What you need to know
- Netflix has confirmed that it is going to add games to its subscription packages.
- The company has told investors that it will include games at no extra cost to subscribers.
- It says it will primarily focus on games for mobile devices, putting it in the path of Apple Arcade.
Netflix has confirmed that it is going to bring games to its subscription packages at no extra cost to subscribers.
As part of its earnings announcement on Tuesday, Netflix told investors "we think the time is right" to learn about how its members value games. Netflix told investors it was in the "early stages" of the expansion and was looking to build on the success of some of its interactive offerings like Black Mirror Bandersnatch and Stranger Things
Netflix says it views gaming as another content category, similar to its expansion into original films, animation, and unscripted TV. Best of all, the company confirmed games would be included in subscriptions at no extra cost.
Netflix also confirmed that the primary focus of its gaming content would be mobile games, putting it seemingly squarely in the path of Apple Arcade. With Netflix boasting more than 209 million paid memberships, it has an enormous market to try and tap, and its huge library of content puts it lightyears ahead of Apple TV+ despite the latter's promising start in life.
Netflix did not give any further indication of a time frame as to when it might start to roll out games, or what kind of content it would be looking at. It could look to acquire and curate existing titles (like Apple arcade), or it could look to replicate the success of its original content by even developing games in the future.
