Netflix Games Engaging Less Than 1 Percent of Subscribers

[Maximara]

This just reminds me of the big iTunes joke from WWDC a couple years ago.
first, it was simply just a computer jukebox, then it was an iPod manager, then it was a music store, then they added TV shows, then they added podcasts, then movies, then they added iPhone apps, and activation features, then they added ringtones, then they added Apple Music streaming… and they expected you to do all of this from the same app.

Yep it was in 2019 and with Catalina Apple broke iTunes into Music, Podcasts and TV

That’s not where Netflix is right now of course, but if they keep heading down this direction, it could be where they go.
Games should not be in the Netflix app.

I don't think even Apple tried that with Apple TV (they had a different set up IIRC than iTunes) but then again many services (including Apple's own App store ) haven't figured a good UI to find things yet...something Value figured out ages ago with Steam.

 

[DanielBr]

They need to bring new features to Apple TV users instead of wasting time with games nobody plays.

 

[imnotthewalrus]

They need to bring new features to Apple TV users instead of wasting time with games nobody plays.

What features are you looking for? (no sarcasm or insult intended)

 

[DanielBr]

What features are you looking for? (no sarcasm or insult intended)

1. Get the new UI layout (that I have had on Samsung tv / Android TV for MORE than 1 year)
2. Option to remove from the continue watching list (available on Samsung tv / Android TV released 6 months ago)
3. Double thumbs up (released 6 months ago)

 

[topmounter]

Netflix has games? Who knew.

 

[ChineseBots]

I did tried two of their games and it's quite boring... just like any other random games in the App Store but with a Netflix show branding 😂

 

[alexhardaker]

I completely forgot about this until recently. I saw a comment about being able to sign up to Netflix via your Apple ID (to make it easier to manage the subscription, as everything would be in one place). All you do is download one of their games and purchase the £9.99 in-app purchase (when you aren’t subscribed to Netflix), then it’s part of the subscription page that’s found within iOS Settings.

 

[bobtem]

Netgamz?

 

[ghostface147]

I actually forgot about this.

 

[SoldOnApple]

Apple should just honestly buy EA, Ubisoft, or TakeTwo (now that Rockstar are leaving controversy being and going woke) and start porting AAA games to iOS and Mac, take advantage of all the raw processing power Apple devices finally have. EA will pay for itself, eventually. And having an Apple logo at the start of every EA game would be incredible. Apple could use EA to develop a game engine to compete with Unreal, an engine that works great with all consoles, PCs, and Apple devices.

 

[cocky jeremy]

Wait. Netflix what?

 

[1557750]

Netflix and Hadouken?

Anybody…?

 

[smeagol]

I had no idea Netflix even had games. I'd say they're doing a terrible job promoting it because it's not even highlighted anywhere in the Netflix app. There is plenty of space for a 5th nav icon on their iOS/iPadOS app they can dedicate to gaming. It could essentially be a portal that leads to downloads of said games from the app store.

 

[3460169]

They've had games since November 2021. This is a news release straight from the horse's mouth. I love how this article is labeled "Innovation" haha.

Let the Games Begin: A New Way to Experience Entertainment on Mobile - About Netflix

We’re excited to launch Netflix games on mobile to the world. Starting today, members everywhere can play five mobile games: Stranger Things: 1984, Stranger Things 3: The Game, Shooting Hoops, Card Blast, and Teeter Up.

about.netflix.com

Like many in this thread I had no idea Netflix had games. I use Netflix for... flicks... and leave the gaming to those platforms that do it well. ¯\(ツ)/¯

 

[latsyrhc]

I had to google how to even get to the games.. there's no tab for it. Just have to scroll until you see the games row. No wonder there hasn't been much engagement.

 

[glockenSquish]

Netflix has had games, SINCE NOVEMBER?

They must really want this to fail. Try finding games on their app. Games tab? No. Search “games.” Nope. I had to search a game title that somebody mentioned and it finally pulled it up, along with about 5 other mobile game titles. How do you get to the rest?!

Man. I’m even in the games industry and have fully been aware they’ve been dumping money into games but had no idea they already had a small collection other than that Stranger Things game. They’re not at all helping anyone know about or find their games.

 

[nutmac]

Netflix blames its subscriber loss on connected TV adoption, account sharing, and competition, and to continue to improve revenue growth, the company says that it is focusing on evolving monetization.

Even the nascent viewers know that it's combination of (1) rising subscription price, (2) lack of quality contents, (3) premature show cancellations, and (4) poor integration with the platform OS leading to the subscriber loss. Netflix execs are not taking responsibility for their stubborn mistakes.

 

[dannys1]

Games inside their main app? Wrong.

Indeed wrong, the games aren't inside their main app.

This just reminds me of the big iTunes joke from WWDC a couple years ago.
first, it was simply just a computer jukebox, then it was an iPod manager, then it was a music store, then they added TV shows, then they added podcasts, then movies, then they added iPhone apps, and activation features, then they added ringtones, then they added Apple Music streaming… and they expected you to do all of this from the same app.
That’s not where Netflix is right now of course, but if they keep heading down this direction, it could be where they go.
Games should not be in the Netflix app.

They're not in the Netflix app. They're separate apps as the article says.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Netflix blames its subscriber loss on connected TV adoption, account sharing, and competition

AHA! And we all know that all competition is “anti-competitive” if they don’t help the competition to win! I think Netflix is just one chat with EU regulators from a windfall! Disney+, you see, can be defined as a “gateway portal” through which they have a monopoly on the content they stream. They can say that “anyone that makes more money than Netflix is a “gateway portal” and now has to share their content with Netflix with no licensing fees. Why try to be better or even “good” when you can get the EU to help you out?

 

[Unregistered 4U]

In the app? They removed it so they wouldn’t have to pay Apple commission on every sub.

Let’s not leave out the MOST important reason according to Netflix. So that users would not be able to unsubscribe as easily (because Apple makes it far too easy to see what you’re subscribed to all in one go and “swipe” unsubscribe).

 

[Unregistered 4U]

EA will pay for itself, eventually. And having an Apple logo at the start of every EA game would be incredible. Apple could use EA to develop a game engine to compete with Unreal, an engine that works great with all consoles, PCs, and Apple devices.

EA Pays for itself now by releasing games on systems that sell in numbers far greater than the Mac. They’d never make a profit as Mac exclusives.

 

[ackmondual]

"Netflix has been raising its prices, which has resulted in some customers turning away from the service." - referenced article in current story. I love it how companies that have actual competition raise prices and then wonder why they loose customers.

To play devil's advocate, more competition means more saturation and they now need to make up the money in other ways. Despite all the uber price conscious crowd here and on other sites, there are still plenty of people sticking with Netflix [shrug]. I myself will be getting into NF for the first time in the near future (especially unlike others who had NF for over a decade. If not longer, when they only did DVD rentals)

And truly, getting content in the past for so cheap (what was it, $8 a month?) was a marvel. Like the dot com era, now that SS have attracted customers, they need to move on to their next phase.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

How do you get to the rest?!

So, in the URL bar of most browsers, you can type “Netflix Games” and, depending on your search engine, one of your first links SHOULD be…

Netflix Mobile Games

Netflix has exclusive mobile games available with your membership. Play with no ads, no extra fees, and no in-app purchases.

help.netflix.com

Click the triangle next to “available games” and the information is disclosed.

 

[Mousse]

Last year, Netflix's COO Greg Peters said the company was "many months and really, frankly, years" into learning how games can keep customers on the service. "We're going to be experimental and try a bunch of things, but I would say the eyes that we have on the long-term prize really center more around our ability to create properties that are connected to the universes, the characters, the stories that we're building."

Original games, not re-skinned or derivative, is the only way to long term. If the game is good enough to stand alone, then it's got a chance. An RPG based on the Squid Game has possiblities. Solitaire with pictures of Stranger Things characters will lose it's novelty within months.

As a casual gamer, gameplay matters 100x more than fancy or novelty graphics. I've been replaying a lot of SNES and 90's PC RPGs and found them infinitely more entertaining (better storyline, more variety of gameplay) than a lot of what's available today.

 

[maxoakland]

I never even knew Netflix *had* games until a game I wanted to play told me I couldn’t play it without Netflix

It’s a really fun and addictive game called Poinpy. It’s not a bad idea for them to fund games like this but they have done a terrible job advertising it