Netflix is attempting to be a big player in the gaming world, planning to release 40 new games by the end of 2023.
Key Details
- Netflix has offered paying subscribers games to play in its mobile app since late 2021.
- So far, Netflix has 55 games from independent partners and one big publisher Ubisoft, with 70 games currently in the works, according to Axios.
- The company plans to launch 40 more games by the end of 2023—some being independent games and others being spin-offs of popular Netflix streaming shows and movies.
Why it’s news
Netflix is already a streaming giant with over 230 million subscribers, but the platform is attempting to expand into a new sector—gaming.
Netflix is looking to become one of the next giants in the gaming world, which is typically a challenging sector to break into. The company has offered games for free to subscribers through the platform’s mobile app for a while, but plans to launch more games this year.
Some current game offerings include multi-platform games such as Immortality and Into The Breach and spin-offs of Netflix shows. The most popular game is a tie-in to the Netflix reality show Too Hot To Handle, according to Axios.
“Our north star is to become a world-class publisher who delivers must-play games to our millions of members around the world,” says Netflix’s VP of external games, Leanne Loombe.
The company currently has around 70 games in the works from external partners and plans to launch about 40 of them before the year’s end.
Netflix has found success with its in-app games so far and hopes the launch of more games will bring even more success to the platform.
The company is looking at new ways of promoting the games by adding QR codes and other links to its streaming service to notify users of the extra services provided with the subscription.
Other platforms have attempted to break into the gaming space but found little success as it is a challenging sector to get into. Google attempted to build out a gaming network, but the effort got little traction leading to the company shutting it down indefinitely.
Netflix hasn’t announced any new game release dates, but is expected to announce some in the near future.
