Netflix may be looking to expand its resume to video games. A few reports this week have suggested that the streaming service has considered adding a selection of games to its roster, possibly in Apple Arcade-style. However, any plans that the company has right now are up in the air. As such, video games may not come to Netflix until next year.
As The Verge shared, The Information first hinted last week that Netflix wants to hire a “gaming industry executive” to bring video games to the streaming service. The idea will be for games to exclude advertisements, though again, everything is tentative at the moment. Axios later reported that sources said the gaming expansion will include games from indie developers as well as “licensed Netflix intellectual property.” It seems that Netflix’s gaming expansion will directly compete with Apple Arcade, which houses similar ad-free indie and licensed offerings.
The final hint comes from Netflix’s recent statement to Polygon. A spokesperson teased that Netflix would like to continue expanding and “do more with interactive entertainment.” Subscribers have apparently already responded well to Netflix’s previous interactive shows, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and You vs. Wild. It sounds like the company is ready to take “interactive entertainment” to the next level.
When television meets gaming
Netflix has known about the true power of video games for a few years now; let’s not forget about the time Netflix named Fortnite its top rival. The platform has since gotten a step closer to video games with Minecraft: Story Mode and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. Both titles rely on viewer choices to shape the story. Netflix also houses several adaptations of video games, including the ever-popular The Witcher and the upcoming Resident Evil. At this point, a collection of video games only seems like the natural next step, especially if Netflix does plan to compete with Apple Arcade or Amazon Prime Gaming. If anything, we probably won’t see Netflix gaming until 2022 or later.
