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Entertainment Games

Netflix Looking To Hire Executive for Gaming Expansion (reuters.com) 34

Posted by msmash from the shape-of-things-to-come dept.
Netflix is looking to hire an executive to oversee its expansion into videogames, The Information reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Reuters: The company has approached veteran game industry executives in recent weeks, the report said. The move comes at a time when the video-streaming pioneer is stepping up efforts to grow beyond its traditional business as competition heats up and subscriber growth slows. The gaming industry has been a big pandemic winner thanks to a surge in demand from customers staying at home during the crisis.
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Netflix Looking To Hire Executive for Gaming Expansion More

Netflix Looking To Hire Executive for Gaming Expansion

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  • The gaming industry has been a big pandemic winner thanks to a surge in demand from customers staying at home during the crisis.

    Yep, and Johnny-come-lately Netflix will release whatever gaming platform they come up with just in time for the end of the pandemic, when people will die to go do anything other than stare at a fucking screen indoors.

  • Stick with what you know (Score:5, Informative)

    by nehumanuscrede ( 624750 ) on Friday May 21, 2021 @11:30AM (#61407394)

    Netflix going into the gaming industry is akin to the Telecoms going into the streaming video industry.
    ( Tip: The latter didn't work out well )

    Focus on making your core product better vs trying to be the jack of all trades and you'll probably end up in a better place in the long run.
    ( You're not going to easily compete with the established game distribution industry )

    • > Focus on making your core product better

      They didn't get all up in GameFly's business for this reason. But apparently their eternal-growth business plan crashed recently so they're changing tactics. Next thing you know, popunder ads will reappear.

    • Well the problem with Netflix isn't that their product is any worse than the competition, it is that creating a streaming service is now rather cheap compared to last decade. So all the studios are making their own. So they get more money out of their content. Compared to having to agree to Netflix's rate and terms.

      So now today we need to pay for a bunch of streaming services, and what is on Netflix is becoming more lackluster. So they need to do something to change direction, or they will just slowly di

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Bodie1 ( 1347679 )

        Slight correction. We don't *need* to pay for a bunch of streaming services. Many choose to, however.

        • Well we only *need* things that will prevent us from getting killed.

          However to get things we desire, we often *need* additional prerequisites to be accomplished.

          I desire an expansive and legal movie collection at an affordable rate. to get this I now *Need* to buy additional streaming services to get a collection on par with what I was able to get away with one previously.

          Most of us on Slashdot are adults. You don't *Need* to talk to us like we are a 5 year old, saying how much we need that new toy, that y

        • Slight correction. We don't *need* to pay for a bunch of streaming services. Many choose to, however.

          Thanks, I thought he meant he was going to die if he didn't pay for Disney+.

    • Focus on making your core product better...

      Better? How far down the food chain do you really think the world's dominant streaming provider, really is here? In the big picture of success, they're not exactly a monumental failure. 4K streaming, considerable catalog, and a global CDN that seems to be not merely functional, but reliable.

      (You're not going to easily compete with the established game distribution industry )

      (Blockbuster) "Underestimating their impact on established industries? Don't do that. Trust us."

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by spun ( 1352 )

      I don't know, it makes sense to me. Netflix is a distributor of internet content that contracts with professional teams around the world to produce that content. That's their core competency. Being able to deliver games based on their IP means they can leverage their expertise in managing creative teams world wide, and their expertise in Internet content delivery.

      Netflix is not a studio. They do not make movies or television shows. The buy them, and distribute them. It's not a big jump to buying and distrib

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Joviex ( 976416 )

        Netflix is not a studio. They do not make movies or television shows. The buy them, and distribute them. It's not a big jump to buying and distributing games.

        They dont make TV or Movies? lol, wut?

        Netflix made more films than any other studio. https://www.adn.com/arts/film-... [adn.com]
        that ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^ is working on being two year old news.

        Maybe crawl out from under your rock more often.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by spun ( 1352 )

          I get what you are saying but things that are branded as "Netflix Original Content" are for the most part merely co-produced by them. They work with other studios and slap their "Netflix Original Content" label on it in markets outside the original market. I also wouldn't say "Anchorage Daily News" is a definitive source for entertainment news.

          I mean, would you call Mirimax a studio? Most probably would, but what Harvey Weinstein actually did was cruise the film festival circuit and buy up finished movies,

    • Wait... when was the last time I ordered DVDs through the mail?

  • Netflix isn't wrong. (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    They do need to expand. Once you exhaust their content there isn't any reason to maintain a subscription.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Bodie1 ( 1347679 )

      Long before then because they insist on showing you what they want you to stream that isn't anything youd watch in a million years. Netflix's shining star was it's recommendations, until they broke the system.

    • They do need to expand. Once you exhaust their content there isn't any reason to maintain a subscription.

      They create and license new content constantly.

  • Late to the game? (Score:3)

    by substance2003 ( 665358 ) on Friday May 21, 2021 @12:00PM (#61407494)
    With the vaccination underway and many places now talking about reopening the economy, isn't Netflix a bit late to the party?
    The whole growth in gaming is a direct result of confinements across the world. By the time Netflix is ready to deploy, the demand may actually decrease.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Huitzil ( 7782388 )
      I work for a videogame company, one of the really big ones. None of the big games are seeing much negative impact from post covid re-openings, maybe a shift in engagement patterns to less weekday engagement - but what you have to consider is the massive expansion in PC and tablet ownership in households. Whereas in the past you'd maybe have one or two PCs at home, now every kid has a Google Chromebook that they use in large part for gaming. Also, preferences and proficiency towards online experiences sh
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  • Both are large companies trying to break into the gaming space and so far have fallen flat on their faces. I can see Netflix jumping into the cloud gaming-as-a-service arena, it makes perfect sense, they already have a large amount of distributed infrastructure all over the country. That said competition is already high in this space with offerings from NVidia, Microsoft, Google, Sony, and even Amazon. What will Netflix bring that those other's do not? Stadia so far has been a giant bust since consumers

    • Honestly, I think even MMOs might even be a bit difficult. Most of the biggest MMOs are either part of a franchise with years of history (FFXVI, TESO) or are themselves extremely old (RS, WoW, GW2). Even if they make an amazing game, it won't amount to much if the community isn't large enough to be self-sustaining or if they aren't already locked in by the sunk cost of all the time/money put in. Certainly not an impossible hurdle, but I question whether Netflix has the kind of clout to make it happen.

      • Yeah fully agree it's a big ask but for me it's the best answer of what genre of game they could develop an exclusive around that could launch a service unto itself, essentially a console launch. I don't think another team shooter, battle royale or MOBA is going to do anything to really move the needle on that type of service.

        I can't imagine that they would just be interested in becoming standard publisher/studio and develop single player or narrative adventures since that would basically require putting t

    • they already have a large amount of distributed infrastructure all over the country.

      In the beginning, they did have a sizeable distribution network-- of physical media. When they went online, they built on top of AWS. Public cloud. AWS is only so happy to help Disney and Netflix's other competitors build out a similar streaming system on top of their infrastructure. Netflix doesn't enjoy a barrier to entry here.

      For the past two years, Netflix's dominance has been its existing subscriber base and it has b

      • True, maybe I am remembering when Netflix was earlier in streaming and they were putting their own hardware in datacenters around the country to lower traffic costs. They maybe scaled back on that and lean on AWS and other providers now which makes the modulus a bit different as you said.

        I think they have to go clientless to be successful. Part of their success today is the fact a person never needed a "Netflix Box" and I think we have a graveyard of devices that tried and failed to make gaming inroads wi

  • more things like Black Mirror - Bandersnatch ?
    or not as good like Silent Steel

  • Considering all the perverted pro-pedo content those freaks put out in the video section, I can't wait to see what pervy games they come up with. I assume all creepy Japanese ones as a cover?
  • I don't know about you guys - but think about how meta it'd be if you could actually play the Black Mirror videogames. Especially on AR/VR. In all seriousness though, I'm not sure traditional videogames will stick with Netflix. But they do own massive IP, and that may be an edge.
  • It’s about time. Tv and moving streaming is saturated, and Netflix will need to offer more serviced without charging additional money to stay competitive like Amazon did with Prime Video which is free for anyone with a Prime free shipping account.
  • Does Netflix exist in China?
  • Working for netflix with the coronavirus is such a shitty pleasure. If I were you, I would quit this job and find another long-distance job. Yes, it is not so easy to do now, as the excitement is great for this kind of work, but still, if you really want to, then click this link [jooble.org]. I think the jooble site can find such a job.

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