Could the streaming giant be branching out into different kinds of content?

Netflix deals exclusively in the streaming of movies and series, but in the last couple of years, its notion of “movies” and “series” has become a bit more flexible. Several additions to the catalog, including Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Carmen Sandiego, make use of interactive, choose-your-own-adventure mechanics to turn the shows into pseudo-gaming experiences. These attempts were received fairly well, and now it seems as though Netflix is taking the initiative to branch out into full games.

According to a Bloomberg report, an anonymous source from within Netflix stated that the company is planning to bring streaming video games to their platform as soon as next year. Apparently, it won’t just be existing games, either; the company recently hired former Electronic Arts and Oculus veteran Mike Verdu to act as vice president of their game development sector. Several Netflix shows, such as Stranger Things and The Dark Crystal, already have associated video games, so Netflix may already have some experience in game development, if only tangentially.

“This is a natural extension of its Netflix’s content strategy, allowing it to mine intellectual property from popular shows like ‘Stranger Things,'” says Bloomberg media analyst Geetha Ranganathan. “Though it may not generate much additional revenue, it will help deepen engagement and increase the service’s appeal and pricing power. Don’t expect this to be a turning point, but it shows that the company will explore new formats to increase time spent on the platform.”

Supposedly, Netflix isn’t planning on charging any additional subscription premium for this service; it will be made available as part of existing Netflix subscription packages. How exactly Netflix will support these games hasn’t been specified, but presumably, a PC user would at least be able to play with their mouse and keyboard.