(photo: pocketlint.com)

Amazon released the Amazon Fire set top box and video game controller yesterday. There were mixed reviews of the new device, but most of them were positive. It was no secret that Amazon was planning a set top box. They are making a big hardware push to compliment their media offerings.

Earlier on we knew that the Amazon set top box would of course feature Amazon’s video service along with the usual suspects like Hulu, Netflix, Spotify and even iHeartRadio. We also had heard that there would be some games on the new system, but we wrote it off as being similar to the Angry Birds offering on the Roku box.

It turns out Amazon is committed to building out a games platform, complete with their own in house studio. Amazon wasn’t looking to compete with the Xbox One or the PS4 but rather bring Android games to the living room, similar to the way Ouya and other microboxes have. Having their own studio means that they can push out games quicker.

Amazon has said that there will shortly be over 100 games available via the Fire set top box. Re/Code reports that a new sci-fi shooter called Sev Zero will be one of the first ones out of the gate. Amazon Games VP Mike Frazzini had told Re/Code back in February that the company was aggressively hiring game developers with some pretty big titles under their belts.

Amazon reportedly has developers who worked on blockbusters like Call of Duty, Halo, Forza, Gears Of War and even Killer Instinct on their new games team so Amazon Fire could become a serious contender in the casual gaming department.

We’ll have to see. The Amazon Fire went on sale Tuesday. You can pick it up for $99 here.