Netflix has reportedly shut down a gaming studio it had planned to leverage to develop high-end AAA games, before it had even announced a game.
According to a report from Game File, Netflix is shuttering its Southern California-based ‘Team Blue’ studio that had been earmarked to create big budget games that could be played across multiple devices.
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Netflix had brought some gaming big hitters on board, including creatives and producers from games like God of War, Halo, and Overwatch at studios like Sony Santa Monica, Bungie and 343 Industries, and Blizzard.
One such hire, Joseph Staten who left the Xbox-owned studios to work at Netflix said he was doing so to become “creative director for a brand-new AAA multi platform game and original IP.” Two more of those major gaming figures are no longer with the studio now, Game File confirmed.
Netflix has largely focused on mobile games, which can be enjoyed on iOS and Android phones and tablets, while others can be played on PCs and Mac through Netflix.com and through smart TV apps.
Standout games that have appeared on consoles include Sonic Mania Plus, TMNT: Shredders Revenge, as well as some of the older GTA games. However, lots of the games sit within the more casual realm.
If Netflix had begun getting into AAA titles, likely leveraging crowd streaming, to match the PC and console providers, it would have represented a much greater incursion into the gaming arena and a serious perk for subscribers who might be more likely to give AAA games a try without having to buy a dedicated gaming machine or subscription.
Whether this report represents the end of those ambitions remains to be seen.
