How Netflix wants to bring back game night for the whole family

Netflix is continuously expanding its on sale and is now planning to add party and couch co-op games to its gaming portfolio. This announcement was made as part of the Q4 2024 results, which were presented by co-CEO Greg Peters.

Netflix relies primarily on its own brands for games

In 2023, Netflix began offering cloud gaming as a beta version for a selected group of subscribers. The introduction of party and couch co-op games now represents a further development of this offer. Peters emphasised that these games are intended as a modern twist on the traditional family game night and should therefore offer a new form of shared entertainment.

The exact release dates for these new games have not yet been announced. However, Netflix plans to stream these games directly to TVs via the cloud, which should make them much easier to access and use. This strategy could help Netflix to assert itself in an increasingly competitive market and tap into new target groups. At least that is the aim of the streaming giant. The streaming service will also continue to "focus more on narrative games based on Netflix originals".

Strategic changes in the Netflix gaming division over the past year

Since expanding its gaming offering, Netflix has made some significant changes to its gaming division in recent months. In July 2024, Alain Tascan, a former vice president of Epic Games, took over as head of the division. Tascan brings over 30 years of experience in global video game development and has previously worked on the development of games such as "Fortnite" and "Rocket League". Under his leadership, new key positions have also been filled, including Jeet Shroff as Vice President of Game Technology and Portfolio Development.

In addition, Netflix has decided to divest most of its interactive films and series. From 1 December 2024, only four interactive titles will be available on the platform, including "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend".

In addition, Netflix closed its AAA gaming studio Team Blue in October 2024. The studio, which was led by Chacko Sonny, a former executive producer at Blizzard Entertainment, had not released a game before it closed. In episode 224 of the Tech Affair podcast, my colleagues took a closer look at the topic.