Media and entertainment giant Netflix is no longer dabbling in the games industry but stepping up its efforts to launch a studio.
The game studio is headquartered in Helsinki, like the characters in Money Heist. Well, of course, Helsinki, Finland, to be precise. Given Netflix’s previous investments in the country, such as its acquisition of Finnish game developer Next Games earlier this year. The media giant also claims that Finland is home to some of the best gaming talent in the world.
Joining Next Games in the new merger includes: Indie developer Night School Studio (creator of indie gem Oxenfree) and mobile game developer Boss Fight Entertainment, known for his strategy RPG Dungeon Boss. Each studio will focus on different areas of specialization in order to develop games that “suit the diverse tastes of its members.” Marko Lastikka was also announced as his director at the studio.
(Netflix) Game Studios Vice President Amir Rahimi said in the announcement: In app purchases — for hundreds of millions of members worldwide. ”
No stranger to the video game industry, Netflix has its own in-app games tab, included free with memberships, featuring indie games like Oxenfree, various Stranger Things mobile games, and my My personal favorite, Exploding Kittens – The Game, is just a few examples.
It begs the question. Will Netflix plan to focus exclusively on mobile-specific titles, or will there be something akin to Amazon Games Studios, complete with AAA-developed games such as New World? It’s too early to tell, but it will be interesting to see how this story develops in the coming months.
