Nobody is playing Netflix games – but why?

techradar.com:

It’s been a tough 2022 for Netflix so far. The streaming giant has had to contend with numerous unexpected issues in recent months – and, based on new data concerning its gaming division, things aren’t likely to improve any time soon.

According to Apptopia, an app analytics company, less than one per cent of Netflix’s global fanbase is currently playing one or more of its games (per CNBC(opens in new tab)). Presented in far more stark terms, only 1.7 million subscribers have played a video game on Netflix since its gaming section officially launched in November 2021.

Netflix may be buoyed by the fact that 23.3 million people have downloaded at least one of its gaming titles in the past nine months – a figure that makes up over 10 per cent of its subscriber base. However, once fans have installed the game on their device, very few are actually picking it up and playing it.

So, what gives? Why is Netflix struggling to convince you and many others to actually play its games? Unsurprisingly, there are multiple reasons behind Netflix’s inability to persuade its subscribers to try out its video game selection.

The first – and perhaps most obvious – reason is to do with where Netflix games are available. According to the streamer’s own help website(opens in new tab), users can only play its gaming titles on compatible mobile devices. That means you can only download and play games on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch (running iOS 15 or later), as well as an Android phone or tablet (running Android 8.0 or later).

The problem for Netflix is that the vast majority of its subscribers use the streamer’s app on their TV. According to data sourced by Finances Online(opens in new tab), 70 per cent of Netflix’s user base streams its content