Netflix Games has been available within the Netflix mobile app since Late 2021. However, with Netflix Games head Alan Tascain shifting focus from mobile games to streaming games on TVs, I want to review what we know and how this change might prompt more companies to compete.
What Do We Know?
Let’s start with what we know. Alain Tascan, President of Games at Netflix, has previously confirmed that Netflix Games was shifting its strategic focus from mobile games to games streamed to TVs, party games, games for children, and games that leverage popular IPs. This means Netflix is likely to invest more into locking down third-party titles for its cloud gaming platform, as well as funding more unique and fully-fledged titles that will appeal to gamers, fans of Netflix’s other content and children who want to play games on their TV but can’t afford a modern console (Thanks Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo).
So far, there is only a handful of games available on Netflix’s cloud gaming platform, including Netflix’s first-party titles like Oxenfree, Cozy Grove Camp Spirit, and Mole Gem Mayhem. There are also several third-party games like Centipede Recharged and Link Twins. This is a significant part of Netflix’s gaming future, as it will allow more people to play console and PC-quality video games on Netflix.
How Netflix Cloud Gaming Changes The Entertainment Landscape
Netflix has offered film and television content since 2007 and has provided mobile games since 2021. Netflix’s push into cloud gaming, although still in beta, is a chance for Netflix to become a leader in the gaming industry, with its over 300 million paying customers who could already be gamers or turned into gamers by checking out Netflix’s cloud games on platforms such as smart TVs, PCs, and mobile devices. With many people already having a Netflix subscription, many of Netflix’s popular content, such as Squid Game, Money Heist, and Stranger Things, could easily attract eager users to check out Netflix’s cloud gaming service if Netflix utilizes those IPs are for Cloud Gaming platform like they have been for their mobile platform.
Netflix is also one of the “Magnificent Seven” when it comes to tech companies, and similar to Microsoft and Amazon, they have a deep balance sheet to allow them to keep building on an already successful video streaming platform to make their cloud gaming platform thrive.
Final Thoughts
I have been covering Netflix Games for years, even before I worked on the Cloud Dosage Team, and whilst the transition from mobile games to cloud gaming has been slower than initially expected, the potential this has shouldn’t be understated. This could boost Netflix’s subscriber base, reduce its churn rate, and make Netflix more of a platform for all forms of entertainment. I hope Netflix Cloud Gaming succeeds and that its success will lead to Netflix developing and funding more innovative games for the platform, making it a real competitor to PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo. One thing is for sure: when Netflix sets its mind on something, it goes big.
What do you think? Will Netflix’s Cloud Gaming push shake up the entertainment industry? Let us know in the comments below or on social media.
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