Netflix has announced that it is acquiring Spree Fox, the indie developer behind games like Cozy Grove and Alphabear. The acquisition adds to the kitty of an in-house gaming studio’s streaming services, a move that is likely to shape what Netflix will become over the next few years. Maybe a game streaming company. Also read- Netflix opens new gaming studio to expand cloud gaming
Spree Fox said the acquisition by Netflix will not affect users for now and that the game it publishes will be available for download. “After many heartfelt conversations, we are all excited to join Netflix as an in-house game studio and create amazing games together,” Daniel Cook, co-founder of Spree Fox, said in a blog post. While subscribers won’t see any changes immediately, the acquisition likely marks another milestone toward Netflix’s next goal. Also read- Netflix has finally found a way to share passwords: see details
“Our game journey has just begun, but I am proud of the foundational work we have done to build on our in-house creative potential so that we can deliver the best possible game experience – with no ads and no in-app purchases – our members as part of their membership,” Amir Rahimi, vice president of game studios at Netflix, said in a blog post. Also read- Netflix Profile Transfer Feature: How to use it in India
Netflix’s Gaming Efforts
Spree Fox is Netflix’s sixth in-house gaming studio. The video streaming service has so far acquired Helsinki-based Next Games, Boss Fight Entertainment, Oxenfree developer Night School Studios and a few other studios in Finland and Southern California. Mike Verdeau, Netflix’s vice president of gaming, recently announced that the company is building a new gaming studio in Southern California.
Working with a handful of gaming studios now NetflixWith this, the company expects that it will not just be limited to offering streaming services for movies and shows, but will go ahead to offer games to its users. But developing games is a time-consuming process — something Netflix has acknowledged, saying it’s still early days for mobile gaming efforts.
Netflix launched its mobile games about a year ago, allowing its subscribers access to a narrow collection of games on both Android and iOS at no extra charge. These games are of the Garden-variety, but Netflix’s spree to acquire gaming studios hints at the company’s long-term approach to mobile gaming. And that’s cloud gaming, as Verdu hinted at a recent event.
Cloud gaming emerged as the next big thing for the gaming industry, led by Google and Amazon, beating out major gaming companies like Microsoft. xbox and Sony in launching its services. Google launched Stadia but shut it down after struggling in its early years. Amazon’s Luna is still trying to find its feet because of its massive collection. Meanwhile, the big gaming companies, Xbox, PlayStation and Nvidia, are introducing the industry to the next generation of gamers.
