Today, The Information has published a report that Netflix has approached leading game industry developers to investigate the potential of branching out into the games industry alongside expanding their already existing plans for interactive media. While this is Netflix’s first hint at taking on traditional games development and distribution, they have created several interactive streaming experiences before and have lent some of their own IPs out for video game adaptations. The streaming giant could make massive waves in the industry should they decide to enter into it.
According to the report, Netflix would like to create an experience similar to that of Apple Arcade, where users can pay about five dollars per month to access a library of games, some of which would be exclusives or timed exclusives for the platform. This catalog would receive regular additions to keep gamers engaged with the platform. They are currently looking for an executive who would lead this new project. There is no word on how these games would be played, but we can only hope that it would not be a repeat of Stadia.
This would not be Netflix’s first venture into interactive media. Series like Black Mirror and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt both featured episodes that required viewers to make choices that would determine how certain parts of the story would play out. Netflix wants to expand its line of series with content like this but has also, according to the report, cited Fortnite as a top competitor for the service and a greater concern for them than other streaming platforms. Fortnite has begun to host events in game-like movie nights and hosted the premiere of a Star Wars trailer last year. Live-service games like Fortnite have the ability to consume more users’ time more than traditional games in the past have, so it makes sense that Netflix would like to win some of its viewers time back from its competitors in the gaming sphere. This would also potentially lead to more spinoff titles and adaptations like the ones released for Stranger Things. The streaming service is also no stranger to video game adaptations such as the excellent Castlevania so we could see more of this as a result as well. Only time will tell if Netflix will enter the gaming industry and the impact they will have should they decide to. You can read the original report here.
