Netflix turns console games into visual content

With the recent releases of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, Netflix is gearing up to capture video gamers with visual content based on popular game universes.

The easy access to Netflix offered by the new XSX and PS5 released this month makes the visual content on Netflix more appealing to gamers and makes the consoles all-round multi-entertainment tools. The PS5 media remote is equipped with a Netflix button, giving users instant access to Netflix, and Xbox users can easily download Netflix on the XSX mobile app or the Microsoft store.

At the same time, the already existing IP of video games and their popularity are appealing to Netflix as it prepares original series, both animated and live-action, to target console gamers stuck at home in COVID-19 times.

Last month Netflix announced that it was collaborating with Ubisoft, the creator of console game “Assassin’s Creed,” to create a Netflix original series with Ubisoft’s Jason Altman and Danielle Kreinik as executive producers. “Assassin’s Creed” has sold more than 155 million copies worldwide. The popular action-adventure game was made into a movie in 2016, but failed at the box office.

“From its (Assassin’s Creed’s) breathtaking historical worlds and massive global appeal as one of the bestselling video game franchises of all time, we are committed to carefully crafting epic and thrilling entertainment based on this distinct IP and provide a deeper dive for fans and our members around the world to enjoy,” said Peter Friedlander, vice president of Netflix Original Series.

While many gamers are familiar with “The Witcher” as the revolutionary Polish game that changed the Polish gaming scene, the Netflix original drama series “The Witcher,” based on the popular Polish novel of the same name, has also been a popular Netflix show for several years. Netflix has confirmed that it is working on a second season of “The Witcher” as well as on a prequel titled “Witcher: Blood Origin.” Additionally, plans have been announced for an animated version, “The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf,” in collaboration with South Korea’s Studio Mir.

Furthermore, Netflix announced in August that it was developing a live-action drama series and an animation series based on the legendary video game “Resident Evil,” also known as “Biohazard.” The game, which sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, has enjoyed success on the big screen, making it one of the most popular video-game-based films of all time. Netflix heightened expectations for the animation, scheduled to be released next year, by releasing a teaser poster in September that showed dust particles reflected in the sunlight with incredible detail. Hiroyuki Kobayashi of Capcom, which made “Resident Evil,” will serve as the executive producer of the animation series.

This year has seen the release of several Netflix animation series based on video games.

The original animation series adaptation of action game “Dragon’s Dogma” was released on Netflix in September, and the third season of video-game-based “Castlevania,” one of the most successful original animated shows on Netflix, was released in March. The fourth season is in the works.

Meanwhile, Netflix attained record viewership for the third quarter, with over 195 million viewers worldwide and 3.3 million users in Korea as of Sept. 30.

By Lim Jang-won (ljw@heraldcorp.com)