For its part, Netflix has been testing a path through the gaming world, giving its customers a suite of mobile games that have done reasonably well. However, it sought to exceed mobile games with an internal studio, Project Blue, that would develop an ambitious AAA game across multiple platforms built on original intellectual property (IP).
However, according to a report from GameFile’s Stephen Totilo, Netflix decided to cancel the project altogether. After nearly a year, Netflix has no games to its name, not a single one. This is a surprise, especially given the powerhouse talent that Netflix had on its roster.
Big plans, big names, but no game: Netflix is shutting down before it can produce AAA games
Despite Netflix’s efforts to bring together some of the gaming industry’s most well-known figures, including Overwatch Executive Producer Chacko Sonny and Halo Creative Lead Joseph Staten, the studio failed to deliver any playable results. Other notable hires included Jerry Edsall from The Coalition, Gavin Irby from Blizzard and Bungie, and Rafael Grassetti, the Art Director from Sony Santa Monica. Yet, even with this all-star lineup, the studio’s ambitious vision never materialized into a finished game.
Although Netflix confirmed the studio’s closure to GameFile, the company did not disclose how many people were affected by this decision. It seems the streaming giant has decided to reshuffle its gaming efforts rather than give up entirely on the space, but the goal of creating a AAA title is no longer part of the plan—at least for now.
Creating AAA games is no easy feat, even for companies that dominate other entertainment sectors. Netflix, however, is like the other big shots in the entertainment business and hasn’t been able to crack the high-dollar game development market. Take Amazon, for example. Games like Crucible are the past, and just recently, its gaming division took a hit with a wave of layoffs across the company. While Amazon managed to find some success with Lost Ark and New World, the road has been far from smooth.
It appears Netflix has discovered that creating a AAA game requires more than just a dream team of developers. Even the most talented crew can struggle to produce results without a clear, cohesive vision. For Netflix, this latest chapter in gaming ends without a single title to show for its efforts.
As Netflix continues to explore gaming in other forms, perhaps we’ll learn more about what went wrong behind the scenes of its ambitious AAA plans. For now, however, the company will have to refocus its attention on other gaming ventures.
Image credit: Furkan Demirkaya/Ideogram
