The widely used streaming platform Netflix has decided to diversify its services and tell some of their stories in video game format. They began the process by buying Indie Night School Studio, and are already beginning to roll out games on all platforms. 

     The California-based studio has made a few titles individually, the most popular of which is the supernatural mystery game ‘Oxenfree’, which is reported by venturebeat.com to have pushed the boundaries of storytelling.

     Netflix plans to hire additional creators, revealing in July that they already have former Oculus and EA game developer Mike Verdu, who also previously worked with Facebook in virtual reality content. 

     However, Gavin Lewis, Senior, is not so optimistic about Netflix’s new approach to storytelling. “As big as a company that Netflix is, I don’t think it has the budget to focus on making high-quality games, TV Shows, and movies,” Lewis said, disagreeing with the company’s choices. 

     “Netflix tends to hype things up only for them to be a letdown,” Lewis continues. “If it did flop I wouldn’t really hold it against them. It would be more of a let down for them than for me.”

     They have already hinted at going down the path of game development in the past, with their interactive shows such as Minecraft Story Mode and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch that both create a game-like experience. “We view gaming as another new content category for us, similar to our expansion into original films, animation, and unscripted TV,” the company wrote in their shareholder letter, describing the uprising of their new platform. 

     Gaming has become a powerhouse in the entertainment industry, notably since the pandemic and quarantine, growing more rapidly than any form of entertainment and media, according to the PwC. Netflix has decided to not only release mobile games but move to console and pc as well. 

     Netflix has already begun releasing some mobile games in Poland,  as stated by businessinsider.com. There is now a gaming tab in their app that includes several titles such as “Stranger Things: 1984” and “Stranger Things 3”,  a pixel adventure based on the widely successful Netflix original series of the same name.   

     This is not the only streaming entertainment company that is expanding their services into the  gaming industry. Apple, creators of Apple TV,  within the last few years has been developing Apple Arcade, a mobile gaming service that allows many free games with a subscription. Amazon prime video has invested in Luna, a cloud gaming service that will be releasing its titles in the future. However, Netflix has made the unique decision of allowing their games to come ad-free with an account membership, whereas others are separate platforms and products, requiring separate memberships, according to cnet.com.