Is Amazon building a VR content platform?
Job listing reveals plans to, "explore and create the platform and interface for immersive storytelling"
Amazon appears to be building a content platform specifically design for virtual reality, just the latest example of a major company putting more resources behind VR.
The clue arrived in the form of a job listing - spotted by UpoloadVR - for a senior software development manager to, "lead our Virtual Reality team." The description makes it clear that Amazon regards the emergence of VR as a major step forward for entertainment media of all kinds.
"Entertainment is evolving rapidly. The future will not be limited to passive 2D experiences. The Virtual Reality team will explore and create the platform and interface for immersive storytelling. This will include an ingestion and playback platform for Virtual Reality experiences."
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz recently, VR developer Owlchemy Labs stated that VR may already be "too big to fail" due to the amount of money being invested by the world's biggest tech companies. Of course, those companies haven't revealed the full extent of their plans, but information like this certainly lends credence to Owlchemy's optimistic reading.
Indeed, job listings have been as useful a way as any to gauge the activities of companies like Apple and Google. Apple hired a VR expert in January, for example, which was perhaps the first clear indication of its interest in the space. Similarly, a promotion and a hire offered a glimpse at what Google might have planned for VR and AR beyond its entry-level Cardboard viewer.