Joseph Staten To Join Netflix Games As Creative Director

With Halo Infinite out for a few years, Staten has announced his next move. On Twitter, Joseph announced that he will become the Creative Director at Netflix Games, where he will lead the creative teams on a AAA multiplatform game. It has long been rumored that the company wants to expand into AAA gaming, as its current mobile offerings do not make too much sense. 

So today, I'm thrilled to announce that I've joined @Netflix Games as Creative Director for a brand-new AAA multiplatform game and original IP. Let's go! 2/2

— Joseph Staten (@joestaten) April 17, 2023

Joseph Staten is credited as one of the original writers of Bungie‘s Halo franchise. 343i brought Joseph Staten on to help develop Halo Infinite. Staten has also written the foundations of the Destiny universe while he worked at Bungie. Staten was most recently the head of creative at 343i, leading the company’s creative teams.

Joseph had announced his departure from Microsoft a little over a week ago. It made sense, as there is a very little story left to tell in Halo Infinite—no DLC is planned for the game, and there is only so much story you can tell in multiplayer season cutscenes. It seems like it was time for Staten to move onto something new, something unique, like being a figurehead in Netflix’s expansion into gaming. 

Netflix has struggled with subscribers in recent months; dwindling subscription numbers and slowing growth have put the company on alert. The company’s games do not generate any revenue for the company, although the company is exploring live service mechanics in its current offerings. Expanding into AAA gaming might give Netflix the growth it needs. 

Netflix offers mobile games as a part of its subscription service. With a mobile device like a cell phone or a tablet, you can play a number of mobile titles that are included in the service. However, user penetration is very low, with less than 1% of Netflix subscribers actively using the service. These mobile games may not fit into a subscription. However, AAA products just might.

Netflix has the benefit of being a massive holder of media property. With hundreds of millions of subscribers, The service has the potential to engage a massive audience with AAA offerings. Netflix could take the Amazon/Google route and launch a cloud gaming service to compete with Amazon Luna and Xbox Game Pass Cloud Streaming.

Expanding into gaming is the obvious thing for Netflix to do. Gaming is the largest, highest-grossing form of media, and Netflix, of course, is a media company. Joseph Staten is a well-experienced creative, a mind behind some of the most beloved franchises in gaming, who understand how the gaming industry works (I’m looking at you, Amazon Games). 

AAA game development is a long process. However, Staten is no stranger to building some of the most well-known franchises. Time will tell how Netflix Games will hold up. The company continues to be aggressive in acquiring studios, and it is probable that more acquisitions will continue as Netflix builds out its gaming division.