Netflix's immersion in the video game industry was no secret. However, it was this Tuesday when the company officially announced the first five titles that Spanish subscribers will be able to enjoy on Android mobile phones.
These games will be completely free for those who have a subscription to the platform . They will also not have any type of advertisement or associated micropayments.
The first Netflix video games are Stranger Things: 1984, Stranger Things 3: The Game, Card Blast, Teeter Up, and Shooting Hoops. A carousel with all these titles will now appear in the Android mobile application. And when clicking on the download button of any of these games, the application will redirect the user to the Google Play Store , where they can start the installation. That is to say: the game does not live inside the Netflix application, but it is an independent application that, of course, is started from the streaming app itself.
These first Netflix video games are simple in dynamics. At the moment, the company's proposal focuses on casual gaming instead of trying to compete with companies like Epic Games, Microsoft, Sony or even Nintendo, established in the sector.
The company, at the moment, has not implemented this same option in its application for iOS . Nor has it announced when they could arrive or if they will arrive on said platform.
Why has Netflix decided to enter the field of video games?
People have a maximum amount of free time per day. And the goal of streaming platforms is to occupy as much of it as possible. However, the same objective is also held by the media, television networks, sports broadcasts and even video games. They all compete for the same prize: our attention .
Under this logic, Netflix's competition is not just HBO Max, Disney Plus or Apple TV +; Businesses such as PlayStation or Microsoft also enter into this equation, who also seek to capture the attention of users with their video games in a world in which the supply of content far exceeds our capacity for enjoyment.
The entry of Netflix into the world of video games, therefore, is one more way of competing for that attention that is increasingly diluted among more content and platforms . It is also a way of adding value to consumers while building their loyalty, since it is possible that many of these titles revolve around universes already defined by the company through series or movies – as is the case with Stranger Things – .
