Microsoft Game Platform Director Joins Amazon

Further proof that the digital distribution domain is a burgeoning industry, GamesIndustry.biz have reported that Microsoft Director of Game Platform Strategy, Andre Vrignaud, has jumped ship and joined Amazon to work on the vendor’s rumoured game distribution venture.

Amazon already sells PC games digitally but look primed to enter the download gaming market full-on. Having purchased casual gaming portal Reflexive Entertainment in 2008, analysts believe Amazon are likely planning a digital download platform as a competitor to such distribution services as Valve’s Steam.

Vrignaud commented on his blog about the move:

“I make this announcement with mixed emotions as I’m excited about where Microsoft is going in the next few years as they look to reinvent digital entertainment… but I’m also obviously very intrigued about what Amazon is looking to do.

“Can’t really talk about details at this point, but it’ll become pretty evident soon enough… and you all know where my passions lie.

“It’s been an amazing eight years here at Microsoft. I originally joined to help build and evangelize Xbox LIVE to a skeptical game industry […] Not many people remember now, but there was a time when even the idea of Xbox LIVE was extremely controversial.”

We wish Vrignaud well in his new role.

Source: GamesIndustry.biz

5 Comments

  1. Kindle Touch incoming?

  2. The way it’s going, I wish Microsoft would stop reinventing digital entertainment.

  3. I know, make it stop already, MS just keeps coming up with more crap that I don’t want and then they charge me for it – assholes

  4. This is going to sound like total bullshit but bare with me. I was at a training session with Tesco. Whilst there one of the board members who was helping told us how Sir Terry is working on a digital download service that will take on I-Tunes and includes multi-platform downloading. Sir Terry will announce it just before he retires next year. I’d be amazed if this wasn’t true. Tesco are as big as they can be in this country so the next venture is digital.

  5. Im all for digital, as long as discs are an option too

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