Netflix’s gaming strategy to date has been scattershot. Since Netflix gaming debuted in 2021, the streamer has launched indie darlings, streaming tie-ins, and blockbuster ports. There have been studio acquisitions, attempts at original AAA games, and experiments with cloud streaming. A few years on, it’s not entirely clear what the strategy is — or if […]
Spirit Crossing.
Netflix’s gaming strategy to date has been scattershot. Since Netflix gaming debuted in 2021, the streamer has launched indie darlings, streaming tie-ins, and blockbuster ports. There have been studio acquisitions, attempts at original AAA games, and experiments with cloud streaming. A few years on, it’s not entirely clear what the strategy is — or if it’s really working.
So when Alain Tascan, former executive VP of game development at Fortnite maker Epic Games, joined as Netflix’s new president of games last year, his assessment was to “readjust and focus on fewer areas with more intention.†As he explains it: “we need to find our voice.â€
According to Tascan, that means focusing on games that fit into one of four categories. These include narrative games, like its interactive fiction titles tied to Netflix reality shows, along with multiplayer party games and games aimed at kids. Rounding out the quartet is what Netflix calls “mainstream†releases, which basically means anything with the potential for a huge audience. That could be a licensed tie-in like last year’s Squid Game: Unleashed or original games like the just-announced Spirit Crossing, an ambit …