Netflix rolls out movie games to boost revenue but users aren’t feeling it

Movie streaming giant Netflix today launched its’ array of mobile games. The company in its second-quarter report announced its intention to add mobile games to its offerings.

The games, available to users worldwide and only on android devices are “Stranger Things: 1984,” “Stranger Things 3: The Game,” “Shooting Hoops,” “Card Blast” and “Teeter Up.” The ioS version is set to be released in the coming months.

“We are in the early days of creating a great gaming experience and we’re excited to take you on this journey with us. We’re excited to continue improving our mobile gaming experience and adding to our entertainment offering in the months ahead,” the company said in a statement.

This move by Netflix is an effort to grab more user attention and increase revenue. Earlier this year, it hired video game executive, Mike Verdu from Facebook, where he was vice president of augmented reality and virtual reality content.

The games are included with Netflix subscriptions and will not include advertisements or in-app purchases. Users, however, have to download the games from Google Playstore and then play on the Netflix app.

Currently available only on Android, so far, the games have come out to mixed reviews on the Playstore. “Shooting hoops” has over 10k downloads and an average rating of 3.5 with negative reviews about poor control.

“Card blast” has over 10k downloads with good ratings. “Teeter up” has over 10k downloads and mostly positive reviews. The “Stranger things” games, based on an original series by Netflix has over 100k downloads with mixed reviews.

What users are saying

As expected, the launch of the games has social media abuzz. A large number of people are questioning the necessity of games on a platform that is known primarily for movie streaming.

I’ll play exactly none of them ever in my lifetime

— chris (@christahphur) November 2, 2021

This is firmly in the "why bother?" category. WTH is Netflix even thinking here. Just 5 mobile games no one wants to play does not a gaming service make. Embarrassing.

— Chris Pratt (@chrisdpratt) November 2, 2021

so I'm just a little confused, anyone with a phone ever can already access tons and tons of free games. what makes it different that you can do it through Netflix? and why games? (trying to be constructive, sorry if I sound mean that's not my intention) I'm intrigued but lost.

— Aetolius (@suilotea) November 2, 2021

Some users were however excited at the prospects of trying out the games.

I realize this is currently mobile-only, but are there any plans to bring games to the PC? I love games, but just hate playing on a phone. (I will give them a try, anyway!)

— Tom Gardiner (@Thogar) November 2, 2021

If the stranger things games are anything like the other mobile games then we are in for a treat, some of the best mobile games I've played.

— Lee Milliken (@milliken86) November 2, 2021

Competition

The gaming industry is an economic powerhouse. The global market for video games was estimated to be worth nearly $178 billion last year and is expected to surpass $200 billion by 2023.

As such, many tech companies are looking to stake their claim in the gaming industry. Amazon, which operates Prime Video, has invested in Luna, its cloud gaming service as well as its own gaming studio.

Google has invested in its own Stadia game-streaming service. And Apple TV Plus, which makes its own films and TV shows for Apple, also widened into Apple Arcade.

This, alongside other established gaming giants like Fortnite means Netflix is in for tough competition. Netflix’s unique selling point is that their games are a part of their subscription. Others have their games as standalone products that users have to pay separately for. Whether they can survive in the gaming industry remains to be seen.