A new report from The Washington Post suggests that Netflix is looking to make a major expansion into the gaming sector. Netflix currently offers a selection of 18 titles to its subscribers, but roughly 30 new games are expected to launch this year, taking the library to around 50 titles overall.
Netflix began offering mobile games to its subscribers in November of last year, beginning with five titles. The current catalogue includes some titles that are based on Netflix's existing intellectual properties, including two Stranger Things games, and the door is clearly open to future game adaptations of Netflix's original programming and films. Netflix has also recently acquired a collection of developers to aid in its expansion into the gaming scene, including Boss Fight Entertainment, Next Games and, most notably, Night School Studios – the developer of much-loved Oxenfree.
Reports suggest that Netflix is looking to stick with mobile titles for now, but is eyeing up other platforms for future expansion. Netflix games on next-gen consoles? That's certainly a possibility.
On the flip side, Netflix has also been adapting many video games into original TV series, with the likes of The Witcher, Castlevania, Cuphead and League of Legends already proving successful with audiences. The streaming giant also has series and films based on Resident Evil, Assassins Creed, Sonic the Hedgehog, Tomb Raider and Splinter Cell all in active development.
According to The Washington Post's report, Netflix is "looking at content opportunities around video games from every direction" and intends to "build out a games business that can create synergy between what people watch and what they’re playing".
News of Netflix expanding its gaming sector comes amidst news of the company's stock losing more than a third of its value after reporting its first quarterly loss in a decade. Netflix blames users sharing login details, strong competition from the likes of Disney+, and losing around 700,000 subscribers after ceasing operation in Russia amidst the Ukraine crisis.
You can download Netflix's selection of mobile titles on the Apple App Store for iOS or the Google Play Store on Android, however, you need an active Netflix subscription to access them once downloaded.
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