Netflix has had a strong couple of years recently, as the company expanded its media empire. Gaming is one place where we have seen huge growth for Netflix. We have seen Netflix acquire four talented studios as well as set up two new internal teams. We have also seen Netflix roll out a cloud gaming beta in the UK, US and Canada. However, despite the seeming success, Netflix is missing a huge marketing opportunity which could have sped up the growth of select titles.
Many Games Are Based On Netflix Shows
Currently, as of writing this, there are twelve games on Netflix Games which are based on pre-existing Netflix shows and franchises. This includes Money Heist, Stranger Things, Love Is Blind and Too Hot To Handle. We also know Netflix plans to release a new game based on Virgin River on May 29th. Now, as a media juggernaut, it makes sense that Netflix wants to cross-promote different franchises across different media formats (Netflix is also turning its Oxenfree and Afterparty video games into television and film content). However, Netflix has made a fairly obvious mistake when it comes to creating games based on pre-existing Netflix franchises…
Netflix Should Release Games Alongside The Shows and Movies They Are Based On
This point might surprise people! Despite Netflix having over a dozen games based on their television shows and movies, they don’t seem to have a strong history of releasing games at the same time as the new season premieres. One notable example is the game The Queen’s Gambit: Chess which was released three years after the miniseries concluded (We will note however that Netflix Games wasn’t formed until a year after the series had ended). Another notable examples is Chicken Run Eggstraction which is based on Chicken Run 2: Dawn Of The Nugget which came out for Christmas season 2023. However, Chicken Run Eggstraction has still yet to be released.
Why This Matters
When it comes to video game adaptions of films and television series, the longer the gap between the release of the television show or film and the tie-in video game, the less appeal there will be for the game. If Netflix plans to diversify its game offerings with a mix of new IP, third-party games and games based on their own media properties, then they must find a way to make the latter available at the same time as the content it’s based on. If Netflix doesn’t want to waste millions on the next Stranger Things game, for example, they need to find a way for the game to launch alongside the next season of the show.
What do you think? Do you think Netflix is missing a marketing trick? As always, remember to follow us on our social media. Sites such as X (Twitter), Threads and Facebook to keep up with the latest news.
