Netflix, Unfazed By Google's Stadia Failure, Is 'Seriously Exploring' Cloud Gaming Services
Verdu explained while on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt, "It's a value add. We're not asking you to subscribe as a console replacement." He added, "It's a completely different business model. The hope is over time that it just becomes this very natural way to play games wherever you are."
The cloud gaming service has not been an easy one to master thus far it seems. Microsoft has had an advantage, by offering its streaming service as part of its Game Pass Ultimate subscription. But other companies have had a hard time with offering a standalone option. Verdu did say during his presentation that he believed Google Stadia's failure was more about Google's business model than about cloud gaming in general.
"Stadia was a technical success," Verdu remarked. He continued, "It was fun to play games on Stadia. It had some issues with the business model, sure."
There was little more offered up from Verdu as far as what the new service from Netflix will end up entailing, such as a proprietary controller like both Google and Amazon offer. He did, however, say that Netflix was opening a second internal studio. This makes five studios in total for the company, including the three acquired studios Boss Fight Entertainment, Next Games and Night School Studio.
The new studio will be led by former Blizzard Executive Producer of Overwatch, Chacko Sonny. Verdu said about Sonny, "He could have done anything, but he chose to come here. You don't get people like that coming to your organization to build the next big thing in gaming unless there's a sense that we're really in it for the long haul and in it for the right reasons."
