Netflix has expressed a desire to get into the gaming industry. What do you think of this left-field revelation?

 

Netflix has a long history of pushing the envelope, initially literally, with DVDs being delivered through letterboxes. Since then, it was the first successful streaming service, then its own film production and is constantly looking for ways to upgrade the viewing experience, with the latest obsession being a need to make TV “interactive”.

Now, it seems Netflix has taken the mixed success of its Black Mirror Bandersnatch experiment and its IP adapted console game Stranger Things 3: The Game and ran with it, straight into gaming.

Expressing in a letter to investors, Netflix officials said that they view gaming as a “new content category for us” following their successes with original films, animation, and unscripted TV. It seems they see the move like just another genre of entertainment to be slid in between comedians and documentaries.

Starting with mobile games for the moment, Netflix will deliver games akin to Candy Crush and eventually move on to streaming live gaming titles – such as those found at GGPoker for example – from their current app.

There will be no additional cost to the viewer but also no details on what games will be available. However, Netflix has recently extended its contract with Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes to include feature films, gaming, and virtual reality content.

Ex-EA employee Mike Verdu has been hired as their “vice president of game development” having worked on games like Plants vs. Zombies 2 and Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes.

Reactions are mixed. More games will not be knocked but the question remains if Netflix is the company to do it. Should they focus on their premium-rate original content? Is gaming on your TV service even something people want?

@ishenoy said: “Will Netflix’s expansion into gaming help boost #esports? IMO it’s good for the #gaming and the eSports ecosystem as a whole.”

@JackEllis said: “Yeah the ‘interactive’ Netflix stuff doesn’t appeal to me at all. I have seen them experiment but haven’t seen a big push. Instead, I believe they’re just tripling down on good content creation. Which is smart, because we use Netflix for content. It’s not a gaming platform.” He later added in the thread, “We’ll see. I’m 28, so I may be old, but I don’t want to play games on my TV shows. I want to relax.”

However, it was easy to see this coming in some form. CEO Reed Hastings has been grumbling about gaming taking money and time away from Netflix, saying that they “compete with (and lose to) Fortnite more than HBO” but he should be informed that mobile games won’t solve that. In fact, if you have to switch off what you’re watching to play them, they take more eyes away.

Maybe, with so little information, assumptions are being made that there will be complex and “interactive” games injecting into viewers time watching television. What is being reported now is mobile games, which is not likely to appeal to seasoned gamers. Those who don’t mind a bit of Candy Crush while The Office plays in the background might well appreciate this move from Netflix.

However, indicators, such as Netflix spending significant money on hiring a game development team, and their constant use of “for now” whenever they mention mobile gaming, could point to an appetite for something that could rival PC and console gaming. Stream gaming, perhaps?

A few Twitter users were skeptical of the move, with Wall Street analysts pointing out that it would take “significant time and investment to pay off”.

Online, @dcolthrust said: “It begins. Hopefully it won’t go the same way as Google Stadia.”

@homewithapple said: “The prerequisites for this are ideal, but Apple Arcade also shows that this can be more difficult than expected.”

Netflix is always full of surprises. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all will be this “change of career” working out for them.