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    Amazon introduces 'Amazon Coins' virtual currency for Kindle Fire app, game purchases

    Amazon introduces 'Amazon Coins' virtual currency for Kindle Fire app, game purchases

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    Kindle Fire HD 8.9 hero 3 (1024px)
    Kindle Fire HD 8.9 hero 3 (1024px)

    Amazon plans to give Kindle Fire hardware owners yet another way to pay for apps and games with a new virtual currency it's calling Amazon Coins. Set to arrive in May, the company is touting Amazon Coins as "another substantial opportunity to drive traffic, downloads and increase monetization even further" for developers. Unfortunately it's not yet clear how you, the consumer, will go about acquiring Coins, but we'd expect Amazon to reveal more details as the payment system inches closer to release.

    Paul Ryder, Amazon's Vice President of Apps and Games, says the online retailer plans to give away "tens of millions of dollars" in Coins to help kick things off later this year. Aside from standalone app downloads, you'll also be able to spend Coins on in-app purchases, so Amazon's new venture could help parents give kids a firm spending limit. Developers have until April 25th to submit their apps to Amazon's Appstore if they want to be part of the launch.