NETFLIX EXPANDS INTO GAMING

Very soon, the streaming service Netflix wants video games to be competing for a place on their list. Netflix says games are a key part of its proposition to stay relevant with audiences in years to come, and is slowly ramping up plans to offer more gaming experiences to subscribers.

Vice President of external games at Netflix, Leanne Loom, told BBC News: « Games are one of the biggest forms of entertainment out there today, so it really is just a natural extension for Netflix to include them as part of the subscription. The lines between the different ways we enjoy our entertainment are blurring. When you’re in that moment, looking to sit and watch a movie or be more active and play a game, we want to make sure we have something for you.”

« Our goal is to have a game on the service for everyone. Not focus on making one big experience, but rather a selection of titles that members can choose to play. »

Since November 2021, some games have been available to play on the Netflix app, but this development was not really recognized by many users. Vice President Loom says the streaming service has deliberately not been « shouting from the rooftops » but instead taking their time to understand the market place first.

So far, what’s being offered are mobile games, with some tied to famous Netflix franchises (like Stranger Things) and others independent of the service (like Reigns: Three Kingdoms).

Currently these few available games are only available to play on mobile devices, although tests are under way to see how they could work on TVs and computers.

This approach is on a low-key level and a sensible move according to games

Experiences such as tech giant Google, who closed its Stadia console this year, show how difficult it is to find a place in the games space for companies.

« Focusing on the mobile games first is a clever strategy that could work in Netflix favour, » says Thompson. « It looks as if they’re talking the time to understand the landscape and gamers. I know their reputation has been a bit shaky on the streaming side-recently, but it certainly seems like they’re trying to work with the games space and not against it.”

In the future, Loom says we can expect to see Netflix leverage its intellectual property even more. « Connecting shows, movies and games together from our universes is what we’re trying to accomplish, » she explains.

On the other side of the coin in such a competitive space, if players are not impressed with what they’re seeing, if they feel it lacks scope or ambition, they will very quickly move on to something else. It can be difficult to regain an audience that has moved on to other games.

Netflix reports that they are very early in their games journey right now. They want to take their time and bring out quality as the movies they release. Anticipate this next project of Netflix.

Delia Nyadi