Netflix Games on big IPs, party games and a bold new vision
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A recent panel at GDC saw Netflix Games president Alain Tascan and vice president of games technology and portfolio development Jeet Shroff discussing what’s next for the platform and its gaming ambitions.
The discussion covered Netflix’s evolving games strategy, upcoming projects, and the challenges the industry faces.
To get things started, Tascan touched on why Netflix is in the game business, stating that their mission is to “entertain the world” and that games were a natural next step in the platforms vision and that games can keep people engaged.
“We are not yet the Netflix of games but that’s where we are headed”
Alain Tascan
“We still have a lot of work to do on the gaming side, but we stay humble. It’s just the beginning, and we need to scale and build our gaming business. We are not yet the Netflix of games but that’s where we are headed, we have, depending on who you ask, 3.23 to 4 million people playing games globally,” said Tascan.
Focus areas
During the panel, Shroff outlined a change in Netflix’s approach to games. Where initially the company was focused on filling out the catalogue with more games, there is now a greater emphasis on maximising reach and innovating the right types of games for the platform.
“We were trying to figure out the best focus areas where we have a right to win, where we can really push the idea of maximising our reach and innovating in what hasn’t been imagined yet. And in the four focus areas that we’ve aligned on, that’s where we really feel we have a right to win.”
“We call them experiences even more than games because we think of it as a place where we can do things that only Netflix can do.”
Alain Tascan
One of those focus areas is in narratives, Tascan notes that “Netflix is the home to some of the world’s best storytelling” and that the platform intends to continue to invest in its Netflix Stories, such as Emily in Paris.
“By the end of the year, we want to offer experiences, but also engage deeply on an emotional level with the phone as a controller and really explore what we can do. We call them experiences even more than games because we think of it as a place where we can do things that only Netflix can do.”
“Another focus area is party games” says Shroff. “This is more of a push in the idea of games on TV, which we see as being sort of the largest real estate of entertainment where a family or friends experience entertainment, and with the party games as a focus area, we really want to reimagine what social, engaging experiences can unfold in the living room.”
Tascan commented, “Another area of focus is being a destination for kids, where their favourite words come to life in interactive experiences. We believe that for parents, having a safe place offering high-quality games and experiences is something very interesting.”
Industry challenges, disruption and AI
Throughout the rest of the year and beyond, we can expect to see Netflix focus on more mainstream recognisable games properties, with Tascan commenting on the already popular launch of Squid Games Unleashed and how they intend to expand with IPs such as bringing WWE 2k to mobile through Netflix.
Tascan also touched on headwinds we’re seeing through the likes of rising costs and other industry challenges, “In the last 10 years, we haven’t seen a lot of disruption in terms of distribution or in terms of format and gameplay. Nothing is guaranteed if we continue doing the same stuff. We have an opportunity to drive real disruption and real innovation.”
When asked about exploring generative AI in game development, Tascan stated that Netflix has a small team reaching generative AI and exploring how this technology may be able to improve game development efficiency.
Future focus
In the Q&A section toward the end of the session, Tascan answered how he feels about the platform’s games’ progress so far, “We have our own set of KPIs, for example, we were number one action game in 107 countries, it’s important to get those numbers. But so far, we are not satisfied, we see a lot of friction.
We have the friction of discovery, the friction of the app stores when we’re talking about mobile and the friction of being a subscription.”
Tascan continued: “So what we are trying to do is go after these friction points and try to eliminate them or reduce them as much as possible. What we hope is that by the end of the year, we will have experiences that will be enjoyed by millions of people.”
“So what we are trying to do is go after these friction points and try to eliminate them or reduce them as much as possible.”
Alain Tascan
Finally, the session also explored the possibility of Netflix games on consoles, which Tascan didn’t rule out but also stated that the younger generation may not be as focused on traditional game consoles, saying that players are “willing and wanting to interact with anything interactive, a digital screen wherever it is.”
Looking ahead, Netflix will be rolling out new games and updates for the likes of Squid Game Unleashed, with other new projects from Spry Fox and Next Games.
