Netflix is looking to hire an executive to oversee its expansion into gaming, a person familiar with the matter told The Information, a sign that it is ramping up efforts to grow beyond its traditional business as streaming competition intensifies. The move comes at a time when the video gaming industry has benefited from a surge in demand from gamers staying at home during the pandemic.
The streamer has experimented with interactive programming in the past with movies such as “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” and “You vs. Wild,” that enabled viewers to decide the characters’ moves. It has also created games based on shows such as “Stranger Things” and “La casa de Papel”.
"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 vs. 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," a Netflix spokesperson told TechRadar.
The Information reported earlier on Friday that Netflix had discussed offering a bundle of games similar to Apple's online subscription offering, Apple Arcade, as an option. While the details of the company’s games strategy are still very much in flux, it has decided that the games will not feature advertising, the report said.
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