With that said, a new report suggests that Netflix is looking to expand and penetrate the video game industry.
Is Netflix Video Games a Real Thing?
Information of Netflix’s rumored expansion comes from The Information, which cites “people familiar with the situation” as its source. According to the report, Netflix has already begun reaching out to key figures within the video game industry as they search for an executive to help usher in their video game expansion. It also suggests that Netflix plans on taking a page out of of Apple’s book. In particular, by following its business model for Apple Arcade. For those that don’t know, Apple Arcade is a video game subscription service that allows consumers to stream and download ad-free games. At the moment, Netflix has yet to decide if it wants to develop or publish games or if it will work with external publishers. However, what is confirmed is that Netflix wants its games to be ad-free. Over the past few years, Netflix has made its intention clear about wanting to get into the video game industry. Netflix even hosted a panel about its plans back in E3 2019. So far, Netflix has released a video game based on the Stranger Things series. In addition to this, Netflix’s library also already includes interactive video experiences. This includes the likes of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Minecraft: Story Mode, among others. At the same time, Netflix has intensified its efforts to make Netflix original content based on existing video game licenses. Perhaps the most popular examples are The Witcher and Dota: Dragon’s Blood. Other upcoming Netflix shows based on popular video game franchises include Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, as well as a rumored FF7 anime series, among others. Even so, this is the first time that we’re hearing about Netflix wanting to stream games using its own platform. It’ll be interesting to see how Netflix will adjust and adapt if its video game venture is ever to come to fruition. But, if there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that Disney+ and HBO Max, among others, are still playing catch up to Netflix. Should Netflix’s move into the video game industry proves successful, it could very well be what propels it further ahead of its direct competition.
