Netflix Establishes In-House Game Studio

Netflix is trying to branch out into other forms of media.

Netflix is trying to branch out into other forms of media.

Streaming service Netflix has been on hard times this past year, losing a large swath of subscribers and seeing its stock values drop. This has been due to a combination of factors, including dissatisfaction with the service’s offerings and policies and a general rise of the cost of living in the United States. In an effort to diversify their services, and therefore entice subscribers back to the service, Netflix has opened its very own video game development studio.

The new studio was opened in Helsinki, Finland, where Netflix is hoping to establish a stake in the video game scene, particularly in the massive mobile gaming market.

“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,” Netflix VP of Game Studios Amir Rahimi said on the company’s official blog.

He added that the company chose to establish the studio in Helsinki because Finland is “home to some of the best game talent in the world.”

Netflix is hoping to develop new and interesting games that will someday garner as much attention as their streaming shows and movies. “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,” Rahimi said.