Netflix Video games boss says the streamer must strive to trigger ‘disruption’

We are situated in a fourth-floor suite in the Metreon building, directly across from the Moscone center in San Francisco. This location has been selected by Netflix Games to articulate its vision for its online gaming division, which has, until now, seemed to lack direction after leadership shifts, studio shutdowns, and staff reductions.

The streaming service has invested years in expanding to break into the market, but according to Netflix Games president Alain Tascan—who is speaking to reporters alongside VP of games and interactive experiences Jeet Shroff—the company “still has a considerable amount of work to accomplish.”

“It’s a journey that we’re embarking on and we need to enlarge and establish our gaming business,” Tascan states. “We aren’t yet the Netflix of Games, but that is precisely the direction we’re heading.”

To achieve that goal, Tascan believes the company must stir things up. The renowned Myth executive, who took over from former Netflix executive Mike Verdu in July 2024, indicates that the gaming industry has entered a period of stagnation and is in urgent need of change.

“I’ve spent many years in the industry and we acknowledge there have been challenges, unfortunately. Some are certainly related to costs […] but I also see that, over the past decade, we haven’t witnessed much disruption in terms of format and gameplay,” he remarks.

Related:Nintendo, Microsoft, EA and others unite to prioritize accessibility messaging

“While nothing is certain, if we keep producing the same content, there is a strong likelihood we’ll achieve the same outcomes. With Netflix and gaming, [we] have an opportunity to generate genuine disruption and authentic innovation regarding how games are distributed, on which platforms, how we interact with them, and how we engage with the community.”

In pursuit of that objective, Tascan asserts that the company needs to build profound connections with gamers by crafting “Only on Netflix” moments. The aspiration is that several of these experiences can be introduced by the end of 2025, offering subscribers—all of whom can access the company’s game library at no added cost—a glimpse of what’s to come.

“[We want to provide people] fresh ways to play and novel methods to experience stories, aiming to blur the lines between linear and interactive. We’ve been saying that for 30 years [in the gaming industry] for the older folks in the room, but I genuinely feel that we are at that point.

“I frequently tell the team that we have a golden ticket, so what are we going to do with it? I truly believe that this is a space where we can experiment and create experiences that will hopefully make history.”

Tascan is confident that success for Netflix would benefit the overall industry, aiding in the creation of a “blue sky in a landscape filled with dark clouds.”

Related:Unity prioritizing AI workflows, greater efficiency, and expanded platform support in 2025

Netflix Games must demonstrate its value or risk being perceived as a “distraction”

Expanding on how Netflix plans to realize that vision, Shroff mentions the company is drawing inspiration from Fortnite.

He explains that the immensely popular battle royale game presents a bit of a paradox, surrounding players with familiar elements of shooting mechanics and multiplayer action while simultaneously providing something distinctly ‘new’ by incorporating metaverse features in the form of character skins and evolving seasons.

That contrast is something Netflix Games aspires to replicate in its own approach.

“It’s likely you’ll see us executing a variety of elements that might be somewhat familiar and recognizable, followed by an element of pushing them into the unexpected and becoming a bit edgy. We want to convey that we are excitedly uncomfortable,” states Shroff.

The familiar could indeed take the form of a title based on prominent properties like Squid Game or a deal that brings a major franchise like Grand Theft Auto to Netflix Games. Both of these concepts have, clearly, already manifested.

These more secure choices could then enable the company to take larger risks concerning new IP—such as Spirit Crossing, the cooperative life simulation revealed by in-house studio Spry Fox earlier today.

Related:‘I’m concerned about the decline of art:’ What will generative AI cost us in the future?

“We genuinely would truly prefer to be purposeful about where we opt to [utilize IP] and how we manage that, then with the unexpected I believe the emphasis will be on innovation,” continues Shroff. “We’re here to truly challenge the limits of what is conceivable. […] We aspire to redefine what you consider a game might also be.”

Shroff believes that Netflix Games must embody a sense of “enthusiasm” in order to progress. Part of that momentum will also lead the company to favor titles that can be experienced on the large screens.

“The other emphasis area is what we’re referring to as party games. We genuinely want to rethink what social interactive experiences can unfold in the living room,” he adds.

The organization aims to capture that market by reasserting the concept of smartphones as adaptable and unique mediums of play—allowing Netflix’s party game experiences to “extend into the living room.”

“With [smartphones] you possess a second screen, you have a gyroscope, and you have a speaker. There are numerous ways to interact—along with the fact that you have information that might only be accessible to you—so as individuals are playing, there is all this incredible social gameplay that can take place,” adds Shroff.

“We’re genuinely looking at expanding the possibilities of what party games—or couch play, as we call it—feels like.”

The size and scope of the family market clearly have not gone unnoticed by Netflix. Tascan clarifies that Netflix Games will be focused on becoming a “destination for kids,” and believes that providing parents with a safe environment packed with high-quality games will be a significant asset.

He shares that 15 percent of the Netflix subscriber base is already engaging with children’s programming, and feels it would be foolish for the company not to consider how its gaming experiences could support that demographic.

It’s clear that Netflix does not plan to alienate any segment of its user base. Tascan expresses a desire for Netflix Games to reach “hundreds of millions of people,” which aligns with Netflix’s broader ambitions.

He states anything less could potentially…”