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Tom's Guide
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Netflix is about to ditch its final interactive specials — including this iconic 'Black Mirror' episode
(Image credit: Netflix) Netflix looks to finally be bringing its "interactive content" era to a close in just a few days. While Netflix continues to invest in gaming, the streaming service began delisting its interactive specials late last year. 20 of the streamer's 24 "Interactive Specials" were taken down from its library on Dec. 1, and the two "vs. Wild" interactive specials disappeared soon thereafter on Jan. 1. According to a new report from What's On Netflix, the final two specials — "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend" — are leaving Netflix in less than a week. You may like The outlet reports that both specials "will be leaving the service globally on May 12, 2025." Netflix hasn't officially confirmed the removal themselves; at the time of writing, neither special was flagged as "leaving soon" on their landing page on the streamer, either. Even if we didn't rate "Bandersnatch" all that highly — look at our list of the best and worst "Black Mirror" episodes as proof — it will be a shame if franchise newcomers won't be able to experience this experimental slice of TV any longer. "Bandersnatch" is flawed, but its debut made waves back in 2018, and even spawned a follow-up episode featuring eccentric game developer Colin Ritman (Will Poulter) in "Black Mirror" season 7. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Why has Netflix removed interactive content? Black Mirror: Bandersnatch | Featurette: Consumer [HD] | Netflix - YouTube Watch On Netflix's main reason for deprioritising this particular form of interactive storytelling is seemingly down to the fact that the technology behind the specials had become "limiting." Speaking to Game File's Stephen Totilo in 2024, Netflix's Head of Gaming, Mike Verdu, said: "We're not building those specific experiences anymore." Totilo continues: 'The technology was very limiting and the potential for what we could do in that realm was kind of capped. But we learned a ton from that," he added. He went on to say their learning would instead be ploughed into full narrative games, such as those based on "Love is Blind" and "Too Hot To Handle." 'It will start to feel more and more like you really are playing the show,' Verdu said. 'I think that's sort of the spiritual evolution of what you saw there. But we learned a ton. And 'Bandersnatch' is a phenomenal experience," Verdu added. (Image credit: Eric Liebowitz/Netflix) In the above report, What's on Netflix also stated the streamer was due to undergo an interface redesign, and implied its interactive specials wouldn't be compatible with the new UI. While reporting the first wave of removals, fellow TG writer Malcolm McMillan also speculated two other reasons. There's the rise of mobile viewing, and the fact that viewers probably weren't looking for this kind of content from Netflix in the first place. I'd also throw in one other reason: if you've played any sort of video game, I'd wager a fairly simplistic choose-your-own-adventure offering wasn't a compelling enough offering in the first place. Regardless, if you are interested in checking out either "Kimmy Vs. The Reverend" or "Bandersnatch" on Netflix and seeing their branching stories, now is seemingly the time to do just that. If you're looking for something else to watch in the meantime, be sure to check out our guide to the best Netflix shows you can stream right now for plenty of top recommendations. More from Tom's Guide
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Netflix's first gaming boss has left the company
Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products. Mike Verdu has left Netflix, according to Game File with Stephen Totilo. Netflix brought the former Oculus and EA exec onboard to launch and lead its gaming efforts in 2021. Under Verdu's leadership, the company released a bunch of new and ported titles, as well as establishing an internal game development operation. In mid-2024, however, Netflix changed its gaming strategy and hired Alain Tascan, the executive vice president for game development at Epic Games, to lead its gaming efforts. Verdu still served as the VP for games until November 2024, after which he was named as the Vice President of generative AI for games. On LinkedIn, Verdu wrote that his role was about "driving a 'once in a generation' inflection point for game development and player experiences using generative AI." He added that he was "focused on a creator-first vision for AI, one that puts creative talent at the center, with AI being a catalyst and an accelerant." Verdu has yet to update his LinkedIn profile with a new role. As Totilo said in his newsletter, Netflix's gaming efforts have undergone some big changes since Tascan took over. In 2022, Netflix hired former Overwatch boss Chacko Sonny to lead an internal AAA studio known as Team Blue. It then brought on Halo exec Joseph Staten, as well as God of War art director Rafael Grassett to work on a multi-platform AAA game for an all-new IP. But in October 2024, Netflix shut down Team Blue. The company had also lost Leanne Loombe, who headed up its second and third-party gaming development and publishing efforts. Loombe recently became the head of games at Annapurna Interactive following a mass exodus, wherein all 25 members of the studio's team collectively resigned. And in early February, Netflix canceled its release plans for six games that were previously heading to iOS and Android, including Thirsty Suitors and Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Netflix's first gaming boss has left the company
Mike Verdu has left Netflix, according to Game File with Stephen Totilo. Netflix brought the former Oculus and EA exec onboard to launch and lead its gaming efforts in 2021. Under Verdu's leadership, the company released a bunch of new and ported titles, as well as establishing an internal game development operation. In mid-2024, however, Netflix changed its gaming strategy and hired Alain Tascan, the executive vice president for game development at Epic Games, to lead its gaming efforts. Verdu still served as the VP for games until November 2024, after which he was named as the Vice President of generative AI for games. On LinkedIn, Verdu wrote that his role was about "driving a 'once in a generation' inflection point for game development and player experiences using generative AI." He added that he was "focused on a creator-first vision for AI, one that puts creative talent at the center, with AI being a catalyst and an accelerant." Verdu has yet to update his LinkedIn profile with a new role. As Totilo said in his newsletter, Netflix's gaming efforts have undergone some big changes since Tascan took over. In 2022, Netflix hired former Overwatch boss Chacko Sonny to lead an internal AAA studio known as Team Blue. It then brought on Halo exec Joseph Staten, as well as God of War art director Rafael Grassett to work on a multi-platform AAA game for an all-new IP. But in October 2024, Netflix shut down Team Blue. The company had also lost Leanne Loombe, who headed up its second and third-party gaming development and publishing efforts. Loombe recently became the head of games at Annapurna Interactive following a mass exodus, wherein all 25 members of the studio's team collectively resigned. And in early February, Netflix canceled its release plans for six games that were previously heading to iOS and Android, including Thirsty Suitors and Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Netflix Gaming Is As Confusing As Ever
In 2021, Netflix made the unusual move of purchasing Oxenfree maker Night School Studio. 'We're inspired by their bold mission to set a new bar for storytelling in games,' then-VP of game development Mike Verdu wrote at the time. Nearly four years later, Verdu is no longer head of development and Oxenfree, a bespoke, original supernatural coming-of-age indie adventure, feels like precisely the type of game Netflix is no longer interested in making. The streaming platform best known for mega-hits like Squid Game and Stranger Things made a splash in the gaming world with high-profile but niche publishing plays for things like 2023's Oxenfree II: Lost Signals and 2024's Monument Valley 3. These were the types of games that had drawn buzz on console storefronts a decade prior and helped make the early App Store on iPhone synonymous with artful game design. But the most notable result of the dozens of targeted deals and small studio acquisitions was a widely cited figure in 2023 stating that reportedly less than 1 percent of Netflix subscribers were actually playing the 'free' games included with their paid subscriptions. For many subscribers, the carefully tucked away games seemed to be out of sight, out of mind. Or maybe they were simply a poor fit for an audience who had already signaled they were there to watch Bridgerton and not solve adventure game puzzles. Former PlayStation exec Shawn Layden once compared the strategy to sticking coffee machines in cars. Instead of games like Oxenfree finding a place to shine on the service, Netflix's most downloaded games have been the GTA Trilogy and Squid Game: Unleashed, a kind of gory reskin of Fall Guys. These were not the shiny indie objects that helped launch Netflix Games, but they appear to be its future. 'Going forward, we're focusing on offering best-in-class titles in a few key genres including immersive, narrative games based on our IP, socially engaging party games, games for kids and mainstream established titles (like Grand Theft Auto),' the company wrote in its letter to shareholders last month. Co-CEO Gregory K. Peters elaborated in a fourth-quarter earnings call: We've got fan favorites based on Netflix IP, things like Too Hot to Handle, Emily in Paris, Selling Sunset, and to our latest big release, Squid Game: Unleashed, which we really think validates our Netflix game formula, which is enabling this virtuous cycle between linear content and simultaneous game offerings. And we are just scratching the surface today in terms of what we can ultimately do in that space. But we already see how this approach not only extends the audience's engagement with the universe and a story but also creates a synergy that reinforces both mediums, the interactive and the noninteractive side. So based on all of those learnings and under the leadership of (sic) we continue to refine our strategy. And we're going to be focusing on more narrative games based on Netflix IP. These are consistent fan favorites and we've got a lot in the library to work with there. This apparent retreat into licensed slop dovetails with Netflix's recent pivot away from a number of previously announced deals for adding an assortment of acclaimed indie games to its subscription library. Klei Entertainment's Lab Rat, Don't Starve Together, and Rotwood are no longer coming to the service, What's On Netflix reported last week. The excellent Thirsty Suitors isn't getting added either, and Crashlands 2 and Placid Plastic Duck were recently ditched as well. These moves come alongside Netflix's head of second- and third-party game development, Leanne Loombe, departing the company to help lead the recently rebooted Annapurna Interactive. She was the one in charge of getting Hades ported to mobile last year. By themselves, these changes might just indicate slight tweaks to an evolving strategy, but in the context of recent layoffs and departures they give the impression of another tech giant that fumbled its way into games, got impatient with the slow-burn process of figuring it out, and then impatiently pivoted toward the lowest hanging fruit. Why woo indie darlings to your service when you can adapt the latest Netflix hit into a quick genre flip instead? Nowhere does this retreat seem more evident than in the quiet shutdown of 'Team Blue' last fall. After spending the last few years poaching industry veterans from Overwatch, Halo, and God of War to work on a big-budget console game, Game File reported in October that Netflix had disbanded the team. It recalled Google's squandered attempt at in-house blockbuster development during the Stadia years, and Meta's recent closure of The Order 1886 studio Ready at Dawn just four years after acquiring it for its ambitious VR plans. At the beginning of 2024, just a few years into its own gaming initiative, Netflix was already focused on how to make its gaming more profitable, including higher prices, adding microtransactions, and exploring in-game ads, The Wall Street Journal reported. By June, Verdu was being moved out of the top Netflix Gaming position to focus on 'the cutting edge of game innovation' instead. His official title is now VP of generative AI. Former Epic Games exec Alain Tascan took over as president of Netflix Games the following month. Putting the head of Fortnite in charge could signal that Netflix hasn't abandoned its bigger gaming ambitions, just recalibrated them. Or maybe its future is similarly an infinitely monetizable metaverse, this one of Netflix IP crossovers instead of pop stars and Marvel characters. While Netflix's gaming footprint feels as shallow as ever, that doesn't mean it's worth completely writing off. Over 300 million people have subscriptions, even as the streaming platform keeps raising its price, and at any moment they can boot up the app and start playing some of the best games around like Kentucky Route Zero, Into the Breach, Terra Nil, Dead Cells, and Death's Door. Two of 2024's GOTY contenders, Arranger and The Rise of the Golden Idol, are just waiting to be discovered by people flicking through for the latest Too Hot to Handle spin-off. There's a lot of potential there if Netflix can figure out how to make it work, or has the patience to keep trying to. For now, it seems much more interested in bringing more live events and sports to the broader Netflix streaming library then creating a home-grown, critically-acclaimed gaming hit. And how does Oxenfree III compete with the NFL? 'Netflix's Big Game Is Just Getting Started,' read a WSJ headline from December. They did not mean video games. . For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
