Amazon shows its hand, buys Killer Instinct developer Double Helix

By Ryan Fleming February 6, 2014

amazon shows hand buys killer instinct developer double helix — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Amazon has purchased Double Helix Games, the studio behind the recent Killer Instinct remake, TechCrunch confirms. The financials behind the deal weren’t released, but the purchase reportedly includes both the talent from the studio and its intellectual property.

Amazon and Double Helix are planning a joint recruiting event on February 13, at which time the official announcement is expected. Once the news leaked, however, Amazon was quick to issue the following statement:

“Amazon has acquired Double Helix as part of our ongoing commitment to build innovative games for customers.”

Double Helix recently developed the remake of Killer Instinct for Xbox One (Killer Instinct will remain with Microsoft, if you were wondering). Double Helix has worked on both the console and PC in the past. Some of the titles were somewhat ignominious tie-ins, including Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, while others, like Front Mission Evolved and Silent Hill: Homecoming, are continuations of existing series.

Although this isn’t the first time Amazon has purchased a developer to help with its gaming ambitions, the news comes just weeks after rumors of Amazon’s interest in creating a $300 console dedicated to gaming and entertainment. The console is said to be powered by a Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor; however, Amazon has yet to comment on its existence.

The Amazon console would be comparable to other microconsoles like Ouya and Gamestick, but it would also have the advantage of its existing library of Android games, films, and TV shows. With the purchase of Double Helix, that library stands to expand. Double Helix’s next game will be Strider for the PlayStation 3. Amazon has confirmed that future games will be supported by Amazon.

Editors' Recommendations

Arcade1Up launches new Pro Series cabinets starting with Killer Instinct

Topics

Amazon

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…

Gaming

Nintendo Switch 2: release date rumors, features we want, and more

Prime Day Nintendo Switch Deals

Rumors of a Nintendo Switch 2 (or Switch Pro) have been circulating for years. Whispers of the next-gen Nintendo console first started when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwas first teased in 2019, gained steam when the Switch OLED launched in 2021, and are increasing now that the standard Switch has been out for six years.

There's no doubt that the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic console -- it has a unique and impressive game library (with more upcoming games slated for this year), the number of features included with Nintendo Switch Online is constantly improving, and it's still our favorite portable console -- but it isn't without its flaws. There's enough room for improvement tod warrant an entirely new console in the near future. Nintendo recently announced that we won't see a Switch upgrade in the next fiscal year, meaning the absolute earliest we get a look at a new Nintendo console would be in late 2024.

Gaming

Frostpunk 2’s beta offers a gripping slice of stressful city-building

Key art for Frostpunk 2

Typically, playing city-based or civilization-building games is a relaxing experience for me. There’s an inherent satisfaction in something I created in Cities: Skylines 2 or Mini Motorways running efficiently based on my actions. I’m content with spending dozens of hours crafting a functioning world, and only occasionally having my skills tested in a high-intensity situation. Frostpunk 2 from 11 bit Studios is a city-builder where those feelings are often reversed. Most of my time playing its beta was extremely stressful, as I constantly had to make difficult decisions in order to preserve a society that established itself in a frosty postapocalypse.

For all 300 in-game weeks of playtime that Frostpunk 2’s Utopia Builder mode beta offers, I was constantly facing the looming threat of dwindling resources and multiple political factions all vying for my attention and power, all while trying to build a civilization up. While that got extremely stressful, I'm already gripped by my short time with Frostpunk 2.
Stay frosty
While the original Frostpunk was a real-time strategy game about rebuilding a single settlement, 11 bit Studios has previously explained that this sequel is about leading that established settlement into a thriving civilization. The world of Frostpunk has not gotten any more forgiving; it’s still a postapocalyptic place with intense frost and little in the way of resources. The mose I played, Utopia Builder, is Frostpunk 2’s free-building mode. In it, players aren’t tied down to a prewritten story; as such, this beta is designed purely to give players a look into most of Frostpunk 2’s gameplay system -- and it does that in spectacular fashion. At a basic level, players need to build up their city while earning money and providing enough heat, shelter, and food to minimize death.

Gaming

How to sign up for the Rogue Prince of Persia alpha test

Key art of the Prince in The Rogue Prince of Persia.

After the launch of the excellent Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown at the beginning of 2024, no one was expecting a second game in the franchise so soon. And yet, The Rogue Prince of Persia was revealed during the Triple-I Initiative as a roguelike take on the genre. Coming from the developer of Dead Cells , this game was one of the highlights of the show thanks to it's slick gameplay and unique and fluid art style. There was no release date given, but the game is entering early access May 14. However, you can get your hands on it even earlier if you apply to participate in the alpha test.