The way for Amazon’s investments in the gaming industry seems quite clear, but it has not yet positioned itself in an important place in this industry. Trying to consolidate the steps it has taken in the game industry, Amazon Game Studios seems to change the balance with New World, its brand new game in the MMORPG genre it is working on.
According to SteamDB, New World’s closed beta attracted more than 200,000 concurrent players within hours of its launch. The current peak of simultaneous players has reached an impressive 200,000 players for a closed beta.
This achievement made the game the sixth most popular game on Steam, ahead of other high-profile titles such as Rust, Rainbow Six Siege, Team Fortress 2, and Football Manager 2021. It’s also worth noting that the beta version of New World will only last until August 2, and the full version of the game will be released on August 31st. It’s up to Amazon to hold on to the current level of interest and prepare players for an immersive New World experience.
However, given that Amazon has struggled so far to achieve its lofty video game ambitions, this feat is like climbing the first rung of a ladder for them. The company had previously tried to launch two projects, the free-to-play shooter Crucible and an eponymous Lord of the Rings MMO, but failed. Crucible was originally released on May 20, 2020, but was completely canceled at the end of the closed beta.
The video game side of Amazon is reportedly grappling with mismanagement and leadership issues, which eventually led to the termination of their first project. But with the latest New World figures coming after Amazon’s newly appointed CEO, Andy Jassy, pledged to help Amazon Game Studios return, there seems to be hope for the company.
Jassy made the following comments in February:
“Some jobs take the first year, some take many years. While we haven’t been consistently successful at Amazon Game Studios yet, I believe we will succeed if we stay there. Being successful right away is obviously less stressful, but usually sweeter the longer it takes. Most important If we focus on something, I believe this team will get there.”
