Netflix’s gaming plans could involve PlayStation partnership

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Final week, it was revealed that Netflix had fired the starting gun on its gaming ambitions with the rent of former EA and Oculus man Mike Verdu as its vice chairman of recreation growth.

However Netflix was extraordinarily tight-lipped about what its gaming plans would in the end appear to be with every thing from more ‘choose your own adventure’ style content to full fledged triple-A content material mooted.

Now dataminer Steve Moser has discovered one thing fairly intriguing buried throughout the iOS Netflix app’s code. Not solely did Moser uncover a attainable emblem — a shark fin rising from the water, as the present working title is seemingly “Shark” — however he additionally discovered a picture of a pair of DualSense controllers, and paintings from PlayStation unique Ghost of Tsushima. Notably, these photographs have been all removed when the app was later updated.

Netflix’s gaming characteristic has a present working title of “Shark” and is represented by this picture of their iOS app: a shark fin. May a picture of PS5 controllers and Sony’s Ghost of Tsushima (director’s minimize coming Aug. twentieth) point out a partnership with $SONY? Cc @HedgeyeComm $NFLX pic.twitter.com/FLghlRlu20July 15, 2021

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Plus, whereas Sony Photos and the Sony PlayStation division are positively separate entities, it will be remiss to not point out that Netflix lately signed a deal to stream the company’s movies once their cinema run is complete. That features the upcoming Uncharted movie, doubtlessly offering a pleasant bridge between films and video games.

Nevertheless it’s essential to not get too carried away: this might all be coincidence and rumour. Possibly somebody engaged on the app wanted some recreation photographs, and simply used Tsushima and the DualSense controller as a placeholder, not pondering they might be seen exterior the workplace.

Plus, Verdu’s gaming expertise is primarily within the space of placing video games in surprising locations, from serving to launch The Sims on smartphone to making sure Farmville took over everybody’s Fb feeds a decade in the past. Simply getting current PlayStation video games on Netflix feels like a waste of his knowhow.

All the identical, it may very well be a win-win for each events. For Netflix, the profit is clear: it will get a working begin with a number of the best-known gaming franchises round, with out having to supply and/or fund its personal titles. Even Apple with its huge assets has struggled to achieve traction for Apple Arcade this fashion.

Sony, in the meantime, would seemingly lose the benefit of the PS4 and PS5 being the one place to play its video games. However such a transfer may then take away the aggressive benefit Microsoft has managed to construct with its Xbox Game Pass streaming service.

Once more, all hypothesis in the intervening time. However the concept of gaming getting its personal part on Netflix and having the ability to bounce straight from the best Netflix shows to Demon’s Souls with out switching HDMI channels sounds promising to us.