Summary
- Kids may not care about future game consoles, preferring accessible gaming on various screens.
- Netflix is interested in minimizing gaming friction by making the process easier.
- Adults may be more interested in consoles than kids; opportunity exists for both screen-based and dedicated hardware gaming.
The Netflix President of Games, Alain Tascan, has suggested that kids aren’t interested in the future of video game consoles. The interesting claim comes alongside the Netflix head sharing praise for the Nintendo Wii.
The console wars have raged on for as long as there’s been more than one game console to potentially purchase. Exclusive games, graphical capabilities, and portability have all played a role in choosing the “right” game console, but as the years have progressed, gaming has become more accessible without needing to own a console. For the generations that grew up with games on practically every device, consoles may not play a big role anymore.
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At least, that’s what Netflix President of Games Alain Tascan suggests. In a recent talk with The Game Business, Tascan was asked if Netflix would consider making console-style games. In response, Tascan noted that Netflix was looking at the future of gaming as being platform “agnostic.” He went on to note that he’s not so sure that the younger generation of gamers actually care about new consoles, indicating doubt that eight-year-olds and ten-year-olds are dreaming of having a PlayStation 6 some day. He stated that the younger generation is interested in interacting with digital screens wherever they go. The “older model” of console gaming, he says, could be a restraint.
Reducing the Friction of Gaming
Further, Tascan went on to say that he’s interested in cutting down on “friction” in gaming as much as possible at Netflix. He considers friction to be common aspects of gaming that can slow down or block the capability of playing games, like having to download large files, needing numerous controllers, and so on. He even notes that he considers subscriptions to be a kind of friction, and that Netflix tested not requiring subscriptions for its mobile title Squid Game: Unleashed.
It could be true that the youngest gamers don’t really care about new gaming consoles. Consoles and high-powered PCs were once the only avenues of entry to gaming, but now nearly any device with a screen and an internet connection can play simple games. However, that doesn’t mean that consoles aren’t selling. The PlayStation 5 has now outsold the original NES, and the Nintendo Switch has surpassed the popularity of the PlayStation 2 in the United States, which was previously the best-selling console ever in the country. It’s possible that adults are more interested in consoles at this point than kids, but ultimately, there’s room for easily-accessed “any screen” games and those that require dedicated hardware.
