Netflix has announced that it is building its own internal game studio in Helsinki, Finland. Netflix’s new internal game studio will focus on creating “world-class” original games. The studio will be led by Marko Lastikka, a former director of EA and Zynga. The team will include game-making talent from Helsinki, where Netflix has acquired Next Games and Night School Studio.
In an effort to tap into the local game-development talent, Netflix acquired Next Games, a game studio in Helsinki earlier this year. The city is home to some of the world’s biggest gaming companies, including Rovio and Supercell. But Netflix’s video game push is still in its early stages. The company will need to hire a team and prototype game ideas to get the ball rolling.
Netflix’s acquisition of Next Games will boost its gaming business. The Finnish company is known for creating games based on entertainment franchises.
While the news is still new, the studio’s founders are excited about the opportunity. Marko Lastikka, the director of the new Helsinki games studio, has worked for Zynga and Digital Chocolate for nearly nine years. He was responsible for developing Farmville 3 and SimCity BuildIt mobile games. Before joining Zynga, he spent eight years at Digital Chocolate.