Netflix made a surprise yesterday with the launch of its gaming functionality. The platform has started this test in Poland, where Netflix subscribers can already start playing games offered by the platform. The company has published images and has detailed how it will be the operation of this modality.
There were doubts about how these games were going to work, since Netflix, being a streaming company, could offer games with this modality in a similar way to what Stadia does. However, nothing could be further from the truth, Netflix would have to make a huge investment for this since it is not the same to have a server-oriented to store and distribute content than to have to process it through graphics cards for thousands of users.
Netflix games are installed from the Play Store
So, finally, it seems that it will be our devices that will run the games. In Poland, the functionality has started on mobile, where users can already play Stranger Things: 1984 and Stranger Things 3, which were already available on the Play Store, but for a fee. To play the games, just go to the Netflix app, select it, and hit Install. The app will redirect us to the Google Play Store, where the Netflix subscription will allow us to install and play it for free.
Netflix says it still has a lot of work ahead in the coming months, and that the feature is still in very early stages. However, the company has given important facts about the games on the platform. For starters, the games are not going to have ads, as is the case with the multimedia content we see on the platform. Secondly, there will be no additional in-app purchases as is the case with many mobile games. Finally, all games will be included in the subscription.
As we can see, Netflix is going to respect games like any other multimedia or entertainment content. Video games already generate more money than movies, so it makes sense to attract and retain users through this content. Netflix has already conducted several experiments with interactive content, such as Bandersnatch or more recently the Bear Grylls survival special in the mountains after a plane crashes, where the user has to guide him until he is saved.
Netflix is going to leverage its intellectual property
It also makes sense that we’ve seen industry moves like Dead by Daylight is going to lose the Stranger Things content license as of November, as Netflix likely wants to leverage its intellectual property with its games.
All in all, Netflix looks like it’s going to take its bet on video games very seriously. In the premieres of each month, they may be adding the games and apps that they include with their monthly subscription, with games that at the moment it seems that they will be based on their intellectual property. With this, we see that they will serve as a complement to multimedia content, but it would not be unusual for them to gradually expand into the creation of original games unrelated to their series or movies. In turn, games may even give rise to series based on games on Netflix.
