Netflix To Make Video Games Free For Subscribers Of Its Streaming Platform
Image via 183076335 © Raquelsfranca | Dreamstime.com
Netflix had foresight in making shows and films streamable. Today, as the world transitions indoors, entertainment and tech conglomerates like Disney and Apple are also going down the same route.
With the market getting saturated, Netflix is stepping up and expanding its repository to include gaming, a rumor we’ve been hearing a lot about lately. Now, in a letter to shareholders detailing its second-quarter earnings, Netflix has confirmed that it is still in “the early stages of further expanding into games.”
The streaming giant says that it will first focus on “games for mobile devices.” They’ll also be free for existing subscribers, as Netflix explains: “Games will be included in members’ Netflix subscription at no additional cost, similar to films and series.”
The company elaborates, “We don’t have to think about ads, we don’t have to think about in-game purchases or other monetization, we don’t have to think about per-title purchases. Really, we can do what we’ve been doing on the movie and series side.”
In fact, it’s been experimenting with gaming formats for awhile, and you’ll see them in the choose-your-own-adventure Black Mirror Bandersnatch episode and Stranger Things video games. It’s possible some of Netflix’s future games will build on the plots of original programs, but the expansion also opens up a world of possibilities where entire series are playable.
To strengthen its position in games, Netflix recently hired former Electronic Arts and Facebook executive Mike Verdu to take on the role of game development vice president.
For now, details are scarce, since Netflix envisages that gaming will be a multi-year effort.
[via What’s Trending, cover image via ID 183076335 © Raquelsfranca | Dreamstime.com]
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