Netflix explores making a 'AAA PC game' at new studio

Netflix has not been successful with its mobile games so far, but the streaming giant isn't giving up yet. Instead, it's set its sights on PC gaming. The company posted a job listing for a director in Los Angeles who would lead work on a "brand-new AAA PC game." We don't know too many details about the game. But the new hire is ideally expected to have experience with first- and third-person shooters, constantly evolving "live service" games (like Destiny 2), and quick prototyping in Unreal Engine. The company is looking for some comfortable with cooperative and competitive multiplayer, and they want someone to help develop a game world "worthy" of a Netflix series or film. 

The job listing goes into incredible detail about what's expected, but that also still leaves us with questions about what to expect. But since Netflix is still just hiring, it'll be a while before we see this game (or games) come to fruition.

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Apple is looking to hire someone to guide the development of its health products

Photo by Tim Foster on Unsplash

If one of the newest job listings from the company is any indication, Apple is looking to develop more health-related features for its existing lineup—and potentially develop new products. The company is in the process of hiring a clinical producer that will be in charge of the "overall development of health products" while in collaboration with cross-functional teams.

The role calls for partnerships with clinicians to identify the critical areas of focus for Apple's products, technologies, and potential for customer impact. The new position requires 5+ years of experience in the health care industry, preferably those in regulated medical products and/or digital health products, with a proven track record of driving product development from concept to launch. As My Healthy Apple reported, the company has been adding new positions related to healthcare, including cardiologists, health sensing engineers, and more.

Facebook's looking to develop its own chips

New job listings from Facebook suggest the company is looking to be a bit more self-reliant. Under the infrastructure category, the social media company is looking to hire a manager who will assemble “end-to-end SoC/ASIC, firmware, and driver organization.” With the listing filed under infrastructure, it could be Facebook is looking to build a team for its artificial intelligence servers, which are currently NVIDIA-powered. One of the job listing references says it needs “expertise to build custom solutions targeted at multiple verticals including AI/ML,” which broadens the focus a bit but also shows the company looking to develop its AI capabilities further. Also, who knows if the company might want to use it to power any hardware it might release in the future, including things like future Oculus virtual reality headsets.

Source: The Verge

Spotify might be getting serious about entering the hardware game

We’ve seen job listings for Spotify in the past that showed the streaming services wanted to create “category defining product(s) akin to Pebble Watch, Amazon Echo, and Snap Spectacles.” There was also mention of the company wanting to include voice control features. It looks like Spotify is pushing forward somewhat with the idea with new job postings showing up for a Project Manager, Senior Project Manager, and an Operations Manager that will help the company “on its way to creating its first physical products” and help with “creating innovative Spotify experiences” via connected hardware. Spotify is said to be setting up its operational organization for “manufacturing, supply chain, sales, and marketing.” It is evident the company wants to develop hardware that is unique to its brand, much like Pebble Watch and Snap Spectacles. Whether we get to see this soon is a question we can’t answer just yet. The company has declined to comment on the matter.

Source: Music Ally