<\/p>\n
Netflix is launching its own video games studio. <\/p>\n
The streaming giant is planning to create a mark on the video game industry through setting up a Helskini-based project, which will be helmed by Marko Lastikka, an alum of Zynga and Electronic Arts. <\/p>\n
This move comes after the entertainment company acquired many smaller gaming companies such as Night School Studio, who made Oxenfree. <\/p>\n
In a blog post, Amir Rahimi, the vice president of Game Studios wrote it they had a \u201cvision to build a world-class games studio.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201c[It] will bring a variety of delightful and deeply engaging original games, with no ads and no in-app purchases.\u201d<\/p>\n
In April, Netflix shared they had experienced a loss of 200 000 subscribers, marking its first quarterly loss since 2011. Following this, their share price dropped by 35 percent, taking more than $50 billion from their market value. <\/p>\n
Between April and July this year, they reported a loss of nearly a million users, the largest reduction in their history, leaving them with 220 million users worldwide. <\/p>\n
The move into video games is yet unclear if it just for mobile devices or if they intend to move into consoles.<\/p>\n
Annakaisa Kultima, a Helsinki-based gaming researcher believes Netflix\u2019s recent purchase of Next Games \u2013 also based in the Finnish capital and helped them create a game based on their Orignal hit \u2018Stranger Things\u2019- was a contributing factor in where they chose to develop their new business venture. <\/p>\n
She told BBC News: \u201cThey know how Helsinki works and the development culture works in Finland. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere are hundreds of games published on a daily basis on the app stores, so in order to really make it there, you have to have the critical knowledge of how to make it happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have the reputation of doing pretty well for the past decade or two in the game industry, but games are not labelled where they were made.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom that perspective, I think that\u2019s the reason, they know that talent is based in Finland \u2013 [Clash of Clans developer] Supercell is in Helsinki in the city centre, and [Angry Birds developer] Rovio Entertainment and [Control developer] Remedy Entertainment are in Espoo, which borders the city.\u201d<\/p>\n