We now have a clearer notion of how Netflix might proceed with its prior announcement that it intended to double the size of its gaming library by the end of the year. Netflix revealed on Monday that it would open a new game studio in Helsinki, Finland. Alongside Next Games, the game developer that Netflix purchased earlier this year for $72 million, the company is being built from the ground up.
Additionally, in September 2021, Netflix acquired Night School Studio, and this past March, it acquired Boss Fight Entertainment, giving it control over four gaming studios in total.
The graphic adventure game Oxenfree, released in early 2016, is the most well-known creation of Night School Studio, which was founded in 2014. Bill Jackson, David Rippy, and Scott Winsett launched Boss Fight Entertainment in 2013, and the company has already released two games.
The most significant acquisition was Next Games. The company, which was established in 2013, is most known for its The Walking Dead-themed gaming series. The business had 120 employees by the end of the previous year, and it had brought in more than $30 million in revenue. Finland, where some of the top game talent in the world is said to reside, is where Next Games is also situated.
Marko Lastikka, who previously worked for Electronic Arts as GM and executive producer before joining Zynga as VP and GM in January 2017, will be in charge of the new studio. According to Netflix, this is another step in their plan to become a top-tier games studio capable of creating enjoyable and captivating games without adverts or in-app payments.
Netflix keeps hammering home the point that the new division is still in its infancy and that making a game can take years. Therefore, the low user involvement for Netflix games shouldn’t cause too much concern. If Netflix wants to maintain the effort, it will eventually need to turn the corner.
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