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Netflix Launches Free Kids Gaming App to Compete With Apple Arcade

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Netflix today launched a new Netflix Playground app designed for kids who are eight and under. Playground offers a selection of games with popular characters from shows like Sesame Street and Peppa Pig, with no ads and no in-app purchases.


Playground is included in all Netflix memberships, and it is an expansion of the existing gaming options that Netflix offers. Netflix has had games available since 2021, but now there is a dedicated space for games aimed at children. Netflix Playground is a standalone app that users can sign into with a Netflix account, and it is available on the iPhone and iPad.

With Netflix Playground, Netflix will compete with Apple Arcade, which is Apple's subscription gaming service. Like Playground, Apple Arcade games have no ads, fees, or in-app purchases, with one monthly fee unlocking all content. Apple has hundreds of titles, and it does not have an all-in-one subscription option with both streaming content and gaming access like Netflix does.

Apple does have an Apple One bundle that combines Apple TV, iCloud+, Apple Music, and Apple Arcade for $19.95 per month, but the ad-supported Netflix plan that includes TV shows, movies, and games for adults and children is cheaper at $8.99 per month. Ad-free Netflix is about the same price as Apple One at $19.99 per month.

Netflix's children's app launches as multiple countries have introduced stricter app restrictions for minors and age verification requirements for app users. The renewed focus on content that children are exposed to has likely pushed parents to look for simple, kid-friendly content like Netflix is making available.

The new Netflix Playground app is available in the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, Philippines, and New Zealand today, and it is launching worldwide on April 28. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Netflix Launches Free Kids Gaming App to Compete With Apple Arcade
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/06/netflix-playground-kids-app/
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Ouch.

Time for Apple to compete with the likes of MS Game Pass

1) Bundle the AAA games (Cyberpunk, RE, Crimson Desert etc.)
2) 15.99 monthly
3) Profit????
4) Yield those profits into maturing GPTK??


Cmon tim...
 
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m1mini said:
Ouch.

Time for Apple to compete with the likes of MS Game Pass

1) Bundle the AAA games (Cyberpunk, RE, Crimson Desert etc.)
2) 15.99 monthly
3) Profit????
4) Yield those profits into maturing GPTK??


Cmon tim...
Click to expand...

Not going to happen. Apple hasn't been every moderately gaming-focused in 50 years, and they aren't going to start now.

If gaming is your jam, get a console or a PC.
 
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Will Netflix try to charge you for two accounts if your child accesses the gaming app on one Wi-Fi and another child in the same household accesses it from hotspot on your cell phone?

That’s what they tried to do for adults trying to watch Netflix threatening to charge us twice because we don’t use the same Wi-Fi name in the same household. 🤔

We solved the problem by just canceling it altogether.
 
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JosephAW said:
Will Netflix try to charge you for two accounts if your child accesses the gaming app on one Wi-Fi and another child in the same household accesses it from hotspot on your cell phone?

That’s what they tried to do for adults trying to watch Netflix threatening to charge us twice because we don’t use the same Wi-Fi name in the same household. 🤔

We solved the problem by just canceling it altogether.
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Yep, I did the same. I got tired of Netflix not believing that my TV was part of my household, and with every verification stating that the access was temporary. My cancellation is permanent!
 
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Cancelled Netflix with the last price hike.

Apple Arcade has been an awesome thing to have around with the kid in the mix. Every time she wants a new game I can just let her go crazy on there and know that nothing will have IAPs or intrusive ads or any of the crap that comes with so many games now. And because of how Parental Controls work, I get a popup on my devices when she wants to download anything, which I can review and approve (or not).
 
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cateye said:
The narcissism involved in always thinking that every time every other company does anything it must be doing so to compete with Apple.

No, wait: Caring about what brand of phone was used to take pictures of the moon is worse.
Click to expand...

Narcissism would be saying one service is better than another merely out of loyalty, no other reason.

As for phones and the Moon... right now iPhone 17's are flying around the Moon as part of the Artemis II mission. Shouldn't we be super proud of Apple for reaching that status with their attention to high-quality product design?
 
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O.N.Y.X said:
Sorry Netflix but it’s either $8.99 and NO ads per month or ads and $0.00 per month but definitely not $8.99 for ads per month.

And there’s no "competition" at ~$20 per month because both are too expensive for what’s being offered in my opinion.
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The price of the streaming services are SUPER cheap compared to past Cable packages. I think the stress around cost comes from being overburdened with too many subscriptions to manage every month. Death from a 1000 cuts.
 
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cateye said:
The narcissism involved in always thinking that every time every other company does anything it must be doing so to compete with Apple.

No, wait: Caring about what brand of phone was used to take pictures of the moon is worse.
Click to expand...
Yeah, how weird that a website that specifically exists to report about Apple would spend time discussing how competitors’ offerings compare to Apple’s offerings. Totally bizarre.
 
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Interesting that they force you to relax your Apple / Screen Time content restrictions before your children can install the app. I've been frustrated by this for a while, and this news only adds to my frustration.

1775507137309.png
 
coolfactor said:
Narcissism would be saying one service is better than another merely out of loyalty, no other reason.

As for phones and the Moon... right now iPhone 17's are flying around the Moon as part of the Artemis II mission. Shouldn't we be super proud of Apple for reaching that status with their attention to high-quality product design?
Click to expand...
Why? Do you work for Apple? No? Then why would you be "proud" of Apple?

They're a consumer electronics company. Same as any other. We pay our money, they sell us products. Those products do what they say on the tin and we are satisfied with the results. End of story. I like my iPhone; I couldn't care less who else does and I owe Apple exactly zero emotional investment. They can pay me if they'd like that.

I've read enough of your posts on here to know you're fully emotionally invested in Apple. Let's agree to disagree at the reasonableness of that and not waste our time arguing with each other. No minds will be changed.
 
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It’s not to compete against anything, it’s to give users a reason to have a subscription over a long term. 🙂 Otherwise, they will just experience churn as people unsubscribe between hits!
 
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