In a new tactic to help boost its streaming
subscriptions, Netflix has released its first in-app games: two “Stranger Things”-themed offerings now accessible by its members in Poland.
Netflix Polska members “can try
Netflix mobile gaming on Android with two games, Stranger Things: 1984 and Stranger Things 3,” Netflix Geeked posted. “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.”
Netflix announced its
intention to enter gaming in July, after hiring Mike Verdu, a former Facebook Reality Labs and Electronic Arts executive.
“This is a natural extension of [Netflix’s] content
strategy, allowing it to mine intellectual property from popular shows like ‘Stranger Things,’” BI media analyst Geetha Ranganathan told Bloomberg at the time.
“Though it may not generate much additional revenue, it will help deepen engagement and increase the service’s appeal and pricing power. Don’t expect this to be a turning point, but
it shows that the company will explore new formats to increase time spent on the platform.”
Both games had already been developed by BonusXP, with the “1984” version
released in 2017 for iOS and Android devices, and the “3” version released in 2019 for Nintendo Switch.
Now, the games — being provided as a no-additional-cost value-add for
Netflix subscribers — can be downloaded through in-app links that redirect users to the Google Play Store.
The games do not include ads or promotions for additional in-app software or
products.
Subscribers can now access the games via in-app links that redirect them to the Google Play Store for downloading.