Netflix's Announced 'Video Game Streaming' Foray Fizzles Into Some Mobile Games Using Netflix IP
from the more-like-a-trickle-than-a-stream dept
You may recall that my colleague Karl Bode discussed Netflix’s response to real competition last month, dealing mostly with how Netflix has attempted to hand-waive concerns over losing subscribers in the face of increasing streaming options from the likes of Amazon, Disney, and Comcast. But buried down in the last paragraph was a reference to Netflix’s reported interest in video game streaming. Reports indicated that Netflix had hired an executive that had previously worked for EA, speculating that the company was getting into game publishing. There was no official word from Netflix as to what this game studio would actually look like, and the speculation was roughly what you would expect.
While Netflix has not yet confirmed what shape its video game publishing arm might take, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has suggested that the effort could lead to “video games [as part of] its service in the next year.” The use of “video games” as a descriptor is key, as that differentiates the effort from the “choose your own adventure” TV specials that have become more common on the service since Black Mirror’s “Bandersnatch” special debuted in 2018.
A tantalizing thought, to be sure. Would Netflix, the company that largely changed the way the public consumes television and movie content, jump into video game streaming in some way to compete with Amazon, Google Prime, and the like? Given the lackluster adoption of such video game streaming services, and given Netflix’s reputation for redefining content via streamed services, such speculation certainly made sense.
But, no, Netflix is not getting into that sort of video game streaming service. Instead, the studio will build mobile gaming apps available to Netflix subscribers, chiefly utilizing Netflix intellectual property.
One month after its vague announcement of a new gaming-centric strategy, Netflix has explained how it will “publish” video games in the foreseeable future: as downloadable smartphone apps, available exclusively for paying video-streaming subscribers.
The news coincides with the company’s public launch of Netflix Gaming on Thursday as part of the service’s smartphone app… but only in Poland—and only on Android. The company’s American Twitter translated Thursday’s Polish announcement, which explains how the service works. It also announced the two games launching as part of the service today: Stranger Things 3, a 16-bit beat-’em-up that was previously available as a standalone Google Play purchase (and is still live on PC and consoles); and Stranger Things: 1984, a rebranding of a 2017 smartphone-exclusive game that revolve around slow, puzzle-solving movement through pixelated TV-series environments.
Yawn. The more detailed announcement is honestly underwhelming. On top of that, the way Netflix is attempting to silo this new gaming content behind the Netflix app for subscribers sounds like an absolute user experience nightmare.
To access this content, you’ll need to log in to Netflix’s Android app while using a Polish IP address, then open the region’s new “N Gaming” row of icons (pictured below). From there, pick either of those games, and the app will direct you to their Google Play download listings. Once downloaded, the apps in question will request your Netflix credentials before loading, and they will not work without an active Netflix membership.
The Polish IP part of this equation is a function of this all being in beta, so we’ll leave that aside. But accessing the Google Play store by first navigating a complicated menu in the Netflix app… only to then have to re-input your user name and password for Netflix into the game application? Come on now, this isn’t the efficient user experience Netflix made its name on.
And I’m also terribly confused why Netflix would even want to restrict selling its games only to Netflix subscribers. Why not sell to, you know, everyone? This reeks of console exclusivity, where gaming console companies strike deals with developers to only appear on their consoles as a way to drive more console sales. Is Netflix’s strategy really to use these mobile games to drive more people to subscribe or stay subscribed to its main offering?
If so, it’s a terribly weak move, and unlikely to work. Maybe the game catalogue will grow, but I can’t imagine anyone considering unsubscribing to Netflix changing their minds simply to play a Stranger Things mobile game.
Filed Under: streaming, video game streaming, video games
Companies: netflix
Comments on “Netflix's Announced 'Video Game Streaming' Foray Fizzles Into Some Mobile Games Using Netflix IP”
MBAs cause a form of brain damage.
Its Ultraviolet, but without having a disc to make sure you own the content.
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The problem is that in the case of MBAs, the damage seems to be contagious. It causes otherwise rational individuals to slave away and make mistakes at the behest of someone else whose only thought leadership is to take all the money and run.
I couldn’t care less about streaming or mobile gaming, but Gamepass, EA Play, and the like have been very positive additions and it will be interesting to see how they grow. It can hopefully be a revenue stream that allows them to continue to invest in single player games without the obscene profit margins of multiplayer.
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It’s funny you should mention Game Pass – I just finished Stranger Things 3 this weekend as it’s one of the games leaving GP today. It was a pretty fun game, but I’m not particularly likely to be jumping on the chance to play it again on another device.
It’s a strangely uncharacteristic move for Netflix to be sure. There’s 2 major reasons why Netflix has grown to where it is now – innovation and accessibility. They took the concept of streaming very seriously in an era where few were even looking at it at all, let alone trying to use it as a primary distribution method, and made it mainstream. Then, in an industry that loves to build itself around regional and technological restrictions, they expanded quickly to every country and device possible. This combination of reach and innovation gave them such a head start that it’s only recently that anyone he had the chance to actually catch up.
So, it’s seems rather strange that this big announcement is restricted to a single country and device type. Even more so when you realise that even the titles being offered are not new. I hope that this turns out to only be a small initial volley in a much bigger plan, that’s been artificially crippler by the terms of existing licences on games that were chosen simply because Netflix are the originating IP holder… but it has probably killed any excitement that anyone had when they first heard the news, and that’s going to take a lot more work to regain now.
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Nothing in the Ars article pointed to them doing game streaming or having “announced” a game streaming foray. The title of this article talking about “Netflix’s Announced ‘Video Game Streaming’ Foray” is inaccurate, from what I’ve seen, or rather never seen with regards to reports that Netflix was interested in game streaming. It’s all been speculation.
This is a typo. Google Prime is something that doesn’t exist.
You answered your own question. Console exclusives do drive sales and are rather lucrative. Netflix making games based off their properties subscriber-exclusive is a move meant to increase subscriber retention.
Anyone else ever noticed the people who want people to "own nothing and be happy" are the same people who refuse to give up their IPs?
They should lead by example.
lame, Netflix
Netflix should think about what they want the end state of their gaming initiative to be. The form that makes sense is: you watch Witcher, then the Witcher game is one click away to play. They should adapt their interface so that Witcher or Stranger Things is a header that takes you to either the show episodes or the games or spinoff movies if they have then, and why not a link to buy merchandise too? They can try this out with one game in one test country if they like.
Why not sell to, you know, everyone?
I mean, it would probably make more sense from a marketing perspective. People play the game >> oh hey i’m interested in the backstory >> subscribe to Netflix.
They have it rather backward.
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Netflix doing things bass ackwards isn’t at all uncommon these days. All we need now is some producer making snide comments blaming the criticism on "toxic fans."
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