Netflix may add video games to its streaming catalog in the next year

Date:
Thu, 15 Jul 2021 00:57:15 +0000

Description:
Netflix could add video games to its catalog in the next year, and is hiring
a former EA and Facebook VR exec to build out a game development team.

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Netflix could expand beyond offering the best movies and TV shows to include video games in its catalog in the next year, and has hired a former EA and Facebook exec to execute the plan, according to a new Bloomberg report.

Netflix will offer games as a separate category of content, much like it did with documentaries and other genres. Its unclear if the streaming company
will offer existing games or develop entirely new ones but as Bloomberg pointed out, listings for game development-related positions have appeared on Netflixs site, like this one seeking a product innovation director to create interactive content similar to Black Mirror: Bandersnatch .

The executive linked to head this endeavor has wide experience in gaming, per the report. Mike Verdu will be Netflixs VP of game development, but had previously been a Facebook VP dedicated to bringing content to the Oculus platforms, an EA executive who worked on mobile games in the Sims, Plants vs. Zombies, and Star Wars franchises, and chief creative officer for Zynga
around the time FarmVille was ruling Facebook.

In other words, Netflix is bringing on an executive with experience in non-traditional gaming platforms, so were curious what kind of content he
will cultivate at Netflix which will build out its gaming team in the months to come, a source told Bloomberg. Netflix canceled another TV show last week but you might not have noticed Netflix is turning Zack Snyder's reworked Star Wars pitch into a movie Spider-Man looks like he'll get a big suit upgrade in No Way Home Netflix and gaming? Pros and cons

Netflix is seemingly looking at gaming as a new frontier of content to
bolster its catalog and offer something its competitors, like HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video , dont have. Apple does, with Apple Arcade, though thats a separate offering than the Apple TV Plus streaming service.

While Netflix isnt expected to increase its subscription rates when gaming content gets added within the next year, the company could use its addition
to justify a price hike.

The other question is whether Apple and Google would take issue with Netflix offering gaming content in its subscription service given how restrictive
both companies are regarding iOS and Android apps for game streaming services
both Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 's xCloud tech and Amazon Luna have to use browser workarounds for players to use them on smartphones.

But given how little we know about the actual content of Netflixs games, they may not face such severe scrutiny. Stay on top of tech news with the
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/netflix-may-add-video-games-to-its-streaming-ca talog-in-the-next-year/


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