Amazon sticks to developing games despite the problems
Andy Jassy, the incoming CEO of Amazon, says he is committed to Amazon's efforts to develop games, in response to a compelling report from Bloomberg released last week about the problems facing the team.
“Some businesses succeed in the first year, and some other businesses take many years,” Gacy wrote in an email to the employees seen by Bloomberg.
He added: Although we haven't consistently succeeded in AGS yet, I think we might do that if we keep working there.
Gacy continued, "Obviously, success right away is less stressful, but when it takes longer, often better, and I think this team will get there if we keep focusing on the more important things."
The message comes at a critical time for Amazon gaming studios AGS, the video game development arm of the e-commerce giant.
The decision to create the division reportedly came directly from outgoing CEO Jeff Bezos, who announced yesterday that he will step down from the position later this year to be replaced by (Andy Gacy) the current head of AWS Services.
Given that the company spends close to $ 500 million a year on its still unsuccessful video game division, it's important to have the support of the incoming CEO.
A previous Bloomberg report claimed that AGS had faced a host of problems, including the studio chief lacking experience with video games and the slow development of its internal game engine.
In response to the report, studio head, (Mike Frazzini) Mike Frazzini reportedly emailed the team, stating that there is absolutely zero tolerance for anything less than a completely fair and inclusive environment.
In his email this week, Gacy expressed support for Frazini, and despite Gacy's support, AGS still faces challenges.
AGS may get the support of Amazon's next CEO, but it still has a long way to go if it is to win the support of players.