Why Amazon Couldn’t Compete with Steam, According to Former VP

Amazon tried to challenge Steam for over 15 years but failed, even though the company was much bigger than Valve.

Ethan Evans, who was VP of Prime Gaming at Amazon until 2020, admitted that their efforts never worked, despite being “250x bigger” than Steam.

Amazon’s attempts included buying Twitch and launching products like Reflexive Entertainment’s store and Luna, a cloud gaming app.

However, these efforts failed because Amazon underestimated what made Steam popular. Evans explains, “Gamers already had the solution to their problems, and they weren’t going to switch platforms just because a new one was available.”

Evans revealed that Amazon assumed its size and visibility would attract gamers, but the reality was different.

Steam wasn’t just a store; it was a social network, a library, and a trophy case all in one. Valve, despite being smaller than Amazon, built a platform that gamers loved and kept using.

Evans’ reflection shows that bigger companies sometimes believe their size alone can guarantee success. He notes, “Just because you are big enough to build something doesn’t mean people will use it.”