Netflix Is Aiming to Have the 'Absolute Best' Gaming Service in the Industry

ign.com:

Netflix is aiming to have the 'absolute best' gaming service in the industry as it looks to expand its array of playable titles in 2022.

During a recent earnings interview, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings was asked about how the company will approach interactive content over the long term. His answer was simple: "We have to be differentially great at it, there's no point of just being in it," said Hastings during the interview.

Hastings effectively pointed to the idea of Netflix becoming a gaming service that's competitive with the current industry heavyweights. "We're definitely 'crawl, walk, run' and, like, 'Let's nail the thing, and not just be in it for the sake of being in it or for a press release'. But we've got to please our members by having the absolute best in the category."

Hastings finished bullishly, asking the intervieweer to ask the question again when Netflix was "winning games".

Have you played Stranger Things 3: The Game?

Netflix began rolling out its gaming service in November 2021, allowing players with an active Netflix subscription to jump into a set of mobile games for no extra cost. The service initially included five games that rolled out to Android and Apple devices across 190 countries including Stranger Things: The Game, Stranger Things 3: The Game, Card Blast, Teeter, and Shooting Hoops.

In the shorter term, Netflix plans to keep building on that early offering. As part of a shareholder letter dated January 20, the company spoke further about its gaming service's future:

"Since launch, we released an additional five games, bringing the total to ten for 2021. It’s still very early days but we’re pleased with our progress. In 2022, we’ll expand our portfolio of games across both casual and core gaming