Netflix is confident in its move to the gaming industry, an interview with BBC reveals, as Netflix executives say that gaming is a natural extension of Netflix's subscription offerings.
Netflix's vice president of external games Leanne Loombe recently had an interview with BBC News regarding the streaming service's recent expansion into the gaming space. “Games are one of the biggest forms of entertainment out there today,” says Loombe in the interview with BBC, “so it really is just a natural extension for Netflix to include them as part of the subscription.”
This statement comes after the recent release of The Queen's Gambit Chess game which you can download through the Google Play Store. The mobile chess simulator developed by Ripstone Ltd. serves as Netflix's most recent attempt at making headway into the gaming space. It is also emblematic of the streaming services' strategy for becoming a major player in the video games industry.
The first part of this strategy was launched in November of 2021, as Netflix began offering mobile games on the Netflix application. Focusing on these relatively lower cost games with a lower financial risk gave an opportunity to study the market in a more subtle manner. The second part involves taking advantage of the many popular intellectual properties Netflix already has. Loombe says “Connecting shows, movies, and games together from our universes is what we're trying to accomplish,”.
This is far from the first time a major streaming service has attempted to enter the gaming market. With mixed success from Amazon Games and the recent shut down of the Google Stadia earlier this year, the odds may not be in Netflix's favor. Nevertheless, they are convinced that this strategy mixed with a bottom-to-top entry strategy will be the right formula for their latest endeavor.
Loombe reiterates that “We're very early in our games journey right now. When it's such a big industry like games, and there's already some fantastic titles out there in the market that players really love, we just want to make sure we were doing things in the right way.”
It is too early to tell if Netflix's foray into the gaming world will end up an overall success. One thing is for sure, they are trying out more unique strategies, and in a competitive market such as gaming, nuance like this can make all the difference.
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