What you need to know
- Netflix Games’ Team Blue is being closed, according to statements given by Netflix to Game File.
- Team Blue was building a multiplatform AAA game, and had been hiring top talent from across the gaming industry over the last couple of years.
- Some of Team Blue’s leadership included former Halo director Joseph Staten and God of War art director Rafael Grassetti.
- Netflix still holds multiple internal game development teams, including Oxenfree developer Night School Studio.
As someone who has witnessed the rise and fall of numerous game studios throughout my career, it is always disheartening to see another promising team being shuttered. The closure of Netflix Games’ Team Blue, a studio that boasted some of the biggest names from the gaming industry, is a clear indication that even giants in tech and entertainment struggle to invest in AAA game development – a venture that requires both time and substantial resources.
Another promising game studio is being shuttered.
This time around, the parties responsible for this decision are at Netflix Games. They have opted to shut down Studio Blue, a team situated in Southern California, U.S., that had been developing a multiplatform AAA game. The closure was verified by Netflix through a statement to Stephen Totilo’s Game File subscribers.
As an analyst, I’ve observed that Team Blue has strategically recruited seasoned professionals from diverse gaming backgrounds over the past couple of years. Notably, they brought on board Joseph Staten, who previously served as the creative director for Halo Infinite at 343 Industries (now known as Halo Studios) in 2023. Prior to joining Team Blue, Staten had been a pivotal figure in the Halo franchise. Similarly, they’ve also added other high-level talent such as Rafael Grassetti, who held the art director position for God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök at Sony Santa Monica, and Chacko Sonny, the executive producer of Overwatch from Blizzard Entertainment.
Netflix Gaming maintains several in-house gaming studios following the acquisition of numerous teams over the past couple of years, such as Night School Studio, the creators of Oxenfree. Additionally, they’ve founded a fourth team based in Helsinki, Finland, to boost their mobile game development efforts.
A disappointing but not entirely shocking move
Over the past few years, it’s been evident that many big names in tech and entertainment are reluctant to put in the necessary funds and effort to create bigger video games. Netflix has had some initial success with mobile games, and I believe they will focus more on this area in the near future.
Instead of AAA Studio, it could have taken them quite some time to produce a game worthy for release, which is something Netflix seems unwilling to do. On a personal note, I’m left feeling disheartened because I was eager to witness the potential masterpiece this team might have created.
Excluding their game adaptations, Netflix’s animated series continue to thrive, as evidenced by the release of Tomb Raider: Lara Croft’s Legend and the planned return of Castlevania: Nocturne for a second season.
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2024-10-22 17:39