Expect to see more Netflix games, and more unique games from Netflix, in the not-so-distant future, as the streaming juggernaut is expanding its current catalogue of RPG games and arcade games by establishing its own development studio in Helsinki, Finland. Zynga’s vice president Marko Lastikka will be the studio’s director.
Netflix’s news comes a few months after the company acquired Next Games, Boss Fight Entertainment, and Night School Studio.
“This is another step in our vision to build a world-class games studio that will bring a variety of delightful and deeply engaging original games — with no ads and no in-app purchases — to our hundreds of millions of members around the world,” Amir Rahimi, Netflix’s vice president of game studios, said in a press release.
“It’s still early days, and we have much more work to do to deliver a great games experience on Netflix. Creating a game can take years, so I’m proud to see how we’re steadily building the foundation of our games studios in our first year, and look forward to sharing what we produce in the coming years.”
Netflix’s first foray into games involved publishing existing titles such as Oxenfree, Into the Breach, and Dungeon Dwarves, and letting subscribers access them for free as part of their existing subscription plan. Rahimi made no mention of what games or genres the new, unnamed studio might focus on or what its inaugural project may be.
He did say the new studio will help cater to the “diverse tastes” of Netflix’s audience, so it sounds like Netflix has plans to cover some new ground.
If you’re after some more games that won’t cost you a dime, check out our picks for the best free games on PC and best free games on Steam for some cost effective fun that doesn’t skimp on substance.