From DVDs to production & streaming, and now into gaming, Netflix appears to be taking a significant leap toward the future. The streaming company is expanding its stronghold over mobile games by establishing its own in-house video game studio in Helsinki, Finland.
Netflix released this information following a significant decline in Netflix’s subscriber base and stock price in 2022.
According to Amir Rahimi, Netflix’s VP of Game Studios, Marko Lastikka, an experienced executive from gaming giant Zynga and Electronic Arts, will lead the new game firm. He has recently worked on the Farmville franchise in Zynga’s Helsinki branch.
The decision to establish the new studio in Helsinki, he continued, was made because the city “is home to some of the top game talents in the world.“
With this news, Netflix now has four gaming studios in total. The business has also previously purchased Night School Studio and Boss Fight Entertainment in addition to Next Games.
Users have been enjoying Netflix games since last year. With 32 games available, the streaming giant has had 30 million downloads worldwide. Both “Stranger Things: 1984” and “Queen’s Gambit Chess,” which are based on the Netflix series, are included in the collection.
Netflix games can be installed and played on mobile devices, such as Android phones and tablets, iPhones, iPad, and iPod Touch, but they are not yet available on other consoles. By the end of the year, Netflix plans to add 50 new games to its platform.
The company hasn’t revealed further information about its intentions for its new Helsinki studio, such as the number of employees it expects to have or the kinds of projects it will work on in the coming months. But still, it has promised to do so in the future.
