Netflix tries out mobile games

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Rumor was that Netflix wanted to get into gaming, but the rest was vague. A few days ago, an announcement came out that Mike Verdu, a former executive with EA and Oculus, was hired to lead Netflix’s gaming business. On Tuesday, the company’s second-quarter earnings report gave us another glimpse: early gaming efforts at Netflix will focus on mobile, and its games will be included in users’ subscriptions. It writes: “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 admits that its movies and series compete with games for viewers’ attention. Co-CEO Reed Hastings wrote in 2019: “We compete with (and lose to) Fortnite more than HBO”. As the company faces increasingly stiff competition from new streaming services entering the market, such as Disney + or Amazon Prime, and its subscriber base is eroding in North America, games could make all the difference for Netflix.

⇨ The Verge, Jay Peters, “Netflix’s gaming expansion starts with mobile.”

2021-07-20