From September 28, Netflix subscribers from Italy and Spain will be able to download the first five free video games. “We are only at the beginning and we still have a lot of work to do, but we are very happy to offer these games exclusively as part of the Netflix subscription, without advertising or in-app purchases,” reads a note from the company. But in the meantime, the big leap has been made: after the first experimentation in Poland (only two titles, however), today the strategy beyond the TV of the largest streaming TV in the world begins to take shape.
How does it work
None of the five games are new: Stranger Things: 1984, Stranger Things 3: The Game, Card Blast, Teeter Up e Shooting Hoops. All, in various ways, are available on the Play store and App Store. To get them, just update the app to the latest version and look for the column dedicated to games, then select them to download them. You don’t play in streaming, in fact: Netflix only makes games available, a bit like Apple Arcade, which allows you to download and install hundreds of titles by paying a subscription. And who knows if this is precisely why the option is currently only available on Android devices. They will also arrive on the iPhone and iPad, but at the moment there are no official dates.
Once downloaded from the Google Play Store, the game will appear both on the device home and within the Netflix app. The games are in full version, and completely free for anyone with a Netflix subscription.
The strategy
Video games are an extension of Netflix’s basic entertainment offer (movies, TV series, etc.), which Netflix has been working on for about 20 years. Coming after seeing subscriber response to interactive shows or games based on some of the most popular titles (Bandersnatch or the recent launch of Headspace: Relax Your Mind), Netflix is excited to take this one step further.
direction. But even after a quarterly report that disappointed expectations: new subscribers at June 30 were 1.54 million, better than the 1.12 million indicated by the company but lower than the 1.75 million forecast by analysts. The global total has risen to 209 million, however the loss of 430,000 subscribers in the US and Canada, the two most profitable markets, is worrying. It’s the worst slowdown in growth since 2013, and the next quarter looks no better – so Netflix hired a video game expert, Mike Verdu, from Facebook to explore new opportunities. The company will first focus on smartphone titles, then expand to consoles and televisions.
Like movies and TV series, video games will also initially be licensed exclusively, but over time they should be made in-house. The first titles are linked to the most popular series, but completely independent titles could also arrive. And on the other hand, Netflix could create TV series or movies inspired by its video games, as competitors have been doing for years.
In detail
Stranger Things: 1984. Developer: BonusXP (* US)
Synopsis: Live alongside Hopper and the guys on incredible missions in Hawkins and the Upside Down in this stylized retro adventure with lots of collectibles
Stranger Things 3: The Game. Developer: BonusXP (* US)
Synopsis: Choose one of 12 characters from Stranger Things 3: The Game and fight in a pixelated Hawkins. Form a team with your friends or venture into the Upside Down alone.
Card Blast. Sviluppatore: Rogue Games (*US)
Synopsis: Make a winning hand, and maybe hit a full house, in this fast paced game perfect for those who want to try their hand at poker every now and then.
Shooting Hoops. Developer: Frost Pop (* Canada)
Synopsis: A basketball equipped with a shotgun shoots darts? Great idea! Throw them in the right direction to hit the basket and that’s it.
Teeter Up. Developer Frost Pop (* Canada)
Synopsis: No dragons or monsters: the aim here is to get the ball into the hole by moving the platform to counter gravity and the laws of physics.
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