So far, Netflix has mainly released games for mobile phones, but the streaming service is also working on games that you can only play on your TV. You play those console-like games via the cloud.
Netflix plans to offer other types of games soon in addition to smartphone games, including games intended only for the big screen. So says Netflix CEO Leanne Loombe To the edge. “The cloud presents a great opportunity to create a certain type of gaming experience made for TV.”
Two years ago, Netflix focused on gaming for the first time and since then the company has released more than 40 games that you can play on your smartphone. Since August, the streaming service has also offered two games you can play via the cloud on TVs and PCs in two countries as part of testing. These games are Oxenfree, which is an adventure game, and Molehew’s Mining Adventure, which is an arcade game where you have to mine for gems.
“Only available on TV”
Eventually, according to Lumby, there will be games intended only for play on a TV or PC. In other words: console-like games that are not played using a touchscreen. “These games are creatively different from the mobile games we make. Sometimes a cloud game can only be played on a TV, and is tailored to that experience.”
Years ago, Google also tried to compete with PlayStation and Xbox with its cloud gaming service Stadia, but Sony and Microsoft weren’t worried about that. Stadia was a huge flop and Google pulled the plug at the beginning of this year.
Retain subscribers
At Netflix, games are available to all subscribers and the service mainly uses game viewing as an additional way to retain customers. If you can’t find a series or movie on Netflix that you want to stream, you can always play a game. This is what sets Netflix apart from competitors like Disney and HBO Max. Rival Amazon also wants to add free games to its Prime service.
Meanwhile, Netflix also continues to develop mobile games. The company announced a number of new titles last weekend. The streaming giant did not say how many subscribers are playing the games, but according to Loombe, the numbers are satisfactory. “The trajectory we are seeing is something we are very happy with.”
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