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Netflix has swooped in for Epic Games EVP of development Alain Tascan to lead its games division.
As reported by Variety, Tascan has taken up the role of president of games at the streaming giant.
He replaces the company’s previous VP of games Mike Verdu, who was moved into a new “game innovation” role last month. He will report directly to Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters.
At Epic, Tascan oversaw first-party development on titles including Fortnite, LEGO Fortnite, Rocket League and Fall Guys. His other roles in games include being vice chairman at Funcom, VP and GM of EA Montreal, and VP of production at Ubisoft.
New boss
“Alain brings over 30 years of experience in global video game development, production, licensing, and building studios,” said Netflix co-CEO Gregory Peters.
“He has a passion for making great games and a proven track record of taking bold creative bets. We’re thrilled to have him leading Netflix Games.”
Tascan added: “In an ever-evolving entertainment landscape, Netflix has continually demonstrated an unparalleled ability to innovate and captivate audiences worldwide. I am honoured and thrilled to build on the remarkable foundation that the talented games team here has laid, and I firmly believe that Netflix is uniquely positioned to redefine the future of gaming.”
New strategy?
With a new president in place, it remains to be seen whether Netflix will change course on its strategy for its games division.
In a recent call with investors, co-CEO Peters claimed the company had tripled engagement with its games last year. He did not provide any specific data on usage, however over the last few years, however.
“[It’s] worth noting that, that engagement and that impact on our overall business at the current scale, it’s still quite small,” said Peters.
“And it’s also probably worth noting that the investment level in games relative to our overall content spend is also quite small. And we’ve calibrated the growth in investment with the growth in the business impact. So we’re being disciplined about how we scale that.”
Netflix’s current strategy has seen it boost internal development with the acquisitions of studios including Next Games and Spry Fox.
It has also paid for a number of titles on the platform, including the GTA trilogy Definitive Edition – which includes GTA 3, GTA: San Andreas and GTA: Vice City. Meanwhile, it is also expanding its Netflix Stories library, a series of interactive fiction titles based on its TV shows.
We recently caught up with Netflix Stories director of story Sarah Springwater to discuss how the streaming giant is using interactive fiction to engage with fans of its shows – and also bring in new ones.
Last month, PocketGamer.biz also spoke with VP of External Games Leanne Loombe about the entertainment firm’s plans for games and why it remains a “long-term bet” for the company.
