Amazon’s Echo Button is the next product to hit shelves this holiday season. The extension of Amazon’s Echo and Echo Dot will allow users to play games with friends and family members while interacting with Amazon Alexa, the company’s virtual assistant. The product itself looks similar to the Staples “easy” button, but it glows instead of speaks, and comes in a variety of colors. Currently, many users utilize Alexa to help them set reminders, check the weather, or play music. Alexa easter eggs are also a fun feature and include funny sayings or jokes Alexa will give if users know just what to ask. The Echo Button will no doubt expand the fun Alexa can provide, and it may even be able to contribute a practical side as well.
Echo Button Game
Owners of an Echo or Echo Dot likely already know that Alexa can provide hours of entertainment. Alexa can allow players to start a game of bingo, tic tac toe, or even blackjack. Opening Alexa skills can activate more complicated games and those that allow multiplayer settings. Amazon even began paying third party developers to create games for multiple players, particularly those who created trivia games.
Although these games are fun, it might be difficult to imagine and keep track of a tic tac toe board in your head. Trivia with the family could mean a lot of screaming and yelling to “buzz in”. These problems were no doubt considered when the Echo Button was being developed. Although Amazon has not specifically mentioned which games the Echo Button could be used for, it’s clear it will make game time more fun. During a family trivia night, users could push the button to “buzz in” and then say their answer, rather than yelling over each other. A developer might create a skill that requires users to push the buttons in a certain order, similar to the light up game, Simon.
Echo Button Price
Owners of Amazon tech products like the Echo or Echo Dot know that Amazon sells their products at relatively affordable prices. These prices have been coming down since their introduction on the market so that more people can integrate the products into their homes. The Echo Button is no exception to these prices. Amazon will be selling the product at $20 for two (you wouldn’t want just one after all). This is an affordable price that will give people the ability to play with a friend or a family member. Of course many people may want more than just two. Given the product is aimed to be released near the holiday season, many children (and adults) will no doubt be seeing the Echo Button in their stockings.
Other Uses For The Echo Button
Although the product has not yet been released, some have wondered if the Echo Button could extend beyond its intended use. For instance, people might push the button to get Alexa’s attention rather than saying “Alexa”. Given that Alexa has numerous skills she can learn and have access to, third party developers may incorporate use of the button into the commands they will have Alexa respond to. Maybe to play an easy order through Domino’s, users can push the button rather than say “Alexa, place my Domino’s easy order.” Or the button could act as a whole home control to request that Alexa turn on all the lights. It’s possible the uses of the simple Echo Button may go beyond its intended use as a gaming toy.
More Echo Products?
Some companies provide numerous (and sometimes unnecessary) accessories to accompany a core product. Although there is some concern that we will see a large number of Echo product accompaniments, the Echo Button is likely a one time product that brings a physical aspect to their interactions with Alexa. Amazon appears to be more focused on improving the technical side of Alexa and encouraging outside developers to create Alexa skills and incorporate her voice into other products. So while envisioning a tic tac toe board might be difficult, users will likely have to resort to drawing their own board rather than buying one from Amazon.