Home » Netflix games come to iOS, but digital store rules are a problem

Netflix games come to iOS, but digital store rules are a problem

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I am video games have arrived on Netflix: just swipe the smartphone app just like when looking for something to see and at some point a box will pop out that refers to the dedicated section, Netflix Games.

For now there are 4 games inside (although the launch titles are in theory 5), two of which are related to the saga of Stranger Things. Too bad that, due to the rules of the digital stores of Google and Apple, they cannot be downloaded and played directly from the TV series and movies platform. By pressing on Get game you are instead directed to the corresponding store, from which to download that single title as a standalone application. At a later time, the game can obviously also be started from within the Netflix app, but it can also be started independently.

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Because the games must be downloaded individually
A somewhat convoluted ride, linked to contractual conditions with which Apple and Google (on Android the procedure is basically the same) manage the presence of applications on the store. In this case by banning video game hubs both for commercial reasons and for a control discourse: Apple’s philosophy is to offer people a safe experience by verifying each application. Also for this piattaforme come Xbox Cloud Gaming, Nvidia GeForce Now e Google Stadia (which in turn give access to dozens or hundreds of titles) are not available, or are not available in all their modes, and to play the limitation must be avoided by adding a web application shortcut to the iPhone home screen .

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Mark Gurman, in the Power On newsletter made for Reuters pointed out (trying to identify a development towards cloud services that are however prohibited) that “to be a true all-in-one service on iOS, Netflix will have to switch to the cloud and Apple will have to change its rules or grant Netflix a ‘exemption. This leaves the ultimate success of the Netflix service in Apple’s hands, a long-standing partner, but also a growing rival ”.

Similarly to what happens in other areas, in fact, Apple has its own mobile gaming platform, which is called Arcade and is accessible from a specific section of the App Store: here we had dealt with the subject in detail, trying to focus on the weight of the App Store and specifically of the games for Cupertino, recalling that according to Sensor Tower the turnover of the App Store would have been in 2019 of 15.9 billion dollars, with 69% of this pie connected to games.

What are Netflix games
Returning to Netflix, the titles currently available are Stranger Things: 1984 (developed by BonusXP), Stranger Things 3: The Game (BonusXP), Shooting Hoops (Frosty Pop), Card Blast (Fun & Rogue Games) e Teeter (Up) (Frosty Pop). The first two, in full eighties style, are precisely linked to the famous TV series: you identify yourself in the role of agent Jim Hopper or one of the other characters and face some missions set in Hawkins, the town where the story takes place. . The others are games of fantasy or skill: in the case of Teeter (Up), a ball must enter a hole by gradually tilting the platform on which it rests. And without being able to lower it, but only proceeding upwards. Very hard e fun in its absolute simplicity reminiscent of some childhood games. The other, Shooting Hoops, seems a bit more chaotic and you immediately get tired of trying to make a shot with a basketball tied to a darts rifle.

Only the first step on a long road
Presenting this initiative, Netflix explained that “we want to start building a library of games that offers something for everyone: we are at the beginning of creating a fantastic gaming experience and we are excited to take you on this journey with us”. In short: these 5 titles are probably just the first brick of a section destined to be enriched more and more. In the games there are no interruptions or advertisements or in-app purchases to advance to the next levels. Plus, they’re not available on Netflix profiles for kids.

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How much is the mobile game pie worth
In which direction Netflix will proceed it is difficult to say, in this phase in which it offers the games for free, as content included in the various subscription plans. Certainly the cake of the mobile games, which have not accused either lockdown isolation last year, denying those who wanted them linked only to commuting, she is rich: in a few years she will reach 200 billion dollars. In Italy it is worth 1.7, according to the Deloitte Digital Consumer Trends 2020. Little, if compared to the 42.4 billion in China, but still an important and constantly growing slice: much more famous and debated phenomena, such as podcasts, are worth a few million euros in our country (data from the Observatory Digital Content – School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano last September).

According to the Deloitte report, during the first lockdown 24% of gamers chose to spend time with games on their phone, compared to the European average of 16%. Try that they do not exclude the more advanced ones for consoles such as Xbox or PlayStation 5, and indeed they probably touch different targets, as well as finding a convergence with the platforms mentioned above, which now allow you to play almost anywhere.

Spend some time without commitment – this seems to be the main reason why in our country one in 3 people (again, above the European average) spends time on games designed primarily for smartphones. A success that is probably linked to our historical and consolidated smartphone fever and that rewards not so much the more complex titles such as Fortnite, on the other hand playable almost everywhere, but puzzles, 25% of the vote, followed by the traditional ones card games (20%), board games or word games (14%) e simulation (10%). Netflix tries to place itself a little between these trends and at the same time tries to propose new ones, trying to ride the evocative power of the planetary successes of its platform.

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