Update: Netflix and Telltale Games are partnering to bring “Minecraft: Story Mode” to the streaming video service later this year, the two companies confirmed to Variety on Wednesday. They also confirmed Telltale is working on a “Stranger Things” game for PC and consoles.
“Yes, we can confirm ‘Minecraft: Story Mode’ is a licensed five episode interactive narrative series coming to our service this fall,” a Netflix spokesperson told Variety via email. “It’s an extension of other interactive adventures we have on our service like ‘Stretch Armstrong: The Breakout,’ ‘Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale,’ and ‘Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile.'”
Netflix said it has no plans to get into the gaming industry despite its new foray into licensed video game content. “There’s a broad spectrum of entertainment available today. Games have become increasingly cinematic, but we view this as interactive narrative storytelling on our service,” it said.
It also clarified that the ‘Stranger Things’ video game is being published by Telltale and won’t be on the Netflix service. “It’s part of our marketing and title promotion efforts,” it added. It worked with developer BonusXP last year to put out a licensed mobile app, “Stranger Things: The Game,” prior to the start of the show’s second season.
“Minecraft: Story Mode” will be delivered via video files and accept commands via any TV remote equipped with directional and select buttons, according to TechRadar, who first broke the story. Telltale’s games are a perfect match for this technology, since they generally require simple commands and dialogue choices to play. There’s no word yet on whether or not combat sequences will be included in the Netflix show. Anonymous sources told TechRadar a playable demo already exists.
Netflix’s first interactive kids show, “Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale” launched in June 2017. The program let viewers pick between branching narratives, giving them 10 to 15 seconds to make a choice with their remote, game controller, or touch screen. Netflix debuted a second interactive show, “Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile,” the following month. It’s currently working on a third called “Stretch Armstrong: The Breakout.”
“We’re delighted by the response we’re seeing to the idea of ‘Minecraft: Story Mode’ coming to Netflix in the fall as an interactive adventure,” Telltale Games said in a statement. “Separately, we’re thrilled to confirm that Telltale is developing a game based on ‘Stranger Things’ that we’ll publish to consoles and computers at a later date. Our partnership with Netflix is something we’re incredibly proud of, and while we don’t have anything more to share right now, we’re excited to reveal details on these projects later in the year.”
