Netflix ‘is turning your TV into a CONSOLE’ by offering games over the internet

NETFLIX is plotting to break into the video games industry as it seeks new ways to draw in paying subscribers.

According to The Information, the US streaming giant is working on its own platform that could include a games bundle similar to Apple Arcade.

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Netflix ‘is turning your TV into a CONSOLE’ by offering games over the internet
Netflix is reportedly planning to break into the video games industry

Apple Arcade offers paying subscribers access to a library of dozens of games that they can stream to their devices over the internet.

The move comes at a time when the gaming industry is booming.

It has benefited from a surge in demand from gamers staying at home during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Information reported on May 21 that Netflix is looking to hire an executive to oversee an expansion into video games.


Netflix ‘is turning your TV into a CONSOLE’ by offering games over the internet
Google has also dipped its toes into video game streaming with its platform, Stadia

In recent weeks, the company has approached veteran industry executives about joining the company, sources told the publication.

The report was later corroborated by a source speaking to Reuters.

Netflix has experimented with interactive programming in the past with movies such as “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” and “You vs. Wild”.

They enabled viewers to decide the characters’ moves in the style of a choose-your-own-adventure book.

The company has also created games based on shows “Stranger Things” and “La casa de Papel (Money Heist)”.

Netflix has discussed offering a bundle of games similar to Apple’s online subscription offering, Apple Arcade, as an option.

While the details of the company’s games strategy are still in flux, it has decided that the games will not feature advertising, the report said.

Netflix would be following in the footsteps of bitter rivals Amazon and Google.


Netflix ‘is turning your TV into a CONSOLE’ by offering games over the internet
Netflix is looking to hire an executive to oversee an expansion into video games

Both tech giants have dipped their toes into the video games industry in recent years, creating their own game streaming platforms.

Breaking into the industry is far from easy, though.

Google’s Stadia platform has yet to impress gamers, with users reporting gameplay lag and long loading times.

Amazon recently shut down production on a number of games developed by its own studio, including a big-budget Lord of the Rings title.

 

In other news, Trending In The News’s favourite alternative to a games console is the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset.

Check out the wildly impressive Panasonic 65HZ1000 TV, which makes most tellies look rubbish.

And Dell’s Alienware R10 Ryzen Edition is a gaming PC powerhouse that crushes both the new consoles.

Would you buy a Netflix console? Let us know in the comments!