The streaming platform brings in an independent team that knows how to tell stories.
With plans to further expand game streaming, Netflix has officially acquired the first development studio at Night School Studio.
Night School stars in 2016's supernatural mystery indie Darling Oxenfree, as well as Mr. He is known for developing Robot:1.51exfiltrati0n and Afterparty. The team is working on Oxenfree II: Lost Signals and is excited about what working in-house with Netflix has to offer for future projects.
Specifically, studio co-founder Sean Krankel thinks this deal will allow Night School to continue focusing on telling stories and creating the games it wants to make.
“Night School wholeheartedly wants to expand our narrative and design goals with authentic games,” said Krankel. “Netflix offers film, TV and now game makers an unprecedented canvas to create and deliver great entertainment to millions of people. Our explorations of narrative gameplay and Netflix's track record in supporting a variety of storytellers were a very natural match. It felt like both teams had instinctively come to that conclusion."
On the Netflix side of the acquisition, Mike Verdu, the company's vice president of game development, said it's still in the early stages of creating the gaming experience.
Verdu also confirmed once again that Netflix's game offerings will be included in the pre-existing subscription model for the platform. Members will be able to play any game brought to the streaming service ad-free and there are currently no plans to offer additional in-app purchases.
“We were inspired by Night School's bold mission to set a new bar for storytelling in games,” Verdu said. “Their commitment to artistic excellence and proven achievements make them invaluable partners as we jointly develop the creative talents and library of Netflix games. We will continue to work with developers around the world and recruit the best talent in the industry to deliver a great collection of custom games designed for all types of players and all game levels.”
As Krankel points out, the Night School team also has a “butterfly kaleidoscope” in their collective stomach and is excited to see what the future holds with this acquisition.
