Amazon has acquired an independent game studio, Double Helix Games, adding authenticity to the speculations about the retailer's interest in the game console space.
Amazon, the biggest online retailer, is long reported to be working on its own game console and the latest announcement from the retail giant adds more authenticity to the subject. In a statement released to TechCrunch, Amazon confirmed that it acquired an independent Irvine, Calif. based gaming company, Double Helix Games.
"Amazon has acquired Double Helix as part of our ongoing commitment to build innovative games for customers," Amazon said in a statement.
Double Helix Games was founded in 2007 through a merger of two game developing companies, The Collective Inc. and Shiny Entertainment. The gaming studio has a history of publishing reputed game titles for nearly 20 years. The portfolio consists of best sellers like "Earthworm Jim," "Sacrifice," "Enter the Matrix," by Shiny and titles like "Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb," "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith," and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," by Collective.
Amazon was reportedly working on an Android-based console for several months. Last month, the company reportedly revealed plans to launch a game console that will support both streaming and downloading games sometime later this year. The retailer's game console will likely start a price-war in the industry widely dominated by the likes of Sony PlayStation and Xbox consoles. The report says that the Amazon game console will hit a price range less than $300.
TechCrunch also reported that the acquisition of Double Helix will not change the way current game titles are developed and supported. The California gaming studio recently launched Killer Intinct, a fighter game, for Xbox One and is scheduled to launch another title named "Strider," for PlayStation 3, later this month.
