A flurry of announcements from Netflix today:
- Monument Valley 1+2 are coming to Netflix in 2024, with “more to come” from that series soon
- Super Evil Megacorp is working with Netflix to develop a major new IP pitched as a ‘transmedia’ franchise
- Netflix re-stated it is looking at cloud gaming so that “games can be played wherever you have Netflix”
- It is working with partners on 70 games, 40 of which launch this year
- 16 more games are being developed internally
- Ubisoft’s Mighty Quest: Rogue Palace launches April 18
As part of a press briefing last week, Netflix also appeared to be teasing Monument Valley 3. As we revealed a year ago, that game is being directed by Sybo and Disney veteran Jennifer Estaris, and is likely to be themed around green issues.
Netflix said that the first two games are coming next year, and there was “more to come” from the franchise soon. Later in the briefing Ustwo Games CEO Maria Sayans said: “What comes after that? Well, we’ll have more news on that in due time, so stay tuned.”
Super Evil Megacorp CEO Kristian Segerstrale was also present to announce what was described as a “big bet” for Netflix: a brand new transmedia IP.
Segerstrale said the game would involve “team based, really fluid combat with friends,” and that it is a “brand new game based on an upcoming Netflix IP”. It is early in development, he noted.
“It allows us to build much bigger worlds than in our previous titles and be a transmedia pioneer of sorts,” Segerstrale continued. “Partnering with Netflix gives us the opportunity to build something much bigger than a single game, and build it simultaneously with a broader IP universe that we’re just super excited about.”
“We think that transmedia, where IP transcends linear media, interactive media and just offers a total entertainment experience, is an important part of where gaming is heading in the future and we want to be at the very forefront of that,” he added.
Netflix external games boss Leanne Loombe said of the Super Evil Megacorp project: “It’s a big bet for us and we are very much focused on creating an ecosystem around the streaming content and the game.”
Loombe also talked of eventually bringing Netflix games to PC and TV screens through the cloud.
“We are working on our own cloud streaming technology, so that is underway,” she said. “We are very early in that side of our journey, but we are very committed to making sure that games can be played wherever you have Netflix, essentially. And we do believe that cloud gaming will enable us to provide that easy access to games on any screen and be frictionless and provide that accessibility into gaming experiences.”
“But we do definitely want to be super thoughtful about how we build that and how we bring it to our members,” she added. “So just like we’re doing for mobile games, we will take it slow, but that is definitely underway. Our overall vision is that our members can play games on any Netflix device that they have.”
Loombe also elaborated on how Netflix is using its owned IP in games. “We want to go beyond the TV and the film experiences, and allow our members to stay longer with those characters in the worlds they love so much within a gaming experience,” she said.
Nanobit game Too Hot To Handle was cited as an example of this, which launched alongside the TV show and featured new weekly content. Loombe confirmed that there will be a new Too Hot To Handle game coming with the next series, as the first performed so well.
Finally, the second title in a three-game deal with Ubisoft, Mighty Quest: Rogue Palace, was confirmed for April 18. It follows the release of Valiant Hearts: Coming Home in January, but there was no further detail on the third game in the Ubisoft deal, an Assassin’s Creed title.
