Netflix has not been shy in its desire to jump into the video game space, and it was recently announced that the streaming giant will expand to make video game content, in the same space as your TV and film content. But a recent mine of data suggests that it also could be forming a partnership with PlayStation, which would bring some of the biggest PlayStation brands to Netflix in some way.
As reported by VGC, data miner Steve Moser appears to have discovered PlayStation-branded images and content in the Netflix app code. Moser shared the information via un tweet, that included images of both the Ghost of Tsushima box art and some PS5 controllers. It’s unclear exactly what this means for Netflix, but if there is a burgeoning partnership between Netflix and PlayStation, could see Ghost of Tsushima content hit the streaming service somehow.
Netflix’s gaming feature has a current working name of “Shark” and is represented by this image in their iOS app: a shark fin. Could an image of PS5 controllers and Sony’s Ghost of Tsushima (director’s cut coming Aug. 20th) indicate a partnership with $SONY? Cc @HedgeyeComm $NFLX pic.twitter.com/FLghlRlu20
— Steve Moser (@SteveMoser) July 15, 2021
Moser suggests that Netflix’s games section is currently codenamed “Shark”, and the location of the PlayStation IP within that suggests a collaborative approach. This wouldn’t be the first major deal between Sony and Netflix, as the two companies agreed to a deal earlier this year that means Sony Pictures Entertainment movies coming to Netflix after its theatrical release.
Netflix has been aiming to jump further into the gaming space for a while now. Earlier this year it was reported that the company was looking to hire a game content expert to lead a games division, and recently appointed former EA and Facebook gaming executive Mike Verdu to do just that.
The company also has previously experimented with interactive stories through productions such as Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, which took a kind of “choose your own adventure” approach to its storytelling. However, the company has yet to release any full video game contentExactly what Verdu will do at the company is still unknown, as Netflix has yet to comment further on his role.
Sony has also expressed a desire to do more with its franchises outside of games.. We already know that a The Last of Us TV show starring Pedro Pascal is in development for HBO, and a Ghost of Tsushima movie has been given the green light. Since many original PlayStation games are adventure games with narratives and a focus on cinematic storiesIt makes sense to try and adopt games like Ghost of Tsushima and The Last of Us into movies and TV series. While PlayStation already has a game streaming service, PlayStation Now, It could also be looking to push game content beyond the PlayStation console ecosystem., as Microsoft has done with Xbox Game Pass.
For its part, Netflix has a list of content related to video games quite interesting, with the recent release of Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness and shows like The Witcher: Season 2, a adaptation of Assassin’s Creed and Sonic Prime. Would you like PlayStation content to join that lineup? And would you like games as such to join the service? We read you carefully.
