Netflix has been a sensation since it launched way back in 1997, revolutionizing the way people around the globe consume entertainment, be it movies of TV shows. It has now solidified itself as the market leader when it comes to streaming motion pictures and small screen series, with its platform packed with an almost endless array of dazzling content.
Within those thousands of hours of content there are multiple entertainment genres whose followers eagerly lap up whatever the platform’s algorithm deems relevant for them. One of those genres is the crossover between the film world and that of online gaming, which itself is a huge burgeoning industry.
Here we take a look at just some of the shows and movies that will appeal specially to avid online gamers, many of whom are always on the lookout for shows that accurately pay homage to the games, and Esports stars, they adore. Many gamers will even toggle between playing their favorite games on a specialist gaming phone and watching their favorite Netflix shows, such is the interchangeability of entertainment platforms these days.
Netflix continues to go from strength to strength as it tries to fend off competition from rival platforms such as Amazon Prime and HBO Max
Rounders and The Queen's Gambit
Anyone who has spent any amount of time on a gaming stream platform such as Twitch will know all about the continuing appeal of classic games. Together games like chess and poker still draw hundreds of thousands of viewers each and every week to various streaming channels and there are also many budding chess grand masters and poker high rollers who compete in online tournaments.
The poker movie Rounders and the mini-series about chess called The Queen's Gambit are two shows that are the perfect fit for lovers of classic games. The former is led by Matt Damon and is widely viewed as one of the most accurately portrayed poker movies, with some top pros and card game experts obviously having weighed in to ensure that everything from the script to the plot was in keeping with this game’s complex vagaries. Other popular ones like Rounders include the likes of Molly’s Game and Mississippi Grind, which bring their own unique take on this evergreen classic.
The Queen’s Gambit is a treat because it is based on a novel by Walter Tevis, who employed the services of one of the world’s greatest chess tutors, Bruce Pandolfini, so that readers would not be disappointed by the technical details in the prose. That same authenticity shines through in the Netflix show. Other great chess shows to watch on Netflix include The Coldest Game and Searching for Bobby Fischer.
These are just some of the Netflix shows that online gamers of all stripes will enjoy, as they draw huge amounts of inspiration from the realms of Esports and video games
Video Games: The Movie and Indie Game: The Movie
As well as movies and TV show series, Netflix is also a dab hand at developing documentaries, which while on occasion can be a little lightweight for those truly in the know, are often great ways for newbies of a subject or theme to gain a basic grounding. That is very much the case in both Video Games: The Movie and Indie Game: The Movie. The former is a brilliant rundown of the history of video games, while the latter details the difficult journeys of four pioneering indie game developers as they try to create games that will blow peoples’ minds.
Pokémon, Witcher, and More
The other strain of Netflix show that gamers will love is that which bases its shows and movies on video games and online games themselves. Ones to make a note of include Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series, The Witcher, and Angry Birds: Summer Madness, all of which are entertaining and go out their way to ensure they live up the lofty expectations of the gamers who made such brands what they are. There are plenty more video game/Netflix crossovers in the pipeline for 2022.
