Netflix and Telltale Games have confirmed that they're working together to create a new interactive title for the streaming service, plus a new Stranger Things game for PC and other consoles.
Minecraft: Story Mode will start streaming to subscribers later this year, described as an interactive narrative series in five episodes. Meanwhile, the Stranger Things game might arrive much later — as a conventional title for gaming platforms, not a streamable interactive adventure like Minecraft: Story Mode. In a statement, Telltale Games says it's thrilled by the reception to the idea of a streamable Minecraft game, and that it's proud of its relationship with Netflix.
"It's an extension of other interactive adventures we have on our service like 'Stretch Armstrong: The Breakout,' 'Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale,' and 'Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile,'" a Netflix spokesperson told Variety.
Point And Click
Both companies aren't sharing much at the moment, but Minecraft: Story Mode will apparently be distributed via video files and accept commands using any remote controller with directional and select buttons, as TechRadar reports. That format works well with Telltale's games, which mostly rely on point-and-click mechanics.
Several sources say a technical demo already exists. It's not clear whether the game will work on any platform where Netflix is supported, including laptops, mobile phones, tablets, and others. If it's anything like Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale — Netflix's first interactive game, released in 2017 — then it should pretty much work on every device with a touchscreen.
Is Netflix Going To Be A Gaming Company Now?
Despite venturing into streamable games, Netflix isn't planning to become a full-fledged gaming company, as TechRadar reports. It's simply taking advantage of the inherent movie-like qualities of video games.
"There's a broad spectrum of entertainment available today. Games have become increasingly cinematic, but we view this as interactive narrative storytelling on our service," the company said.
Minecraft: Story Mode was first released in 2015. It remains to be seen what Netflix's version is going to look like, but it's clear the streaming company has ambitious plans to make its service more engaging by offering its subscribers content beyond video. However, more exciting than anything is the idea that Netflix is venturing further into spaces not typically occupied by video platforms.
Do you think video games on Netflix would ever reach a wide audience, or does this seem like a mere gimmick? As always, if you have anything to share, feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
