Netflix Acquires First Gaming Studio For Exclusives
Netflix has been making the bold step into gaming over the past few months - slowly edging its way into the industry before preparing to blow the doors clean off of it. The overseas rollout of the gaming section in the Netflix app has gone down a treat so far, and the company is starting to bolster its gaming division considerably.
It’s only a matter of time until Netflix gaming on TVs and consoles will be an integral part of the streaming service, and it makes its attempt to take over the gaming world. And now, Netflix is starting to seriously invest, as it has bought its first-ever video game developer. It's something of an indie, darling.
Netflix Acquires Oxenfree Devs, Night School Studio
Click to enlargeFor its first developer purchase, Netflix has acquired Night School Studio. For those of you who don't know, Night School is the team of developers behind the indie hit Oxenfree and its upcoming sequel, Lost Signals.
The streaming service has suggested that it's excited to work with more developers to create more exclusive games for Netflix users.
“We’ll continue working with developers around the world and hiring the best talent in the industry to deliver a great collection of exclusive games designed for every kind of gamer and any level of play", said Netflix’s vice president of game development, Miker Verdu. "Like our shows and films, these games will all be included as part of your Netflix membership - all with no ads and no in-app purchases. Stay tuned for more."
Night School Studio Founder Calls Acquisition A ‘Natural Pairing’
Click to enlargeIt looks like Night School is very happy about the new venture too.
"Netflix gives film, TV, and now game makers an unprecedented canvas to create and deliver excellent entertainment to millions of people", said the company’s founder, Sean Krankel. "Our explorations in narrative gameplay and Netflix’s track record of supporting diverse storytellers was such a natural pairing. It felt like both teams came to this conclusion instinctively...
"It’s a surreal honour to be the first games studio to join Netflix… The Netflix team has shown the utmost care for protecting our studio culture and creative vision."
What a relief to know Night School hasn’t simply been absorbed by the streaming conglomerate just yet, and that the integrity of the studio has been maintained. Unfortunately, the industry standard has made it easy to expect the worst at this stage.
This could be a great step for both Netflix and Night School - and maybe as a result, Oxenfree could be the first fully-fledged game to come to the service.
