Netflix Now Streams Games on Mobile Devices
Not content to have developed and cornered the market on streaming, Netflix is now coming to take over the world of games.
Today, the streaming giant launched its first wave of streaming games. All that’s required to play is a Netflix subscription; there are no additional fees or in-app purchases, and the games are available everywhere Netflix is offered. But there is still a catch. At launch, the games are only available for Android mobile users, either on a phone or a tablet. So you can’t play on your television or your laptop, and you definitely can’t play on your iPhone. Also note: The games are not available on kids’ profiles. (Sorry kids. You’ll just have to steal your mom’s phone and play more Candy Crush instead.)
According to Netflix’s official press release, there are five mobile games available at launch: “Stranger Things: 1984 (BonusXP), Stranger Things 3: The Game (BonusXP), Shooting Hoops (Frosty Pop), Card Blast (Amuzo & Rogue Games), and Teeter Up (Frosty Pop).” The company claims they “want to begin to build a library of games that offers something for everyone.” Five games that aren’t even available for iOS users for now is not exactly going to revolutionize the world of streaming gaming, but Netflix promises this is only the beginning of their plans in this area.
These games follow Netflix’s expansion into the world of interactive programming, with hybrid specials like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Escape the Undertaker giving viewers the chance to decide the fate’s of fictional characters in the style of old Choose Your Own Adventure books. These games take things one step further, and remove the film and television component entirely. After this? Who knows — maybe virtual reality?