Is Netflix Games in Trouble?

Published: October 25, 2024

Is Netflix Games in Trouble?

By Movieguide® Contributor

After years of developing its Gaming leg, netflix may be facing the harsh reality of its future in the industry as it closes down its Southern California-based game studio.

The studio, named Team Blue, focused on creating AAA games – high-budget games meant to be industry-leading and attract millions of long-term players. Team Blue was one of two studios built from the ground up by netflix, which has also acquired four established studios.

While netflix has only released games for mobile devices, Team Blue hinted at the company’s desire to further establish itself in the industry, potentially creating PC and console games. Further pointing to this, netflix has also Gaming/news/netflix-shuts-video-game-studio-southern-california-1236186359/">hired multiple veterans of game development including “Overwatch” producer Chacko Sonny, “Halo” director of cinematics Joseph Staten and “God of War” art director Rafael Grassetti. All three have since resigned after Team Blue was shut down.

Despite the closing of Team Blue, netflix remains committed to bringing new games to its mobile library, especially to further develop its popular IPs’ storylines.

netflix-to-expand-Gaming-service-through-hit-shows.html">READ MORE: netflix TO EXPAND Gaming SERVICE THROUGH HIT SHOWS

Nonetheless, Team Blue’s closure also points to the harsh reality of breaking into the Gaming industry. Many large companies already hold monopolies on the main niches of Gaming, and few areas remain for new players to explore, even when they have nearly unlimited resources, like netflix.

Many of netflix’s would-be competitors have already learned this and bowed out of the race before the losses racked up. At the end of last year, TikTok and Amazon both Gaming-content.html">shut down their video game legs after they failed to take off during the pandemic. Meanwhile, YouTube launched Gaming-feature-called-youtube-playables.html">“YouTube Playables” earlier this year, adding games to its platform, but many are old Google Doodle games and the site has done little to advertise them.

While netflix has long claimed video games are part of its long-term strategy, the closure of Team Blue hints that it might not end up being quite as involved in the Gaming industry as it had originally hoped.

netflixs-Gaming-push-pay-off.html">READ MORE: WILL netflix’S Gaming PUSH PAY OFF?