Netflix Steps Into Gaming, Global Rollout Starts On Android App

The company said that the game service will be free of cost, there are no in game purchases or any other hidden fees.

The company said that the game service will be free of cost, there are no in game purchases or any other hidden fees.

Netflix Steps Into Gaming, Global Rollout Starts On Android App
Image: Netflix

Not long ago, Netflix announced that it will be pursuing gaming content on their platform, and folks the wait is finally over, as Netflix games starts its global rollout on November 3rd on the Android app, with iOS soon to follow as Netflix says iOS support “on the way”, although there’s no specific date mentioned yet. Netflix has been developing games for their mobile app quite a while now and this global rollout comes after they conducted their test phase in Poland and Italy and finally unveiling it for the rest of the world.

The entertainment streaming giant has launched 5 games initially from which users can choose to play: Stranger Things: 1984; Stranger Things 3: The Game; Shooting Hoops; Teeter Up; and Card Blast. Netflix says; “We love games, whether it's physical games (Floor Is Lava), mind games (The Circle) or Squid Game. And we love entertaining our members. That’s why we’re excited to take our first step in launching Netflix games on mobile to the world. Starting today, members everywhere can play five mobile games”. The games are, as Netflix says, “available in many of the languages we offer on service”, upon launching the game it should default to the language you set in the app but if your preferred language isn’t available then the game will default to English.

The company said that the game service will be free of cost, there are no in game purchases or any other hidden fees, although members need to have prior subscription on Netflix (so it isn’t completely free now, is it?). Users will be able to download and play the games directly in the Netflix mobile app. Mike Verdu, Vice President of Game Development at Netflix said “Whether you’re craving a casual game you can start from scratch or an immersive experience that lets you dig deeper into your favorite stories, we want to begin to build a library of games that offers something for everyone. We’re in the early days of creating a great gaming experience, and we’re excited to take you on this journey with us”. The company says some of the games will require internet connection while others would be playable offline.

Moving on, Netflix says the games won’t be available on the kids’ profiles; “If you’ve set up a PIN to prevent kids from having access to adult profiles, that same PIN will be required in order to log in to Netflix and play the game on a device.” Talking about access Netflix briefs; “members will be able to play games on multiple mobile devices on the same account”. There is a device limit though but we’re not quite sure about how many can play at a time, will it be the same as their subscription i.e., 4 at a time for their premium subscription and such.

by Talha Shaikhani