telltale unveiled its own Game of Thrones adaptation in December before launching the second episode of The Wolf Among Us in February. The developer offered a new trailer for the third episode of the game today, though no release date was given for it. [Image: Telltale Games]
Amazon Fire TV games work with other Bluetooth controllers
Amazon just revealed its $99 Fire TV game and video streaming device today, and unveiled a $40 Bluetooth game pad to go along with it. As it turns out, developers appear to have the option to make their Amazon Fire TV games compatible with other controllers. "I don't have the full data set, if any is the right term. Generally speaking, it's a Bluetooth controller," Mike Frazzini, VP of Amazon Games told Engadget today when asked about the Fire TV's controller support. "And the same thing vice-versa. Third-party controllers can work on Fire TV as well." According to a mandatory configuration file for all Amazon Fire TV game developers listed on Amazon's site, developers must note if the app "supports a game controller, either the Amazon Fire game controller or a Bluetooth game controller from another manufacturer." While Amazon doesn't confirm official Fire TV support with the game pads, other Bluetooth controllers like Nintendo's Wii Remote and Sony's DualShock 4 could feasibly work with some games if developers so choose. Likewise, while the Amazon Fire TV supports up to seven Bluetooth game controllers simultaneously, software development kit documentation notes that "only four of those controllers are assigned to player numbers." This seemingly caps local multiplayer gaming on Amazon Fire TV at four players at a given moment, which may not be an issue since gaming is more or less a "bonus" for the streaming device.
Here's the Amazon Fire TV game controller
Amazon has finally revealed the game controller for its new Fire TV video streaming device. Lo and behold, it looks exactly like the controller that was leaked last month. It sports a familiar layout with dual analogue sticks, a D-pad, and typical face and function buttons. It also features what look like media controls for watching video on services like Netflix and Twitch. According to Mike Frazzini of Amazon Games, it will cost around $40 and will include some Amazon Coins as well. You won't necessarily need a controller to play games on Fire TV, as users will also be able to use the device's normal remote control or a special app that Amazon will release next month.
Amazon Fire TV games include Minecraft, Asphalt 8, Sev Zero [Update: It's 'not a game console']
Amazon announced a slate of games for its Android-powered Amazon Fire TV content streaming device, revealing that Fire TV-specific versions of Mojang's Minecraft: Pocket Edition, Gameloft's Asphalt 8, and Telltale Games' The Walking Dead are due to launch for the platform shortly after its release. The company notes that gaming will serve as a "bonus" feature supplementing Fire TV's video and music streaming capabilities. Amazon additionally revealed Sev Zero, an internally developed, Fire TV-exclusive tower defense game that allows multiple players to join in using connected tablet devices. The company revealed that it has more than a dozen games in development at its newly formed Amazon Game Studios division, following up on its purchase of Killer Instinct developer Double Helix earlier this year. Amazon Fire TV will host "thousands" of games from publishers like Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, and Disney. Amazon will sell a Bluetooth controller separately at $40, confirming rumored designs. Games, on average, will cost less than $2 each, and will be available from an App Store-like marketplace. Amazon Fire TV launches today, and is priced at $99. Update: Amazon's Pete Larson told Engadget's Ben Gilbert that the Fire TV is "absolutely not a game console," emphasizing the device's content streaming functionality over its capabilities as a gaming platform. [Image: Engadget / Amazon]
Netflix, YouTube, Hulu Plus, WatchESPN, Plex and more services launch on Amazon Fire TV (update: full list)
After announcing its new Fire TV set-top box today, Amazon naturally revealed a content lineup to go along with the $99 streaming device. That includes the new Amazon Video series we've been hearing about and TV shows it's signed up as Prime streaming exclusives. Amazon also announced several apps headed to the Fire TV: Showtime Anytime, Flixster, Netflix, YouTube, Hulu Plus, WatchESPN, Plex and many, many more. The Amazon listing has a deeper list on what's available, we'll have more information after we go hands-on. Update: Amazon could not confirm that HBO Go is coming to the Fire TV, only saying "we're working to get more content." We checked with HBO, which said the service is not there and that there are no plans to add it at this time, a quote echoed by Ultraviolet-connected service Vudu. Update 2: We've added the full list of content after the break. Hold on to your hats, it's a long list.
Amazon reveals game, movie streaming hardware 'Amazon Fire TV' [Update]
Amazon announced Amazon Fire TV today, a device that streams games and movies over the web. The Fire TV features 2 GB of RAM and a dedicated GPU, which Amazon said is the kind "usually found in smartphones." Additionally, Fire TV is based on Android and HTML, so apps are expected to be easy for developers to port to the device. It comes with a TV remote-like controller that includes a microphone on it, which can be used for the device's voice search functions. The Fire TV's separate dual-stick game pad costs $40. The device's UI includes sections for movies, television, apps and photos in addition to games. Among the app icons shown during Amazon's presentation were Twitch, WWE Network, Watch ESPN, Netflix and Hulu Plus. Amazon said it is "starting off with Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant Video of course, and we're rolling in other partners over time." As for the games available on Fire TV, the device will host "thousands" from publishers like EA and Ubisoft, and will include Minecraft shortly after it launches. Earlier in March, we got a look at what Amazon's Bluetooth gamepads might look like. The company founded Amazon Game Studios in 2012 and acquired Double Helix, the studio behind Killer Instinct, in February. Update: The Amazon Fire TV will cost $99 and is available to purchase today on Amazon's store.
