The online media giant Netflix has released two mobile games based on its popular show Stranger Things: 1984 and Stranger Things 3. Unfortunately, the feature is currently only available to Netflix subscribers in Poland.
Both games are playable only on Android devices and are installed and played within the Netflix app. Netflix reaffirmed that it would not charge an additional fee to access games in its service, and they will also be completely free of advertisements. The company doesn’t currently plan to charge extra for the content,
Netflix already showed signs of interest in diversifying into different categories of entertainment. One prime example would be the Netflix exclusive show Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, an interactive game cum show.
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Netflix also announced that ex-EA and Facebook Executive Mike Verdu was hired as the company’s vice president of game development. Verdu was previously Facebook’s vice president working with developers to bring games and other content to Oculus virtual-reality headsets.
Let’s talk Netflix and gaming.
Today members in Poland can try Netflix mobile gaming on Android with two games, Stranger Things: 1984 and Stranger Things 3. It’s very, very early days and we’ve got a lot of work to do in the months ahead, but this is the first step. https://t.co/yOl44PGY0r
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) August 26, 2021
It will be interesting to see how the multiplayer works if it will exist at all – whether you can link up with a friend’s Netflix account to play together or if it’s just on one screen.
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Several services have been experimenting with video game subscriptions. Last year, Amazon (creator of Prime Video) invested in Luna, a cloud gaming service, and operated its gaming studio. Google (owner of YouTube) launched game-streaming service Stadia in 2019.
Apple, which launched Apple TV Plus last year, also sought to expand its audience with the mobile gaming subscription service Apple Arcade in 2019. Even Zoom is getting in on gaming with poker, Heads Up, and Kahoot.
Analyst Jason Bazinet wrote, “This feels like a significant event with broad ramifications across the video-games landscape.” He said Netflix’s move creates “obvious risks” for more prominent game developers and publishers.