Netflix closes ‘stories’ mobile games franchise
Netflix will no longer make games for ‘Netflix Stories’, his catalog of interactive fiction games mainly based on romance and dating-oriented series. The streamer confirmed that the new gaming strategy will now stay with mobile titles between party games, narrative games, children’s games and regular games, as well as more games that can be played on TV. As part of the Reorg, an indefinite number of employees have been dismissed from the division.
Netflix had invested quite a bit earlier in his “Stories” franchise, which served as the home for a set of interactive fiction games based on Netflix series such as “Virgin River”, “Love is Blind”, “Emily in Paris”, “Outer Banks” and “Perfect Match”. Recently a “Sweet Magnolias” game was released in February, but a previously announced game focused on the TV series “Ginny & Georgia” will no longer be released.
That shift in strategy comes after the arrival of Alain Tascan, who came to Netflix last summer as President of Games. As part of Tascan’s new focus, the streamer has chosen to end plans for extra games for Netflix stories. Release games in the franchise, however, can still be played, because the titles will still continue to live in the Netflix app.
However, Tascan did not mention the sunset of Netflix stories earlier this month, when he met reporters on 19 March at the game Developers Conference in San Francisco. There he discussed the gaming strategy of the streamer and noticed: “We have to match the general mission of Netflix – otherwise we are only a distraction.”
Netflix continued to develop his gaming strategy; In October it closed his Team Blue Studio, which had developed a Triple-A Shooter title. But Tascan said that the movement does not indicate a change in the Netflix ambition level in the game room. “I want to make that super clear, because some people read that we are taking – that is not the case at all,” Tascan Variety said with regard to the Shutdown of Team Blue.
At GDC, Tascan showed ‘Spirit Crossing’, an upcoming Studio Ghibli-like fantastic life-SIM game from Spry Fox Studio from Netflix, set as a massive online range of multiplayer. He also outlined plans to stimulate players of games based on Netflix IP, such as the mobile game ‘Squid Game’, and how Netflix looks at other ways to combine linear and interactive stories in franchises such as ‘Bridgerton’.
The app “Netflix Stories” was a popular destination since the streamer launched his mobile gaming company in 2021, and in 2024 Netflix Brass explained a plan to release a new title in the franchise every month.
Recent additions had recorded the “Netflix Stories: A Perfect Couple” last year, was a story with nine chapters with four different potential endings. The title Mixed elements of the Netflix Limited Series adaptation of “The Perfect Couple.” Another, “Netflix Stories: A Virgin River Christmas”, was a story with four chapters that brought players to the city of Virgin River during the Christmasmastime and displayed show characters Mel, Jack, Preacher, Hope and Doc interaction with the player through holiday activities.
