Summary: Netflix has announced that it is beginning the first public test of its foray into gaming. Subscribers in Poland can currently try two games on Android at no additional cost. This is definitely a small first step, but also a clue to how Netflix plans to eventually develop its gaming side on a large scale.
A tweet from the official Netflix account “NetflixGeeked” made the ad that Stranger Things: 1984 and Stranger Things 3 games are available to Android users who have a Netflix subscription in Poland, with no ads or in-app purchases. “It is very, very early and we have a lot of work to do in the coming months, but it is the first step,” writes Netflix.
Last month, Netflix confirmed that its first steps in video games will be mobile and will cost nothing more and nothing more than the current streaming subscription. The company plans to treat games as a new category, like the movies and TV shows it already produces. Netflix may only be testing mobile games right now, but last month some data pulled into the Netflix app revealed information about the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller and Sony’s own Ghost of Tsushima.
Let’s talk about Netflix and games.
Today, Polish members can test Netflix mobile games on Android with two games, Stranger Things: 1984 and Stranger Things 3. It is very, very early and we have a lot of work to do in the coming months, but this is the first step. https://t.co/yOl44PGY0r
– Netflix geek (@NetflixGeeked) August 26, 2021
Earlier this month, TradeSmith, when reviewing Netflix job postings, speculated that the company was already on the verge of trying to build its own game studios instead of buying them. Job postings show Netflix is already trying to recruit staff for a development studio. “This strategy is important because there is no risk that the company will need to issue new debt or take a hit when buying a company and biting its cash,” TradeSmith said.
However, opening Netflix to a producer indicates that it wants to work with outside studios and continue to license its own properties to other developers, as it has done with Stranger Things 3 developer BonusXP.
Amazon has had trouble getting into games. Its next MMO New World is finally about to enter open beta, but it comes after many other failures in the company’s gaming initiative. Netflix testing with mobile games indicates that you may be considering starting small rather than trying to make AAA games from scratch.
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