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News other 15 July 2021, 12:26

author: Iltutmis

Netflix Will Offer Game Streaming Starting Next Year

Netflix is currently the most popular streaming platform in the world. It will probably expand to video game streaming starting next year. For this purpose, it has hired a former employee of EA and Oculus.

IN A NUTSHELL:
  • Netflix's offer will probably include video games next year;
  • A former employee of Oculus and Electronic Arts will be responsible for supervising the project;
  • So far, expanding the offer with video games is not to be associated with an increase in prices of services offered by Netflix.

Most likely within the next year, we'll see Netflix offering video games ready to be streamed to our devices. I wonder how the VOD service will deal with the new market. The company already has some experience in this industry - over the years a number of games based on popular series produced by Netflix have been released.

Bloomberg reports that Netflix has hired Mike Verdu, a former Oculus and EA employee, as vice president of game development as part of the initiative. Verdu was previously in charge of virtual and augmented reality games and content at Facebook, where he worked with people developing new models of Oculus VR goggles. Meanwhile, Verdu led EA Mobile and oversaw subordinate studios responsible for such productions as Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, Plants vs. Zombies and SimCity BuildIt.

Changes related to the arrival of video games on Netflix

Netflix will not create a separate platform for video games. The titles from the upcoming offer of the giant will be playable directly from the current service. What's important, the offer expanded by video games will not be associated with increased price.

Expanding its catalog to include another digital entertainment medium is a smart move on Netflix's part. VOD platforms have increased in numbers in recent years. Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Apple TV, HBO Max - these are just examples of the growing competition. Information about the first steps of the company's development in this direction was published in May this year. At the time, Netflix's spokesperson commented:

"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, (...) or games (...). So we’re excited to do more with interactive entertainment."