Netflix is continuing its push into the world of video games with some surprising moves. The streaming giant just announced that it has acquired its very first video game studio.
In an announcement, Netflix's vice president of game development Mike Verdu confirmed that the company has officially acquired the independent developer Night School Studio. You'll probably know Night School best for its work on the critically acclaimed narrative-driven horror Oxenfree. This definitely wasn't an acquisition I saw coming, but Night School's story-first approach to development definitely makes it a perfect fit for Netflix.
"Night School's commitment to artistic excellence and proven track record make them invaluable partners as we build out the creative capabilities and library of Netflix games together," Verdu said.
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He added that together, Netflix and Night School will work on "exclusive games designed for every kind of gamer and any level of play. These games will be included in a standard Netflix membership and, apparently, include no microtransactions of any kind.
"Night School wants to stretch our narrative and design aspirations across distinctive, original games with heart,"the developer said in a post on its website. "Netflix gives film, TV, and now game makers an unprecedented canvas to create and deliver excellent entertainment to millions of people. Our explorations in narrative gameplay and Netflix's track record of supporting diverse storytellers was such a natural pairing. It felt like both teams came to this conclusion instinctively.
"Of course, it's a surreal honor to be the first games studio to join Netflix! Not only do we get to keep doing what we do, how we like to do it, but we get a front-row seat on the biggest entertainment platform in the world. The Netflix team has shown the utmost care for protecting our studio culture and creative vision."
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Oxenfree II, which was announced earlier this year, will still release later this year for Nintendo Switch and other platforms as originally planned.
Featured Image Credit: Netflix/MarvelTopics: Netflix