Netflix says its expansion into the gaming realm will be primarily focused on mobile devices, while quelling fears it’ll affect the TV and movie focus.
In its latest earnings report, the company confirmed all games will be available free for subscribers alongside the array of original films and telly.
Netflix is likening the gaming forays – such as the existing Stranger Things and Black Mirror Bandersnatch titles – to its original expansion into original video content, which gives you an indication of its ambitions in the sector.
The company says the initial expansion will revolve around learning more about how Netflix users value games, which sounds like a sound strategy.
“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,” Netflix wrote in its letter to investors.
“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. 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.”
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Netflix is in a unique position to provide synergy between its various content sectors. If it plans to offer the games within the main Netflix mobile app, gamers will be able to watch an episode and then play it out with a game immediately thereafter. It could enable viewers to dive deeper into plot lines, universes and characters that haven’t been deeply explored within the shows.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
