Netflix has been experimenting with gaming for several years now, but its approach has been somewhat scattershot. The service has launched indie darlings, streaming tie-ins, and blockbuster ports, as well as made attempts at original AAA games and explored cloud streaming. With the recent appointment of Alain Tascan, former executive VP of game development at Fortnite maker Epic Games, as Netflix's new president of games, the company is shifting its focus towards a more intentional release strategy and plans to become platform agnostic.
A Broader Focus on Gaming Categories
Tascan believes that finding a clear voice in the gaming industry requires focusing on specific categories. These include narrative games, like its interactive fiction titles tied to Netflix reality shows, along with multiplayer party games and games aimed at kids. Rounding out the quartet is what Netflix calls "mainstream" releases, which basically means anything with the potential for a huge audience.
"We need to find our voice," Tascan explains it. The strategy involves identifying games that fit into these four categories and then expanding from there. For example, when it comes to narrative games, Netflix has already shown success with its interactive fiction titles tied to Netflix reality shows. With multiplayer party games, the service aims to create experiences that are both fun and social.
Scaling Back on AAA Titles
Tascan also acknowledges that scaling back in some areas is necessary for this new strategy. Last year, Netflix shut down an internal studio focused on AAA titles, helmed by industry veterans from franchises like Halo and God of War, before it even released a game.
Becoming the Netflix of Games
The eventual goal is to become, well, the Netflix of games - a sort of one-stop shop where it's fast and easy to find something new to play. Part of achieving that is having a broad range of games meant to appeal to Netflix's existing audience and potential new subscribers.
However, just as important, according to Tascan, is reducing the friction to playing games. Unlike a Netflix show, which simply involves pressing play, getting into a game involves more steps, like finding it in an app store and downloading it.
Platform Agnosticity: The Next Frontier
Tascan wants the service's gaming efforts to eventually be playable "instantaneously" and make them platform agnostic, meaning you can play them on any device. Right now, due to a combination of technical hurdles and app store restrictions, the process isn't exactly smooth.
Aiming for a Smooth Experience
"Being accessible instantaneously on any screen is the ultimate goal," Tascan says. "I'm coming from a world where I've seen success by taking walls down. Fortnite was one of the first games to really do cross-play, and I feel that was one of the big reasons for its success."
Key Milestones Ahead
A Potential Game-Changer?
"I hope that some of the offerings we have at the end of the year will create this type of moment," he says, referring to the Travis Scott concert in Fortnite, a moment that took players by surprise and permeated pop culture in a way that games rarely do.