Netflix has acquired their sixth internal game studio, Spry Fox, an indie game development company focused on creating “cute” games.
For Spry Fox Studios, the purchase doesn’t change anything right now. Their current games will stay available for download “in their current form” on their current platforms, and they’re already working on new projects. They can focus on creating fun games rather than worrying about generating revenue from their games.
Spry Fox will join a roster of Netflix studios that includes Helsinki-based Next Games, mobile studio Boss Fight Entertainment, Oxenfree developer Night School, and internal studios in Finland and in Southern California.
With more than 35 games now available for Netflix members, the streaming service continues to invest in the space, even if few people have actually played them. While Netflix hasn’t released any numbers on subscriber engagement with its game library, the fact that it acquired several developers suggests that it sees potential here.
“When David and I founded Spry Fox twelve years ago, our goal was to create a place where kind, creative people could make beautiful, original games in a supportive environment that brought happiness to the people who played them,” said co-founder of Spry Fox, Daniel Cook. “After many heartfelt conversations, we are all excited about joining Netflix as an in-house game studio and building amazing games together.”
“Our games journey has only just begun, but I’m proud of the foundational work we’ve been doing to build out our in-house creative capacity so that we can deliver the best possible games experience — including no ads and no in-app purchases — to our members as part of their membership,” explained vice president of game studios at Netflix, Amir Rahimi.
Netflix is already one of the biggest forces in streaming, and with these recent moves, it is making major strides in the world of gaming. We will have to wait and see what games come out of this new push, so stay tuned to CGMagazine for all details as they unfold.
