The streaming giant added its first three offerings.
If you’re willing to while away your hours clicking that “skip to next episode” button, why wouldn’t you be willing to take a crack at a few games while you’re at it?
After all, gamers already spend countless hours playing games across several robust streaming networks these days, including Microsoft’s (MSFT) – Get Microsoft Corporation Report Xbox Game Pass which offers access to brand new releases and Amazon (AMZN) – Get Amazon.com, Inc. Report Luna, which also offers a robust selection of streaming games for $9.99 a month
While some people still buy physical copies of games, it’s significantly more popular to download them digitally via the stores on video game consoles or PC platforms like Steam.
But so far Microsoft is the only company to offer a streaming service for brand new games everyone wants to play, which is a lot cheaper at $14.99 a month than the $60+ cost of most new titles. Nintendo and Sony have yet to move into this space in quite the same way.
That’s probably why Netflix (NFLX) – Get Netflix, Inc. Report is betting big by moving into the gaming space, which it’s been talking about publicly for some time now. But the time for talk is over, as the streaming giant’s first games are finally here and it promises “plenty more to come this month.”
What Are Netflix’s First Games?
First off, don’t go looking for these games in the Netflix app via your TV, because you won’t find them there. Netflix has chosen to premiere these three games on mobile, so you’ll need your phone in hand to give them a try. Either go to the Netflix app or your phone’s store. Once you download and open the games, you’ll be prompted to enter your Netflix password to continue.
The first is called “This is A True Story,” and is quite unusual, placing the player in the shoes of an African woman on a quest to find water for her family. Like the title says, the story is based on real experiences gleaned from interviews, and is a completely unique gaming experience that’s somewhere between a narrative puzzle and an educational game. I’ve personally never played anything else quite like it.
“Shatter Remastered”, the second game, is aimed at the gamer who enjoys fast-paced arcade games. A spin-off of the original PlayStation game “Shatter,” it’s a highly polished, modernized version of that good old Atari classic “Pong,” but a whole lot cooler. While it is fun to play, it feels like a much more typical offering compared to how unique and compelling “This is a True Story” is.
The third game, which is not yet available for download but should be coming soon, is called “Into the Dead 2: Unleashed” and is the sequel to popular mobile shooter game “Into the Dead.” In this one, you’ll blast away hordes of zombies while upgrading your weapons and doing your best to stay alive.
Netflix
Will Netflix’s Move Into Gaming Be a Success?
It makes perfect sense that Netflix chose to go mobile and original rather than add a streaming games library to its current platform. Netflix has built a large portion of its foundation on its original offerings. So rather than act as a curator of games that can be found on other platforms, it’s pursuing a path of making its own.
In the mobile space, this is a very hard thing to do. Its long been a crammed space, and while there are developers that benefit (China’s largest video game developer, Tencent, sits on the top of the mountain with more than $13 million earned for it’s open world role-playing game “Honor of Kings”), it’s not easy to do so.
Then again, Netflix has always played the long game with its strategy, and it’s paid off big. It focused on Korean movies and dramas for years before “Squid Game” became a breakout hit. If it continues to build a standout library that only Netflix members can access, it could be well on the way to carving out its own unique space in the video game industry.
