[lowiqengineer]

People sometimes do, they just don't publicize it. It's specifically noted in the intellectual property agreement, though nobody seems to be sure why.

[Pfhreak]

Search inside for the 'Game Development Policy', it's separate from the intellectual property commitment. Reasoning is likely from Amazon Games Studios? I think there may be a concern that someone at Amazon might make the next flappy bird or Minecraft and Amazon couldn't capitalize on it.

[mantap]

If it's in your own free time on your own hardware why would Amazon be able to capitalize on it? Employees are not slaves.

[testvox]

Salaried employees don't have free time.

[mantap]

I'm going to assume this is sarcasm.

[lonelappde]

Noncompete agreements are legal in many places outside California

[whatsmyusername]

The one time I met an Amazon games studio employee my response was, “Amazon has a games studio?”

He said it was a common response.

[cloakandswagger]

This is the only rationale I can come up with for the game development policy: AGS hasn't produced anything in 8 years and what they have in the pipeline looks disappointing so...cross your fingers and hope one of your employees makes the next Minecraft.

[Pfhreak]

Heh. I worked in Amazon Games for a bit. It was a very common question. Along with, "What games have they made?" (Breakaway a 'sports brawler', The Grand Tour game a tie in for the show, New World an mmo about being a colonizer, Crucible a third person shooter.)

[JamesBarney]

Woah, totally surprised by the New World mmo.

That looks like a PR landmine.