Ex-Netflix VP Mike Verdu and Zynga founder Mark Pincus form AI games startup Playful.AI
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Former Netflix Games VP Mike Verdu has formed a new AI startup called Playful.AI with Zynga founder Mark Pincus.
Pincus and Verdu will act as co-CEOs, with a registry filing seen by PocketGamer.biz also naming the latter as the firm’s CFO. Former Netflix GenAI for games director Richard Sun, meanwhile, has joined as chief technology officer.
The company aims to “reinvent game development and game experiences with AI”. It’s listed as based in San Francisco, California.
Formation of the new startup comes a couple months after Verdu departed Netflix Games. Having previously headed up the division since 2021, last year he was replaced in the role by former Epic Games EVP of development Alain Tascan as president.
“Unlimited potential”
Verdu moved into the role of VP of GenAI for games, where he said he was working to drive “a once in a generation inflection point” for game development and player experiences using generative AI. He claimed the tech could be used to speed up development and offer new types of experiences.
“I am focused on a creator-first vision for AI, one that puts creative talent at the centre, with AI being a catalyst and an accelerant,” he said back in November last year.
“AI will enable big game teams to move much faster, and will also put an almost unimaginable collection of new capabilities in the hands of developers in smaller game teams.”
He added: “I don’t think I’ve been this excited about an opportunity in this industry since the 90s, when we saw a new game launch every few months that redefined what was possible.
“It was an incredible time to be making games as talented creators showed all of us what the future looked like. Guess what? We’re back to those days of seemingly unlimited potential and the rapid pace of innovation, which resulted in mind-blowing surprises for players every few months.”
Verdu left the streaming giant earlier this year before officially founding his new startup.
Pincus is the founder of Zynga. He led the company from its Facebook gaming heyday with FarmVille and through its IPO before stepping down from the role of CEO in 2013. He briefly returned to the position in 2015 before ex-EA Mobile EVP Frank Gibeau was appointed as chief exec a year later.
We’ve reached out for more details on Playful.AI’s plans.
