Netflix has joined the world of video gaming as it purchased its first game development team, Night School Studio.
Netflix confirmed earlier this week that it had acquired the studio behind 2016’s award-winning Oxenfree. Vice President of Game Development Mike Verdu announced the streaming giant’s foray into video gaming in a statement made on the company's website. Verdu stated, "We’re in the early stages of creating a great gaming experience for our members around the world. So we’re excited to announce today Night School Studio is joining Netflix."
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Verdu’s statement suggests that Netflix will be offering games to consumers via its existing subscription service, although it is currently unclear if the games will be available to download, or provided as part of a cloud streaming service similar to Sony’s PlayStation Now subscription.
Founder and director of Night School Studio, Sean Krankel addressed the new partnership in a blog post. Krankel writes, "Of course, it’s a surreal honor to be the first games studio to join Netflix! Not only do we get to keep doing what we do, how we like to do it, but we get a front-row seat on the biggest entertainment platform in the world."
Krankel went on to discuss the sequel to Oxenfree, which was announced earlier this year, titled Oxenfree II: Lost Signals. Krankel was quick to reassure fans that the acquisition will not negatively affect the game’s development, writing, "The Netflix team has shown the utmost care for protecting our studio culture and creative vision. We’ll keep making OXENFREE II. We’ll keep cooking up new game worlds."
Netflix has already dipped its toes into the gaming industry, releasing two games based on its popular series Stranger Things, for android users in Poland. In a statement regarding the release, Netflix promised it is dedicated to the quality of its gaming releases, confirming it will not make use of in-game advertisements. A spokesperson said, "It’s still very, very early days and we will be working hard to deliver the best possible experience in the months ahead with our no ads, no in-app purchases approach to gaming."
The company has also dabbled with interactive storytelling in the past, with its release of the Black Mirror episode "Bandersnatch," in which viewers are able to make decisions for the main character, and determine the outcome of the story. Telltale Games' Minecraft: Story Mode, an interactive series adapted from the original video game, is also available on the service.
Netflix has become the latest company to partner with a development team, as game studio acquisitions continue to be prevalent within the industry. Perhaps the most notable being Microsoft’s $7.5 billion acquisition of Bethesda Game Studios, which was completed in March 2021.
Source: Variety