FEB. 3, 2009 • Amazon.com went live with downloadable game service with a catalog of 600 casual games, each available for $9.99 or less. The online retailers considers the service a beta test and expects the number of titles offered, and features available, to increase with time. A DRM key is required to play the titles after downloading. For now the service is PC only – requiring a Windows download client. Mac support may come later.

Impact: Amazon.com is, of course, a huge online retail presence and its entry into the casual game space could have a profound market impact. Casual games sales are all about maximum distribution and Amazon clearly brings that to the table. The most interesting aspect is the focus on an under $10 price point.  The casual game business has really tried to peg a price point of $19.99. However, DFC has always felt this price point was too high to be sustainable for most games in the marketplace.  Amazon.com’s pricing is more in line with what Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade charges.