Netflix Buys Its First Game Studio, 'Oxenfree' Developer Night School

Netflix is now venturing into the gaming industry. The streaming giant recently acquired Night School Studio, a game developer founded by Telltale Games ex-employees.

Night School Studio is an independent game developer known for its supernatural mystery game, Oxenfree, and barhopping adventure game, Afterparty.

“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,” Night School Studio co-founder Sean Krankel said in an official statement.

Night School Studio is officially the first game studio to join Netflix. Although they are now a subsidiary of Netflix, the studio revealed that "we get to keep doing what we do, how we like to do it." That indicates that Netflix will still grant them total creative control on their projects. 

"The Netflix team has shown the utmost care for protecting our studio culture and creative vision," Krankel added.

Speaking of projects, Night School Studio also confirmed that they would continue making OXENFREE II and creating new game worlds.

For the longest time, Netflix has been trying to jump into game development. The streamer has partnered with numerous developers to release games related to their original shows. One of the past projects includes a 'Stranger Things' adventure game where Netflix tied up with Telltale Games. However, the game never came to fruition. 

Netflix has never had a game developer--- until now.

“Their 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,” Mike Verdu, Netflix Vice President of Game Development, said in a statement following the acquisition. 

Verdu joined Netflix early this year to help the streaming giant attain its gaming goals. He was the former gaming executive of Facebook before getting hired by Netflix.

It's still unclear what exactly Night School Studio's work will be now that it is under Netflix's wing. However, we are pretty sure that we will hear about their projects in the future.

The recent acquisition is just the first step in Netflix's aim of foraying into the gaming world.

Verdu also reveals that they will “continue working with developers around the world and hiring the best talent in the industry to deliver a great collection of exclusive games designed for every kind of gamer and any level of play."

What do you think of Netflix's newest venture? Share your thoughts in the comments. Would you be interested in a Netflix original game?