Evidence suggests that Netflix could be partnering with PlayStation to lead the charge into the realm of game streaming.
For several months now rumours have been circulating that media streaming giant Netflix is looking to make a move into the gaming industry. Back in May, reports claimed that Netflix intends to launch a video game subscription service in the near future. Last week, the company made a big hire in the form of Mike Verdu – he’s a former EA executive who previously oversaw operations in Facebook’s Oculus VR department.
Now, the rumour mill is stirred even further as images have surfaced that could indicate a collaboration between Netflix and PlayStation. As reported by GameRant, a data mine of the Netflix iOS app has surfaced some interesting images, to say the least.
The most innocuous of the bunch are ones that refer to Netflix’s rumoured game service. There’s the classic Netflix logo accompanied with the word ‘GAME’ next to it. In addition, there’s a small shark fin icon which supposedly relates to Netflix’s codename for the gaming service: ‘Shark’.
Where things get interesting are the images that include properties belonging to Sony. There’s a promotional image that sees two PS5 DualSense controllers floating amidst some colourful bubbles. There’s also the cover art for Ghost of Tsushima, Sony’s PlayStation exclusive title that’s getting a Director Cut next month. What’s that doing in the Netflix app source code?
Two heads are better than one?
Neither Sony nor Netflix are yet to confirm an official partnership with each other. Sony already has its own game streaming service in the form of PlayStation Now. Why they would be entering a partnership with a competitor is unknown to me.
However, it’s clear why Netflix would want to kick off a new game streaming platform alongside Sony. Looking at the faltered footsteps of Google Stadia, another game streaming service, it largely faltered due to a lack of original games. Netflix launching with an array of Sony exclusives would surely put a feather in its cap over the likes of Xbox Game Streaming and Google Stadia.
Would you be up for playing Sony games on a Netflix game streaming service? Let us know across our social channels.
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Featured Image Credit: Netflix