Amazon Fire TV: A New Challenger enters the set top box AND gaming arena!

Amazon enters the set top box arena with Amazon Fire TV, and right out of the gate they are embracing game developers as a 1st part game studio. Roku does such things (like play games), and Roku has a lot of fans because of the endless channel possibilities, but Amazon Fire TV has its perks also... even more so in the game department (though I can't pass over the voice search option, because that could come in handy).

This device has access to not only Amazon Instant Video (which Roku does also), but also the obvious other streaming entertainment providers like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Etc. (which Roku also has) and both are a little less than $100.00 unless you get one of the cheaper models that Roku offers (which simply have less options).

Both the Roku & Fire TV give you the option of playing games with the remote... and the Roku 2 & 3 have buttons & a d-pad to play games (which is included in the price tag), but Amazon has the option of the Amazon Fire Game Controller also for this Android-based box. Not only that, but if you buy the wireless bluetooth game controller ($39.99) which supposedly has 55 hours of battery life and has media buttons below the d-pad & right analog stick that remind me of Onlive's controller, but you also get their 1st exclusive 3rd person shooter/Tower defense hybrid game titled Sev Zero (free)... plus 1,000 Amazon coins (since I've never used these and I don't know what they are for i'm assuming they are the currency that represents the money you can use within your Amazon Fire TV account for game purchases, etc.).

Based on the game options they have, this could prove to be a very nice purchase for someone that likes to game on various platforms, or wants a device that gives them multiple entertainment options in this device for an affordable price. I won't get into comparing graphics, I more so am hopeful that they create an awesome library of exclusive games that increases the value of this device as a gaming platform in addition to the other offerings. Some of the other games available are... NBA2K14, The Walking Dead, and Minecraft, so I am curious about what types of games can be offered on the device and what type of justice will they give the tv you're playing on.

Oh... and before I forget, you can play with up to 4 controllers on the device... and like others have done (basically following the leader aka Nintendo), you can also play games using Amazon Kindle Fire as a second screen. : p

Compared to the Roku 3, Apple TV, and the Google Chromecast... the Amazon Fire TV has (as mentioned) the Voice Search, in addition to: 

• A Quad-core 1.7 GHz processor (the Roku 3 is the 2nd highest with a Dual-core)
• Certified Dolby Digital Plus surround sound playback
• 2GB Memory (the others mentioned above have 512MB)
• 100+ Games (with many more pending)
• Optional Dedicated game controller
• 8GB Internal Storage

Thumbs up to Amazon for delivering an affordable set top box with gamers in mind. I'm sure how open this box is compared to Roku (based on channel options), but this gets the edge for me based on the number of games available and original games that will be released as time progresses. Never count Roku out though because who knows what the Roku 4 will bring, and I wouldn't make this a competition but a new device challenges another company to deliver an even better option and if Roku makes it possible for us to Stream PC games to TV (via the Roku 4)... it would turn heads.

Here is a sneak peak of Amazon Game Studios (coming soon). Hate it or love it, they have recruited some very talented people that have been a part of some very popular games like Portal, Call of Duty, Bioshock, Half Life 2, Thief, Halo, Gears of War, Forza, Left for Dead, Age of Empires, Etc. and I look forward to what they plan to offer. I hope that they took their time with this device so that its nice and stable, and gives justice to their ambition (I'm optimistic).

OUYA's CEO feels that the Amazon Fire TV isn't impressive, and feels that Amazon is misguided by adding games as a bonus feature. Opinions are opinions... and Julie Uhrman is entitled to hers... but Amazon is taking a step with this device that makes it a lot more valuable than just a device that plays Android based games. Set top boxes are popular and have become the investment of choice for more than a few of us as we've turned away from cable. It doesn't have to take the gaming route first and foremost, because if it can do both extremely well... that's a good thing. They are doing what OUYA should've done and created an exclusive game to represent a 1st party initiative... Ouya still has this option and I hope to see 1st party games increase on their platform also, but the success of the Amazon Fire TV doesn't require the approval of a competitor in order for it to happen.

May it benefit a lot of people, and turn more Amazon customers into gamers. It's selling like hotcakes, and became an Amazon best seller on the first day it became available... and it's being praised for it speedy response times, while it gets a few snares because the other non-Amazon services aren't as accessible as the Amazon ones (though I am not exactly shocked to hear that)... but they are there.

A concern that does come up, is the limited hard drive space for games, but... will owners have access to cloud gaming eventually, or will that USB port represent the option to increase storage via an external hard drive? Either way, if you want to get your hands on one, click here.