Netflix to add video games to its streaming library

Back in May, we learned that Netflix was mulling over a bigger push into the video game industry and was looking to hire experienced industry veterans to help. Now, it seems that Netflix has made its first big gaming hire, putting former Oculus exec, Mike Verdu, as VP of game development. 

According to Bloomberg, Mike Verdu is joining Netflix as Vice President of Game Development. Previously, Verdu worked at Facebook/Oculus to bring games and content to VR headsets. He also previously had a stint working at EA. Now at Netflix, he will be accelerating Netflix's plans to get games showing up on the streaming platform.

One source claimed that Netflix is looking to be able to stream video games to customers within the next year. Rather than launching a separate service for gaming, Netflix's video game offerings will apparently appear alongside other ‘new programming', like new TV shows and movies.

Netflix is also not currently planning to charge extra for a video game tier, although that could change by the time this launches. There is also the chance that Netflix raises its subscription price again for all tiers to compensate for investing in this new content medium.

KitGuru Says: Netflix seems to be set on pushing into gaming, although we may not see any content officially announced until next year. Do you think Netflix can succeed by offering games to stream alongside TV shows and movies? 

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