Netflix Is Reportedly Eager To Expand Into Video Games

Weird... Not sure I like this.

If their video game originals are anything like their film originals, it's bound to fail.

Telltale Games could have a space here, based on Netflix originals. Beyond that I'm not sure what would be too successful as a part of Netflix.

Yeah, good luck gaining traction with this.

I think its a matter of time really. It’s pretty clear Netflix is trying to grow more of an identity with video games. They probably also want to join the cloud gaming scene. They’ve even been quoted for saying that they see Fortnite as a direct threat to their business, as that’s what they’re fighting to entertain their userbase with.

Honestly, I’m all for it. Netflix has grown to be pretty much the biggest shake up to our culture in the past 10 years and I think if there’s one company that can make a splash into the gaming scene that hasn’t yet, its probably the one that has dominated the watercooler talks for a good while now. Maybe, I’m just a sucker for game subscriptions, as Apple Arcade has been my time sink as of recently, but I really don’t think its hard for a company like Netflix to rally noteworthy indie/AA devs, gain exclusivity deals and reap the rewards of having a section on Netflix dedicated to Cloud Gaming.

@Screen Probably not? So far all of their games have been average at worst. Dark Crystal was a lot of fun, and I heard good thing about Stranger Things: the Game. As long as they keep releasing their games on existing platforms I don't see it failing miserably at least.

Of course, if they try and splinter the market with streaming games, they're doomed.

Hmmmmmm..Nope

Im not sure how i feel about this, on the one hand i think its great that we get more options.

On the other hand i don't see how a company thats half the net assets that Nintendo has, can even hope to compete who whoever is in the market already.

I mean if Apple and Google can't brute force their way in with all their money, i don't see how a company thats worth less than 40 billion is gonna do anything.

In short, Netflix are simply not big enough to really make any waves here, i mean if Nintendo wasn't already established as a gaming company, I'd doubt they could now in this day and age. Netflix just has little to no chance here.

I'll be interested if they make a new Castlevania game with the characters from III. The show is alright, but I've really wanted another game with that cast that isn't Judgement, and Konami definitely isn't doing anything new with the property.

If their games are anything like their originals, I want to stay the heck away from it.

I’ll never stop thinking of Netflix and “The Netflix of ____” as an all you can eat buffet where all the food is bland, sure it might pump out some gems but the longer these services go on the more they’re tuned into producing a endless stream of grey goo thats been focused tested to death to keep subscribers hooked. Stranger Things and Westworld could have been perfect one season shows but instead they get beaten into the ground for years to come .

Ya no, leave me alone!

I love the idea of Netflix joining the gaming industry. It would probably result in more games and hopefully more variety and diversity. My only fear with Netflix is that they would be as ruthless as they are with their television series as they are with their games. Meaning that they generally don't allow enough time for a show to cultivate an audience before they cancel it. That would be terrible for games.

Another benefit of them joining the gaming industry might be that they would import and translate games. (Possibly even offer subs for those that enjoy that)

....We're getting a Netflix gaming console soon aren't we?

At the very least I'm curious if they'll be more successful than google was with Google stadia lol.

Well Netflix knows that their time is running out. Everyday more and more companies are creating their own streaming services, removing content from Netflix, leaving them with only their original content…

Netflix will always have the same problem, which is relying too much on other creators to do the heavy lifting. Video games would be a strange shift but the same problem exists.

Companies have figured out they don’t need a middle man, you can create your own streaming service for your own content.

To be honest I just want an app for the switch. Stick to what you know.

Why don’t you put a Netflix app on Switch first. Gotta walk before you can run buddy.

I can see Telltale games establishing themselves here more than they already have with Minecraft: Story Mode (aka the game they were forced to work on over The Walking Dead before bankruptcy).

However, if they were looking to compete against Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Now, and Google Stadia, they have absolutely no chance. They not only lack the general experience for video games, but they also lack the same amount of funding compared to those three corporate giants.

Why would they? You can make great stories in the video game themselves if you want to. You don't want to downgrade the series. It would be fine if they had a good TV show that is good enough for the series. Why wouldn't they just make documentaries about the making of video games or something? That would be cool although there are a ton of Youtube documentaries about that.

Should had done ebooks and music first before they do videogames. The thing is books and music in stream form doesn't had lags and even if they do they don't ruin the experience as much. Doing videogame cloud streaming will be a tough market for them especially when it's difficult for Gaikai, OnLive, Sony, Microsoft, Google, Gforce Now, and Amazon.

Do they actually have some ideas for video games or do they just think they are cool and make loads of money...

Damn, for 1 second I thought we were getting Netflix on Switch

Of the 5 streaming services I subscribe to, Netflix is the only one charging extra for HD. In 2021. Just one example of their tireless dedication to quality services

The Netflix games were mediocre at best.

Whenever I see videogames mentioned in the same sentence as any streaming service, I immediately remember an old slogan: JUST SAY NO.

they can just expand their app on more platforms like switch!

Oh, don't act like you people wouldn't give it a shot if you popped on your Netflix account one day, and you're greeted to a trailer for a bunch of games to play at no additional cost.

...that is, until they run the stats and see millions of subscribers religiously using it in a couple of years, THEN they'll slap that gaming premium on ya.

And that's the day I finally cancel Netflix.

Honestly, it's a good idea and this kind of thing has always been coming. I'm surprised to see so much negativity here.

The whole thing could fail like Stadia but if it worked out, it could be good. If it worked exactly like their Film/TV streaming, I would be onboard.

Being able to access a large library of games for a small monthly fee would definitely expand the number and types of games I'm playing. There are always games that I would like to own properly (same with films/TV really) but there are also plenty of games I'd be fine experiencing but not owning.

But Netflix would absolutely have to license existing games and not just rely on original content. I always get the sense that they cut corners/budgets on their original content so the real value of this service would come if they also had good third party support.

If the games are streamed (in the same way as GeForce Now or some Switch games), that would also be great for people who don't (or can't) have a console or pc - or it could even just help fill the gaps between upgrades. There is a massive GPU shortage right now so plenty of people want to play games but can't until affordable supply is available.

This will probably just end up as another Amazon Games or Google Stadia and be quietly abandoned after a few years of failing to make a dent in the industry.

@Screen The OA is a Netflix original and it’s one of the best shows. Of course they cancelled it after season 2 because they seem to prefer mindless junk.

as evidenced by a bunch of recent live service games and Amazon trying to get into gaming, you need more than business sense to make profitable games.
This isn't like making a TV show where if it's bad you can still sit back and say watch a MST3k of it or something, or enjoy it for how bad it is. A bad game can range from "This is the most miserable experience I've ever intentionally tried to do" to "this crashes every time I try and do this mission and puts me back at the start of the mission." and then it repeats until you're just too tired of the repetition.

I understand being pessimistic, but if handled correctly, I’m all for this. I know their past attempts have been average, but if they get people who know what they’re doing, then this could be good! Castlevania, a game turned show, was good for that reason, so I hope a show turned game also turns out well.

Guess this would be the only way Netflix would come switch

All I want to know is when are the adding Dragon Ball to Netflix

So much hate. This might be news of the beginning of a good thing or revolutionary. I'm optimistic. But if it doesn't work out then it doesn't matter to me. I don't even watch Netflix or anything really. All I do is work and play plants vs zombies

Every major media player trying to enter the gaming space dumps a ton of money into infrastructure, tech, marketing, etc. They all seem to miss that for gaming, content is king. You need to launch with a must-play title and a suite of complimentary titles.

Yeah, I unsubscribed awhile back after seeing how much woke pedotainment they were pushing on it. And even if that were not a factor...after all of their sh*te video game adaptations thus far, I would probably steer well clear of whatever game streaming service they have in mind.

@Benji80 Amen.

@sleepinglion 5? why not one at a time and just rotate?

what angle they going for, woke hentai? Steam already has a lock on all the pervo games

Prob be full of waifu and horror games.

I really don’t know why Netflix would get in the gaming market. They’re clearly doing well in the streaming market. I would think it would be a game streaming service like GeForce Now or Stadia

Bridgerton: Dating Simulator

@Tott I think this is a brilliant idea. Apple Arcade is pretty cool, but they are not gong to have the cash.... so create visual novels or even simple games based off of a few series...l

I like the Stadia idea but I think Google have half-arsed it. They only just put in a search bar and they don't have a library that is big enough to warrant the subscription model. I will say the idea of video game streaming is sound and will grow over time, but they need to understand what consumers want in a way that Google haven't. (I.e. Charging full price for games when the model works best with the subscription idea).

Another media giant looking to enter the now lucrative market of gaming. Let's see how this turns out.

THIS is why I never really wanted gaming to become that mainstream. All the massive tech companies now want to jump in and try to milk that cow.

Everyone knows this will be the future: Every game streamed. You don't own a single bit, they can throw games of the service on a whim. Gone forever. For example, if a game suddenly is found to be offensive because of modern dubious morals and hysteria. It happens all the time.

Netflix will crash and burn in the game industry. They already try to shove their wholeness down everyone’s throats with their streaming service. Epic fail if this happens

I think this is probably much more likely to resemble “interactive TV content” like a Telltale Games thing than a fully fledged AAA game. It could be cool to watch a TV show where you have 2-3 choices you can make and see the results.

Why is there so much hate here?

Is the current state of the gaming industry such a precious gem that we have to defend it against new ideas?

Does it hurt anyone if a company attempts something and maybe it doesn't work out?

Honestly, what's to lose?

Haven't played any of their "interactive fiction".
Unlikely to start anytime soon, if they keep doing what they're doing so far.

But hey, they may yet impress me with something!
They certainly have the IP and the money to create something both unlikely and spectacular .

@asmi8803

Now you understand.

I could see it happening. If they bought some studios and let them make what they want, it could be good and add value to Netflix. Of course I'd want to be able to download the games instead of streaming, even if you have to be online to play them. If they do it right it could be good, very good in fact. Lets hope they do.

Honestly, the only BIG company that has actually made an impact in the Video Game industry has been Microsoft. That was 20 years ago. If DISNEY of all companies can't get into the Video Game market and stay, then it's safe to say that for the most part, you have to START as a Video Game company in order to break into it.

By reading the headline I thought they were going to make videogames in the style of Lucas arts you know, a film company that has a videogame studio to work their IPs. Now, by reading the comments it makes more sense to do it this way and get stablished that making a service, lose a lot of money when inevitably flop cuz you know, people don't associates you with VG

If done right, sure why not.

So they can do what? Charge people for a streaming rental service, and then yank games on a whim? No thanks. I'll stick with tried and true game companies.

Go ahead, explore the idea and see how far you'll get. Preemptive F in the chat lol

... Or Netflix how about simply fund/create/greenlight more video game licensed anime, series and movies?

That's great, I always enjoyed the interactive entertainment they make, like Kimmy Shmidt and Carmen Sandiego. I hope they make more of those kinds of things, it's a good exclusive to set themselves apart. It would be cool to see a big AAA game made in that kind of choose-your-own-adventure style. Or there's already some games that would work in that format as is and would just need to be ported, like Hitchhiker or The Super Seducer series, or some kind of a multiple choice quiz game like You Don't Know Jack.

God, I remember when Netflix was a DVD rental service, ah well, if they want to give it a go, why not.
I did like Bandersnatch so maybe they should go in to FMV games to start, talk to Welsh Interactive (Gamer Girl/Five Dates)

please no...Netflix are outright child predator supporters....like stop they should be thrown in jail plus the illegal crap they support like a certain documentary making Christians look like the bad people towards a certain terriost group that will not be named lol.

But really tho please let Netflix die..

They should hire devs who worked on CD-i games.