Netflix appears to be ramping up its hiring efforts for some sort of expansion into gaming, according to a new report. The streaming giant is reportedly looking to hire an executive to oversee this gaming initiative with multiple executives within the industry already approached to see if they’d be interested in the position. Netflix has dabbled in gaming-like areas in the past, so this sort of transition won’t be a particularly surprising one if it plays out like Netflix is apparently hoping it will.

The Information reported on the supposed plans for Netflix’s gaming endeavors and said the streaming company was already talking to “veteran game industry executives” about joining Netflix. The report cited sources familiar with the matter with the information about Netflix’s plans, but many details about the gaming efforts aren’t yet finalized.

While The Information’s report is behind a paywall, Reuters offered some more insights into Netflix’s plans by condensing the report. Whatever avenue Netflix may try to pursue, it has apparently already been decided that the games to come from this plan would not feature advertising. It was also suggested that Netflix was looking into a bundle model similar to how Apple Arcade packages its games from other developers and publishers into one subscription.

That’s about where the information on the matter dried up, but the details about how games will be offered and which will be included in whatever that offering is are the details prospective subscribers will want to know the most about. Services like Apple Arcade, Google Stadia, and Xbox Game Pass have introduced new and innovative ways to access games rather than just paying for individual products outright, and one would think Netflix’s streaming model and size makes the platform a prime candidate for a similar opportunity.

Outside of these plans, Netflix has already dipped into gaming and other forms of interactive entertainment in the past. Take Stranger Things for example, a series which has continued to be a strong performer for Netflix and has been adapted into more than one video game over the years. One of the latest of those, Stranger Things 3: The Game, was developed in part and published by Netflix. Netflix also offers forms of interactive programs on its streaming platform and has been hiring in recent years to create more interactive entertainment like Bandersnatch.

Update: A Netflix spokesperson sent over the following comment after publication.

“Our members value the variety and quality of our content. It’s why we’ve continually expanded our offering - from series to documentaries, film, local language originals and reality TV. Members also enjoy engaging more directly with stories they love - through interactive shows like Bandersnatch and You v. Wild, or games based on Stranger Things, La Casa de Papel and To All the Boys. So we’re excited to do more with interactive entertainment.”

Posted: May 23, 2021 8:50 am
Related Forum: PC Gaming Forum

Source: https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/netflix-gaming-expansion-hiring-executive/