Netflix has hired Mike Verdu, a longtime video game executive who most recently worked as VP of content at Facebook's VR unit, as its new vice president of game development, Bloomberg was first to report Wednesday afternoon. Verdu will help Netflix expand into video games, according to the report, an initiative that is said to begin in earnest next year.
A Netflix spokesperson confirmed the hire when contacted by Protocol. Before joining Facebook, Verdu worked in senior leadership positions for Electronic Arts, Kabam and Zynga, among others.
Netflix has dabbled in the past in gaming and interactive video; the company launched a number of interactive choose-your-own-adventure movies and specials to its subscribers in recent years, and is scheduled to unveil additional such titles in the coming months.
In addition to that, Netflix also partnered with game studios to produce games based on the company's original IP. However, those titles weren't made available to Netflix subscribers, and instead were distributed through existing channels.