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[IbizaPocholo]

Amazon Games San Diego studio head John Smedley is stepping down | VGC

The former Sony Online Entertainment boss hasn’t shipped a game during six years at Amazon…

www.videogameschronicle.com

THE FORMER SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT BOSS HASN’T SHIPPED A GAME DURING SIX YEARS AT AMAZON

The former Sony Online Entertainment president has been running one of Amazon’s three game development studios for six years and has worked on several projects, none of which have been released.

“After a lot of thought, I’ve decided it’s time for me to try my hand at something new,” he said in an email to staff, according to Bloomberg.

Amazon Games principal publishing producer Andrew Sites, who also worked with Smedley at Sony, will step in as San Diego studio head.

“John is a game industry legend, and we’re grateful for his contributions to Amazon Games over the past six years,” an Amazon spokesperson said.

The San Diego team “remains focused on bringing their unannounced project to life” and “John is committed to staying on until the team is fully transitioned before he moves”, they added.

Smedley previously spent 13 years at Sony Online Entertainment (which later became Daybreak Game Company), working on the likes of EverQuest, Star Wars Galaxies, Planetside and H1Z1.

 

[oldergamer]

I know john, he is a smart guy. He will land elsewhere

 

[feynoob]

Amazon needs to buy ubisoft or EA, instead of making studios.

 

[Topher]

Amazon needs to buy ubisoft or EA, instead of making studios.

You need a pill to calm down this acquisition hard-on you got, bro?

 

[feynoob]

You need a pill to calm down this acquisition hard-on you got, bro?

As much as I hate Amazon, the current state of these 2 companies is shit.
With Amazon resources, they can focus more on providing us good games.

EA and Ubisoft cant continue with their current budget. Games are getting expensive, and projects are getting risky.

 

[BadBurger]

He was the EverQuest guy, right?

 

[a multicultural team of v]

I miss Tanarus, and you are a cool and good person of you know what the hell I'm referring to.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

it seems is basically impossible to make AAA game studios from scratch if your name is not PlayStation.

 

[AJUMP23]

I wonder what they haven’t shipped for 6 years.

best of luck to that guy.

 

[yurinka]

Amazon needs to buy ubisoft or EA, instead of making studios.

Amazon should stop acquiring studios and leave gaming instead

He was the EverQuest guy, right?

One of the 110 EverQuest guys listed in the game credits, yes. This executive was the president of Verant Interactive, which became Sony Online Entertainment and later Daybreak.

 

[Boglin]

I miss Tanarus, and you are a cool and good person of you know what the hell I'm referring to.

Sure, I liked sending tanks to the moon

 

[reinking]

I miss Tanarus, and you are a cool and good person of you know what the hell I'm referring to.

...but do you miss Armorgeddon? You are even cooler and a better person if you know what I am referring to.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

Sure, I liked sending tanks to the moon

Lol those light tanks could really fly couldn't they? That and Infantry (I think it was just called Infantry?) were some great early Sony Online games. Kinda crazy they were subscription based too. Pretty sure I never played but somehow played a decent amount of both.

...but do you miss Armorgeddon? You are even cooler and a better person if you know what I am referring to.

My coolness has a limit it appears. The Psygnosis game?

 

[March Climber]

Amazon needs to buy ubisoft or EA, instead of making studios.

As much as I hate Amazon, the current state of these 2 companies is shit.
With Amazon resources, they can focus more on providing us good games.

EA and Ubisoft cant continue with their current budget. Games are getting expensive, and projects are getting risky.

Please no. Amazon Gaming has killed nearly every dev project they have touched and now they’re killing third party exclusive games like Lost Ark. People cried out in anger when they managed to weasel their way into somehow grabbing Blue Protocol from Namco.

They need to fix their own issues first before touching anyone else’s. Amazon Gaming is so bad of a publisher I’d rather have Google buy those two companies first.

 

[Bernkastel]

it seems is basically impossible to make AAA game studios from scratch if your name is not PlayStation.

They only have one major AAA studio that they made from scratch. Damn this is a thread about Amazon Games and you are concerned about something else. Seems like you turned into a twitter warrior due to all the warring.

Amazon Gaming is so bad of a publisher I’d rather have Google buy those two companies first.

As much as hate Amazon gets, you don't want Google anywhere near something they can't integrate. Amazon atleeast won't shut them down for "efficiency".

 

[oldergamer]

He was the EverQuest guy, right?

Right

 

[feynoob]

Amazon should stop acquiring studios and leave gaming instead

If MS can buy Activision, so they can.

 

[reinking]

...but do you miss Armorgeddon? You are even cooler and a better person if you know what I am referring to.

Armorgeddon was the original title for Tanarus before they changed it. I’m having a hard time remembering the exact timeline. I believe this was during the beta for Everquest.

 

[Hellmaker]

As much as I hate Amazon, the current state of these 2 companies is shit.
With Amazon resources, they can focus more on providing us good games.

EA and Ubisoft cant continue with their current budget. Games are getting expensive, and projects are getting risky.

They just need to make good games... Problem solved!

 

[DeepEnigma]

Amazon needs to buy ubisoft or EA, instead of making studios.