Amazon's upcoming CEO, Andy Jassy, is backing the company's underwhelming game studio.
In an internal email obtained by Bloomberg, Jassy told employees that Amazon Game Studios boss Mike Frazzini had his full support, and said that it may take the gaming division a bit more time to find its feet.
Amazon's entry into the gaming industry has, so far, been feeble. In October 2020 it shut down "Crucible," a major online game it had been developing since 2014, after it had only been live for five months.
"Some businesses take off in the first year, and others take many years," wrote Jassy, adding "though we haven't consistently succeeded yet in AGS, I believe we will if we hang in there."
It followed a Bloomberg report published last week in which former employees said Amazon Game Studios fostered a "sexist bro culture," and some employees said Frazzini's lack of experience in the gaming industry was demoralizing. It also came in the wake of Google shutting down its fledgling game studio.
Amazon's upcoming game, "New World," has also had its release date pushed back from August 2020 to spring 2021, and employees told Bloomberg that executives were slow to accept the opinion of employees who said the game was racist. The players colonize a fictional country filled with inhabitants that resemble Native Americans.
A spokeswoman for Amazon declined to comment to Bloomberg.
Jassy wrote in his email that "being successful right away is obviously less stressful, but when it takes longer, it's often sweeter [...] I believe this team will get there if we stay focused on what matters most."
Jassy's email was sent on Monday, a day before it was announced he would be taking over the role of Amazon CEO from Jeff Bezos in Q3.
Jassy is currently head of Amazon Web Services, and Frazzini's boss.
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