The major licensing deal that Crytek were discussing, but not exactly detailing, last month may well be with Amazon. That’s according to the ever-exciting “sources” who’ve been in contact with Kotaku’s Jason Schreier.
That might sound like typically nebulous videogame rumour-fodder, but Schreier was the reporter who accurately broke news of Crytek’s initial financial difficulties last year (which the company denied for a bit, before admitting.) In other words, his sources are pretty legit when it comes to this company.
Said sources are suggesting that Amazon has licensed the CryEngine for a figure somewhere between $50-70 million USD. Enough for Crytek to make sure they can pay their staff in a timely manner for the foreseeable future.
As this deal has not been officially announced by either Amazon or Crytek (who, last we heard, said they “can’t say anything more in detail, but hopefully we’ll be able to announce it with the partner soon,”) it’s not really clear what Amazon would do with the CryEngine.
The company has been making potential videogame moves beyond the launch of the Android-centric Amazon Fire, however. Both Portal designer Kim Swift and former Ubisoft man Clint Hocking wound up at the company last April, and Amazon also purchased developer Double Helix (Killer Instinct) in February 2014.
