Amazon’s latest endeavor, the 3D “Gaming Zone” showroom, seems like a relic from a bygone era rather than a forward-thinking initiative. It looks like what the 1980s imagined the future would be.
Tagged with “beyond” in its URL, the Gaming Zone suggests a groundbreaking experience. Unfortunately, it falls flat.
Rather than presenting games as clickable links, this overly nostalgic Amazon storefront arranges them as 3D objects in a virtual space for you to navigate.
Seeing virtual posters of titles like Shadow of the Erdtree and Assassin’s Creed Shadows might be mildly interesting if you don’t live near a retailer like Best Buy or GameStop.
However, the only actions you can take are turning, walking a few steps, and clicking to open the usual Amazon product pages. The “arcade cabinets” are merely for purchase, not for play.
This feels like a forgotten “metaverse” project that Amazon resurrected without much thought. What’s the purpose? Why was it made? Who is it for? These questions remain unanswered.