Amazon and Twitch 'Free Games with Prime' program detailed

[HEXUS]

Starting tomorrow, Superhot and Oxenfree will be free for subscribers to keep.

Read more.

[cheesemp]

Looks like Amazon is gearing up to take on steam then...

[LSG501]

Looks like Amazon is gearing up to take on steam then...

More likely they're trying to get people to sign up to amazon prime/twitch subscription.

Twitch prime has been offering 'freebies' for quite a while, this is just expanding on the skins/free in game items etc that are normally given away.

[cheesemp]

More likely they're trying to get people to sign up to amazon prime/twitch subscription.

Twitch prime has been offering 'freebies' for quite a while, this is just expanding on the skins/free in game items etc that are normally given away.

I'm sorry I just don't think so. Amazon love retail - yes this encourages people to Prime but it also plus the Twitch client onto PCs. Once its installed and users have got use to installing games via twitch its not a big step to becoming a steam alternative. I can't believe Amazon don't want a slice of that pie - they've got most other game retail areas covered.

[Spud1]

I'm sorry I just don't think so. Amazon love retail - yes this encourages people to Prime but it also plus the Twitch client onto PCs. Once its installed and users have got use to installing games via twitch its not a big step to becoming a steam alternative. I can't believe Amazon don't want a slice of that pie - they've got most other game retail areas covered.

I don't see them trying to do that - it doesn't make sense for them to try and put in that sort of investment when they can instead take on the CDKey market and sell steam keys etc - they have a route to market, cost to enter is tiny and they will be able to tie it into their other platforms really easily. Trying to take on Steam directly would be a huge step and I don't think it's really needed.

What might be telling though (and I don't know until tomorrow I guess?) is how they deliver the free games. Presently twitch rewards are given out as publisher/platform/title specific keys - e.g. the Blizzard items recently have been blizzard keys, we've seen steam keys for game addons etc. Will we get a steam key for Superhot tomorrow or will it be a download as part of the twitch client?

edit: Plus, the Twitch client is pretty awful. It's not quite as bad as uPlay or the epic launcher, but even origin is better than the Twitch client. I still run the old curse client to manage my WoW addons (takes a bit of faffing to make it work as they are really pushing their new one) as a result.

[LSG501]

I'm sorry I just don't think so. Amazon love retail - yes this encourages people to Prime but it also plus the Twitch client onto PCs. Once its installed and users have got use to installing games via twitch its not a big step to becoming a steam alternative. I can't believe Amazon don't want a slice of that pie - they've got most other game retail areas covered.

It's already been shown on other sites how much amazon are pushing prime access these days.

In the case of twitch drops the only thing you need to be is a member of twitch or amazon prime and they don't even stop you from getting them via amazon trials too. However if you want more of the freebies you need to be a member (subscription) or just sign up with a different email address later on for another trial...

I've claimed several items in the past while being on the trial, never needed to buy anything and I haven't lost said items after cancelling my trial.

You can also see it in other areas that Amazon are trying to push prime access, with restricting items to prime members only etc.

Now a side of me sees this as them trying to change the mindset of users, especially young gamers, into 'paying' to use amazon.... a bit like a membership fee and as we all know amazon is pretty much the first place people shop online and that's a lot of extra cash for just dispatching an item faster. Throw in more perks that make it look better value, more will join up and then after a while reduce the amount of 'freebies' etc while hoping to not lose many subscribers

[shaithis]

Will be interested to look at these as I have never heard of them.

I have been getting the odd Hearthstone and Overwatch freebies for a while now, I wouldn't even have Prime if it wasn't for my University email address, unless you get student or are using a LOT of delivery it just doesn't seem worth the money.

[Usul420]

I'm sorry I just don't think so. Amazon love retail - yes this encourages people to Prime but it also plus the Twitch client onto PCs. Once its installed and users have got use to installing games via twitch its not a big step to becoming a steam alternative. I can't believe Amazon don't want a slice of that pie - they've got most other game retail areas covered.

I don't see them trying to do that - it doesn't make sense for them to try and put in that sort of investment when they can instead take on the CDKey market and sell steam keys etc - they have a route to market, cost to enter is tiny and they will be able to tie it into their other platforms really easily. Trying to take on Steam directly would be a huge step and I don't think it's really needed.

What might be telling though (and I don't know until tomorrow I guess?) is how they deliver the free games. Presently twitch rewards are given out as publisher/platform/title specific keys - e.g. the Blizzard items recently have been blizzard keys, we've seen steam keys for game addons etc. Will we get a steam key for Superhot tomorrow or will it be a download as part of the twitch client?

edit: Plus, the Twitch client is pretty awful. It's not quite as bad as uPlay or the epic launcher, but even origin is better than the Twitch client. I still run the old curse client to manage my WoW addons (takes a bit of faffing to make it work as they are really pushing their new one) as a result.

Living here in the US near Amazon HQ a lot of friends work at Amazon and they are always telling of tales of people coming up with crazy ideas for crazy things and Amazon saying here's money "Run with it" so since they already have Twitch i don't see it as too far out of the realm of possibility that Amazon would go after Steam users money. even if they get into the CD-Key market this would just be another avenue to generate more money.
i would assume that they will be upgrading the App and user interface in the near future to better service their retail needs.

[virtuo]

I looked on Twitch last night (I'm a Prime member) and there was already a free game to claim - can't remember what it was now as I'm at work, but it wasn't obscure and not one of the ones in this announcement

Edit: Think it was Devil May Cry HD

[Dashers]

I cancelled my Amazon Prime subscription after two or three years recently. Next day free delivery is nice, but actually most things I don't need next day. Prime Video was pretty poor in terms of content. And ultimately it was just too expensive.

This though is interesting, SuperHot is on my wishlist, but none of the other games are.