As reported by The Information, Netflix is looking to add gaming executives to the company with the potential end-goal of an online subscription gaming bundle. Separate reports from Axios say Netflix’s gaming bundle would be similar to Apple Arcade, but smaller, and “feature a mix of licensed Netflix intellectual property and original work from independent studios.” A gaming service from Netflix wouldn’t be launched until possibly next year, but nothing has been confirmed. Netflix is already the number one video streaming service with 200 million subscribers, so it makes sense the company would branch out into what is increasingly becoming another demanding market: the subscription-based gaming world. Subscription-based gaming isn’t anything new, and there are already several companies making a name for themselves in the market. Google Stadia is one example, though it failed to really make an early impression since it lacked content, and too much ambition led to shutting down its internal development team, Stadia Games and Entertainment (SG&E), in February. Still, the company is focusing on the platform rather than making games, and experts say it has plenty of promise. Then there’s Apple Arcade, which gives users access to over 180 games for $5 per month, with a focus on “casual” pick-up-and-play games. The tech giant expanded its gaming platform last month by adding 30 new games and two new game categories.
