Netflix bolsters partnership with Ubisoft: Three mobile games, including 'Assassin's Creed,' in the works
Netflix announced a new partnership with Ubisoft to create new mobile games with the gaming company for the streaming platform.
Currently, the streaming giant has 28 games on the platform, including titles such as Lucky Luna, Exploding Kittens, and Stranger Things 3: The Game. The company is eyeing to launch 50 playable mobile games in the Netflix app by the end of 2022.
"Our ultimate strategy is really about making sure there's a game on Netflix for all of our members. We have a lot of members from a diverse group of audiences and we want to make sure we have a variety of games to serve all of them," Netflix Head of External Games Development Lianne Loombe said in an Asia-Pacific roundtable interview attended by PhilSTAR L!fe.
Under the partnership, the companies are working on three new exclusive titles for the streaming service's gaming library coming in 2023. This includes popular Ubisoft titles such as Assassin's Creed, Valiant Heart, and Mighty Quest.
"Ubisoft is a great developer, very recognizable, and those franchises are beloved. The key piece is being able to bring game experiences to Netflix that members can love and enjoy, especially Assassin's Creed with the TV show connection. Being able to watch the show and play the game you love so much and not having to leave that ecosystem is extremely beneficial for our members," Loombe added.
Netflix also plans to translate its intellectual properties into games like Queen's Gambit.
Boosting gaming
In August, WIRED reported that 99% of users on Netflix have never touched a single video game on the platform, based on data from Apptopia. Netflix gaming is still in its early stages and the streamer plans to provide more "breadth and depth" in its game library to get more members to play.
"We're still building our foundations, setting things in motion to get to the point where more and more members will play games on Netflix. So to be expected at this point in our journey, we're still experimenting and learning which games are really going to resonate with our members and what games they are looking for to spend their time playing," Loombe said.
"There are many things we have in the works with more games we have in development. Even that is going to provide more breadth and depth to our members and hopefully target new members to come and play those games we have coming out this year."
In 2020, Netflix announced that it's teaming up with the Ubisoft team to create a live-action series adaptation of Assassin's Creed. The franchise has spawned 11 games, countless books, and a Hollywood blockbuster.