Netflix has finally moved to test whether mobile gaming will take off on their platform after Google failed to get traction with their Stadia gaming concept.
The big US streaming Company has chosen Poland as their test market with paying subscribers able to access two games, “Stranger Things: 1984” and “Stranger Things 3” — titles that have been previously available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. In an odd move user are directed to the Google Play Store to install the game on their devices.
This raises questions as to whether Netflix is simply tasking a click of the revenue similar to what is happening with movie streaming services on TV sets.
Netflix members will need to confirm their Netflix credentials to get access to the games.
Members can return to the game at any time by clicking “Play” on the game’s page from inside the Netflix app or by launching it directly from their mobile device.
“It’s still very, very early days and we will be working hard to deliver the best possible experience in the months ahead with our no ads, no in-app purchases approach to gaming,” a Netflix spokesperson said about the launch.
The company has been expanding its investment in gaming for years, seeing the potential for a broader entertainment universe that ties into its most popular shows.
Tech Crunch said tha at the E3 gaming conference back in 2019, Netflix detailed a series of gaming integrations across popular platforms like Roblox and Fortnite and its plans to bring new “Stranger Things” games to the market.
Netflix is also working with the US based game studio BonusXP to deliver additional games
Netflix has declined to share how popular the games had been in terms of users or installs, while they were publicly available on the app stores.
Netflix couldn’t say when it would broaden this test to Australia, beyond “the coming months.”
Recently consumers have been deserting the Netflix platform due in part to new competition from the likes of Disney+ and to a lesser degree Paramount+.
In North America, Netflix in Q2 lost a sizable 430,000 subscribers — its third-ever quarterly decline in a decade.
It also issued weaker guidance for the upcoming quarter, forecasting the addition of 3.5 million subscribers when analysts had been looking for 5.9 million.
But Netflix downplayed the threat of competition on its slowing growth, instead blaming a lighter content slate, in part due to COVID-related production delays.
