Two of the video games developing subsequent on Netflix Games are from the New Zealand builders PikPok. Here’s an prolonged have a take a observe Shattered Remastered and Into The Dead 2: Unleashed and our chat with the group at the back of them.
Scheduled for launch in some unspecified time in the future in March 2022, we’ll see a remaster of a loved brick breaker sport known as Shattered. We’ll additionally see the primary-man or woman zombie shooter Into The Dead 2 land onto the service.
Netflix Games first released again in November 2022 and to this point has been basically reliant on pickups from mounted sport studios for his or her modest library of cellular video games. They’ve sourced video games from Hyper Hippo Games, FrostyPop, Rogue Games, and GameLoft to this point.
In latest months, we’ve additionally visible Netflix hiring masses of builders for its personal inner efforts or even received the Finnish studio, Next Games.
PikPok Games is a trendy collaboration for Netflix. The studio is primarily based totally in Wellington, New Zealand and became mounted again in 1997.
PikPok has additionally been beefing up its inner groups in latest months too. In February, they extensively bought Colombian developer, Wizard Fun Factory.
We spoke to the Chief Publishing Officer of PikPok video games Karah Stutton asking approximately their video games coming to Netflix and given how new and clean Netflix’s project into the space, a bit greater on why they selected to paintings with the streaming service.
Can you speak approximately how the connection with Netflix Gaming happened and what’s the trap of operating with Netflix?
We had labored formerly with a member of the Netflix group, and that they reached out due to the fact they knew the first-rate we should supply and notion our video games might be a terrific suit for the platform. We’ve usually sought to maintain our finger at the pulse of latest traits withinside the video video games industry, and we’ve been gift at release on plenty of latest structures and gadgets over the years. This felt like some thing with the capability to be a prime participant on a brand new platform, handing over terrific studies in an on hand manner, that’s usually thrilling to be element of.
Netflix Gaming is a pretty new project for Netflix, what do they want to do to achieve success in cellular gaming and gaming as a whole?
Something I’ve already found from them is an openness to gaining knowledge of from sport builders, whether or not approximately sport layout and participant motivations or approximately what we’ve determined to paintings from a advertising and marketing standpoint. They glaringly have an splendid wealth of knowledge, and it’s fresh to additionally see this coupled with a collaborative method of their interactions with sport builders.
What’s the advantage of getting your video games now no longer want to financially assist themselves with the likes of microtransactions?
The key aspect we’re enthusiastic about is the possibility to introduce our video games to new and really exclusive audiences, folks that wouldn’t always have taken into consideration a top rate or a unfastened-to-play sport on a exclusive platform.
Shattered Remastered
How did this mission come approximately? How lengthy has it been in development? Were you lovers of the authentic?
We have been thinking about remastering Shatter for a while, however have been weighing up the nice possibility. So while Netflix reached out to us the timing became simply serendipitous – it felt like an appropriate birthday party of the legacy and lasting reputation of the sport. Some in their group have been already lovers of the sport, and a few had in no way performed it before, however all of us regarded to agree that it’d be excellent for Shatter Remastered to be a Netflix sport.
Has the authentic creators of the sport been worried withinside the mission in any manner?
Yes! Our Chief Design Officer Andy Satterthwaite got here up with the authentic idea and oversaw layout of the authentic sport, so he became usually to be had to assist the group and provide comments and advice.
Says Tim Donnan, Experienced Audio Designer: “The soundtrack became additionally remastered via way of means of the authentic mixer Troy Kelly, with oversight via way of means of the composer Module.”
Beyond the brand new visuals, is there some thing new from the sport we will expect?
This is the primary time the sport has been to be had to play on cellular, which makes for a simply a laugh and intuitive manner to play, seeing that controls are so quintessential to the experience. Everything approximately this remaster became performed with an purpose to make for the nice viable participant experience, from the soundtrack remaster to progressed accessibility, all of which became notably examined with outside gamers made of current lovers and people completely unexpected with the sport.
Into the Dead 2: Unleashed
Into the Dead 2 already exists as a unfastened to play sport – are you able to speak approximately the system and what needed to alternate to alter for Netflix Games? Will the antique sport be leaving the app store?
From Rob Green, Lead Game Designer on Into the Dead 2:
The unfastened to play model will continue to be to be had, with each variations presenting a completely unique manner to play. We simply noticed this as an possibility to provide all of the authentic content material plus 4 years of updates to a fixed of gamers coming to the sport clean. We’ve remodeled nearly the whole thing in the sport with the purpose of eliminating obstacles so gamers should consciousness on inflicting most destruction, finishing demanding situations and experiencing the zombie apocalypse survival stories.
Are there any new capabilities or degrees lovers may be excited for on this new edition of the sport?
From Rob Green, Lead Game Designer on Into the Dead 2:
Into the Dead 2: Unleashed applications the whole thing that has been delivered to and progressed in the sport withinside the 4 years seeing that its launch. We now have over 60 degrees withinside the authentic story, eight extra facet stories, over 50 weapons, every day demanding situations and stay events, plus remodeled visuals and cutscenes and a streamlined liberate system. This is the end result of the whole thing lovers have cherished approximately the sport, polished, strengthened, unleashed.
Sadly, we nevertheless don’t have a launch date for both video games (Netflix video games normally land onto the cellular app with out a whole lot fanfare) however we’ll make certain to test them out went they do.
