According to a recent job posting on the Amazon Jobs Website and CareerBuilder.com, Amazon is looking to hire key personal for a “Stealth Project” to make video games. One of the first posts was for a Senior Product Manager of Digital Video Games, who would be responsible for overseeing the entire project and then recommend key staff positions, such as various project leads.
It is our opinion that the Amazon Kindle 2, Kindle DX and the new the anticipated Kindle Slim due this September will have games available.
Many E-Readers right now have small games available for them now, both issued from the company, such as the Barnes and Noble Nook with their Sudoku and other games. Also independent Developers also make small games for Android driven E-Readers such as the Spring Design Alex.
Its proven that small casual games that are either made by the E-Reader company or small home brewed applications do indeed work via E-Ink, one has to wonder if Amazon will step up the game and offer developers a custom SDK in order to make games for their Kindle line of E-Readers. This approach is something that the other E-Reader companies do not provide for the programing communities.
Amazon has issued a SDK for application development a few months ago, to select Beta Test Developers and have had job postings the last few months for Internet Web Browser development. Amazon has stated internally that they will likely see a new web browser debuted this September.
Here is the full job listing from CareerBuilder.com
RESPONSIBILITIES
Senior Product Manager, Digital Video Games
We are looking for a smart, analytical, and enthusiastic Senior Product Manager to lead the development and launch of a highly visible strategic initiative in our digital video games business. This stealth project involves inventing and building a completely new type of technology for customers. The person in this role will own driving all aspects of the initiative, including detailed product definition, working with a dedicated technical team to get it built, coordinating with external partners, and then designing and executing the launch plan.
The successful candidate will have extensive experience working with software developers to define and build new technology. The Senior Product Manager must also have excellent verbal and written communication skills; the ability to break down complex problems; and a strong will to get stuff done and deliver results. Keys to success also include a passion for building new technology, and a great sense of humour.
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
• Wide range of skills from strategic thinking, to working with external partners, to managing large projects through to completion.
• Superior communication and analytical skills, including strong ability to identify and solve ambiguous problems.
• High attention to detail and proven ability to manage multiple, competing priorities simultaneously.
• Bachelor degree plus 4 to 8 years of relevant work experience; MBA a plus.
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Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
