Fact check: Https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/amazon-apparently-thought-it-was-gonna-compete-with-steam-since-the-orange-box-but-prime-gamings-former-vp-admits-that-gamers-already-had-the-solution-to-their-problems/

1. Summary of the results

Amazon's attempts to compete with Steam in the gaming market have consistently failed, despite multiple strategic approaches spanning over a decade. Former VP of Prime Gaming, Ethan Evans, acknowledged that even though Amazon was 250 times larger than Steam, they could not "crack the code" of winning over gamers ^[1]. Their attempts included:

• Acquiring Reflexive Entertainment
• Creating a PC games store through Twitch
• Launching the Luna game streaming service
• Acquiring Twitch itself ^{[2] [1]}

The company's gaming division has faced significant setbacks, including:

• Cancellation of five major video game projects
• Removal of their racing game from digital stores
• Layoff of 180 workers from their gaming division ^{[3] [4]}

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original headline doesn't capture the full scope of Amazon's gaming industry challenges. Beyond their failed Steam competition, Amazon faces broader issues:

• Development Struggles: The company lacks gaming infrastructure and console business presence, with internal cultural issues and management problems hindering game development ^[3]
• Industry-wide Challenge: Even Epic Games Store, despite Fortnite's success, struggles to move users away from Steam, indicating this isn't just an Amazon-specific problem ^[5]
• Current Strategy: Amazon is now refocusing on Prime Gaming and game publishing, with ongoing projects including Throne and Liberty, Blue Protocol, and future Tomb Raider and Lord of the Rings titles ^[4]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The headline oversimplifies a complex situation and potentially misleads readers in several ways:

1. Timing Perspective: While the headline focuses on The Orange Box era, Amazon's attempts to compete with Steam were actually multiple and evolved over time from 2009-2020 ^[6]

2. Core Issue Understanding: The fundamental problem wasn't just that "gamers already had the solution" - Amazon fundamentally misunderstood that Steam was more than just a store, but a comprehensive ecosystem including social network, library, and trophy case features ^[6]

3. Market Dynamics: The headline doesn't acknowledge that size and visibility alone aren't enough to disrupt an established platform - new entrants must offer something substantially better to succeed ^[5]

This story benefits multiple parties:

• Valve/Steam, as it reinforces their market dominance
• Gaming media outlets, who can frame Amazon's failures as cautionary tales
• Amazon's competitors in the gaming space, who can point to these failures in their own market positioning