Netflix wants to enter the gaming industry in a big way, but it looks like it won’t be that easy for them…

Slowly but surely, Netflix has begun to increase its presence in the gaming industry. They first appeared in the mobile space (iOS/Android), but then opened a AAA studio in Los Angeles, California about two years ago. Chacko Sonny, the former executive producer of Overwatch, became the head of the studio. The goal was to create a first-person action-RPG for PC (and presumably consoles), so several game industry veterans joined the team.

Joe Staten (writer and creative director on several Halo titles, but also worked on ReCore and Crackdown) and Raf Grassetti (art director at Sony Santa Monica, worked on God of War) joined the elite Netflix team. But it was all for nothing, as Netflix announced that “Team Blue” (the studio’s internal name) was no longer needed.

Alain Tascan (formerly executive VP of game development at Epic Games) became Netflix’s head of new games in July. He also brought in Jeet Shroff, who became vice president of technology and portfolio development (and who also came from Epic, where he was vice president of game development). The new management team has started to shake up the games division, as Business Insider reports that around 35 people left in Tuscan’s move, but Stephen Totilo says it was less than that.

Meanwhile, their other studios (Night School, known for Oxenfree, or Next Games, Spry Fox, and Boss Fight Entertainment) continue to operate smoothly. But these teams are mostly focused on mobile, so we have to ask: how big of a problem is there at Netflix if their AAA console/PC development team is gone?

Google also set the bar high with Stadia Games & Entertainment, which acquired ONE team, and before Stadia folded, they were done, bringing NOTHING to the table. Netflix doesn’t have the gaming know-how either…?

Source: WCCFTech, Business Insider