Netflix Bets That ‘Squid Game’ Can Turbocharge Its Video Game Ambitions

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As a die-hard fan of all things Netflix and gaming, I am absolutely thrilled about the upcoming second season of Squid Game and its accompanying video game, Squid Game: Unleashed. The fact that this multiplayer battle royale game is available for free to everyone, regardless of their Netflix subscription status, is a game-changer (pun intended).

To say Netflix has a lot riding on the return of Squid Game is an understatement.

Ever since its premiere three years back, the South Korean series has consistently stood out as a marquee production. Since then, it’s inspired countless Halloween costumes, tickets for live Squid Game events have been snapped up, and there’s been a lot of excitement building for its comeback on the streaming platform.

The second season of the show premiered on December 26, following a day when Netflix broadcasted its initial NFL matches, providing an excellent promotional opportunity for the series, thereby highlighting their confidence in the intellectual property.

As a dedicated fan, I can’t help but marvel at the colossal impact “Squid Game” seems to be having on Netflix. The streaming service is even leveraging this phenomenon to propel its budding video game division, taking some extraordinary strategic steps along the way.

On December 17th, Netflix unveiled the debut of its own video game based on “Squid Game,” titled “Squid Game: Unleashed“. This multiplayer combat-style game, similar to what fans of Fortnite are accustomed to, marks a new step for Netflix as it is being offered free to all individuals, regardless if they are current Netflix subscribers or not.

Bill Jackson, the director of “Squid Game: Unleashed”, shared with The Hollywood Reporter that the game’s release is a significant milestone, carrying an ambitious title, and they are proud to debut it during the premiere of season two of their most substantial production to date.

Now, Netflix is adding another wrinkle, a perk that only it can offer its subscribers: The more Squid Game episodes they watch on Netflix, the more rewards they will get in the video game itself. And for those users that binge the whole season, not only will they receive in-game cash (which can be used to purchase items or player skins), but they will also receive a special “Binge Watcher” skin to show off to other players.

Jackson explains, ‘When you understand it, you’ll recognize the method of its acquisition.’ In fact, the primary means of self-expression in Squid Game: Unleashed is through picking and personalizing each character. This approach is unique because it caters only to those who have watched the series, thereby showcasing your fandom even more.

The game represents the outcome of discussions between Netflix’s entertainment and games divisions, where they brainstormed on ways to mutually benefit one another.

Jackson mentions a discussion about strengthening each other’s ideas. Specifically, he wonders if we can incorporate the interesting concepts from the show into the game, or if there’s a way to utilize elements from the game and apply them to one of the other mediums?

He points out that during the show, viewers may be inspired to try the game themselves and demonstrate this enthusiasm. Similarly, when playing the game, some might seek out the live performance or touring experience, or find other ways to exhibit their fandom through merchandise. Fandom, it seems, can be expressed in numerous creative ways.

The game titled “Squid Game: Unleashed” has been under development for several years now, as Jackson shares, and due to the extensive time needed to produce a top-tier AAA video game, this project has proven quite challenging.

Despite Netflix’s massive presence in streaming, it’s important to remember that its gaming aspirations are relatively fresh and modest compared to its streaming dominance. The company officially declared its intent to venture into games just last year, and bolstered this move with numerous acquisitions of mobile game developers in the following period, such as Boss Fight Entertainment, the team behind “Squid Game: Unleashed,” where Jackson worked.

This year, Epic Games appointed veteran Alain Tascan as president of their gaming division. They’ve specifically focused on leveraging their own intellectual properties and popular games they’ve acquired such as the Grand Theft Auto series and Sonic the Hedgehog.

However, the series Squid Game stands out as a significant undertaking, as it serves as the premier television production to introduce its accompanying video game.

Jackson explains that the aim was to attract individuals who are new to our show or have never played one of our games before, by providing them with an opportunity to engage. He believes that, given the holiday season, this is an ideal moment for such an initiative.

The firm consulted with its fans about their favorite aspects of the series (including, by the way, the reality spinoff titled “Squid Game: The Challenge”), to find out what they enjoyed the most. It turned out that the intense competition was the preferred choice, and served as inspiration for the battle royale game format that the company is now employing.

Just as another popular battle royale game does, Squid Game: Unleashed is not meant to stay stagnant. In fact, Netflix intends to continuously update and modernize it in order to maintain its appeal, ideally keeping players engaged even after season two has been devoured during a record-breaking binge-watching session.

Jackson mentioned that some new games from ‘Squid Game’ season two will be included in our own game, which are not commonly seen. Additionally, elements from the series will be incorporated into our game once they have been aired on TV. This is another method we’re using to blend the game with the show.

Jackson remarks that while this point in our project is significant, it’s crucial that the game itself meets a high standard. If the game isn’t up to par, none of the other elements will function properly.

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2024-12-23 21:25