Netflix video games boss says consoles no longer the future as streamer appears to be like to phone-controlled event video games

Following Netflix’s cautious initial years in the gaming industry — during which it sought to expand its game library, acquire studios, and experiment with high-budget productions before drastically shifting its strategy — the streaming service’s current gaming head, Alain Tascan, has articulated the company’s latest vision. He suggests this future focus is less about traditional consoles and more centered on mobile-controlled interactive games.

Tascan, a 30-year industry veteran who most recently served as the executive vice president of game development at Legendary Games, joined Netflix last July, taking over from Mike Verdu, who briefly moved to vice president of generative AI at Netflix before leaving the company. Now, with nine months of experience at the streaming platform, Tascan has shared his gaming vision at this year’s Game Developers Conference (GDC).

As reported by The Game Industry, his vision adopts a multi-faceted approach, emphasizing storytelling and transmedia projects, targeting significant mainstream intellectual properties, acting as a trusted vacation option for families, and occasionally offering games played on televisions with mobile devices serving as controllers.

This last point, as Tascan perceives it, represents Netflix’s attempt at a Wii-style market “disruption.” “I really appreciate the Wii,” he mentioned to The Game Industry. “I’m quite enthusiastic about minimizing friction and eliminating it where possible. I also view the subscription model as a form of friction—perhaps a beneficial one since it makes business sense… However, other frictions include the need for multiple controllers for families, the potential expense of hardware, and delays while downloading games. I’m examining all these barriers and considering how we can minimize them as much as we can.”

Therefore, it may not be surprising that Tascan dismissed the conventional console model. “[Regarding] consoles, we started envisioning a future where the platform is agnostic,” he stated. “Consider the younger generation. Are kids aged eight and ten dreamily wishing for a PlayStation 6? I’m not convinced. They desire to engage with any digital screen, regardless of the location, even in cars. When thinking about consoles, it focuses on high definition and controllers… Adhering to this older model, I believe, will limit us.”

Tascan also appears doubtful about the traditional console-style games offering significant value for Netflix—this might help clarify why the streaming service recently laid off staff at the well-regarded Oxenfree developer Night School Studio, and why it shut down its prominent AAA studio before it could release a game last year. “Do we really need these highly complex RPG-style games?,” he questioned in conversation with The Game Industry. “There is definitely a place for them, but what fascinates me is… What can we offer [Netflix subscribers] and in what manner that allows them to enjoy and engage with [games] repeatedly?”

The answer to this question appears to be interactive games. “I believe we can provide immediate enjoyment by utilizing the mobile device as a remarkably innovative controller,” Tascan elaborated. “O