The streaming giant service Netflix confirmed in a letter to shareholders that it will be expanding into games and that there will be no additional cost for them at present. While earlier rumors suggested this, including a rumor in which PlayStation and Netflix might have a partnership, this focus on the mobile platform.
They did not confirm what users can expect in terms of content, simply that Netflix intends to build on previous efforts they made around “Interactivity”. This would include the popular interactive movies such as Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, as well as actual games such as Stranger Things 3: The Game. Stranger Things also has another game in development for IOS and Android, possibly part of this push as well.
Currently, we know that these games will be coming at “no additional cost [to users] similar to films and series.” Netflix, more than its competitors have been known to change their pricing, especially during the production of major films. It stands to reason we might not be seeing major games on the platform in the beginning, although reports of a large drop in users for Netflix might also contribute to a static price point.
As part of the letter, Netflix stated:
We’re also in the early stages of further expanding into games, building on our earlier efforts around interactivity (eg. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch) and our Stranger Things games. We view gaming as another new content category for us, similar to our expansion into original films, animation, and unscripted TV. Games will be included in members’ Netflix subscription at no additional cost similar to films and series. Initially, we’ll be primarily focused on games for mobile devices.
The company went on to state:
We’re excited as ever about our movies and TV series offering and we expect a long runway of increasing investment and growth across all of our existing content categories, but since we are nearly a decade into our push into original programming, we think the time is right to learn more about how our members value games.
What users can expect remains to be seen but this is clearly a test run for features to come. If you have Netflix and would like to see them expand deeper into games, supporting this rollout would be the first step.
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