Netflix seems surprisingly serious about its future in the games industry, testing out a couple of titles in several regions over the last few months. If you've been waiting to try it out for yourself, you don't have to wait much longer.
The company is premiering its gaming category globally on Android tomorrow, with a launch planned for iOS devices soon after. Once live, Netflix subscribers can access games from the standard app interface, either from the homepage or in the new "Games" tab. All subscribers have access to the first five titles planned at launch, without ads, in-app purchases, or additional costs. Those five entries are:
- Stranger Things 1984
- Stranger Things 3: The Game
- Shooting Hoops
- Card Blast
- Teeter up
It's an odd selection from the start, featuring two older legacy titles that tie into one of Netflix's most popular shows, as well as three casual games that have nothing to do with the app's original programming. Shooting Hoops, for example, looks like your run-of-the-mill mobile basketball game, not a flagship entry meant to be showcased in a pivot to video games.
Of course, Netflix is stressing this is just the beginning of its move into gaming. In September, the streaming giant acquired Night School, the company behind Oxenfree, to help create console-quality games. The lack of ads or predatory in-app purchases puts this on par with something like Apple Arcade, though without the need for an additional subscription.
As for how the games actually work, you can select a title to try out on your Android phone or tablet, after which it'll automatically download to your gadget. Profiles are used to keep track of who's playing what, with kid profiles locked out of games altogether. If your account has a PIN on it, you'll need to enter it to access titles. Netflix says some of its games will be available for offline play, though it doesn't specify which.
Today's announcement ends with a promise of more games coming for users of all types, directly drawing comparisons to its wide-reaching streaming lineup. There's no doubt this is a slow start to a new arena for Netflix, but hey, streaming itself started as a pet project spun off from a movies-by-mail service. Maybe someday we'll all be playing Tiger King 3: Now You're the Tiger King.