Netflix has begun offering free mobile games to its subscribers at no extra cost in Poland, Italy, and Spain as a members-only perk
Netflix announced on Tuesday that it had purchased video game developer Night School Studio and released five mobile gaming titles in select European markets, as part of an effort to diversify revenue sources amid increasing competition in the streaming space.
The company’s latest gaming studio acquisition, Night School Studio, was founded in 2014 by Sean Krankel and Adam Hines and is best known for their critically acclaimed debut game, OXENFREE, a supernatural teen thriller with an eerie soundtrack.
The studio’s games, which are available on Sony’s PlayStation, Microsoft’s Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PCs, will be the first non-mobile titles in the streaming giant’s newly created video game portfolio. “Like our shows and films, these games will all be included as part of your Netflix membership—all with no advertisements and no in-app purchases,” Netflix said while announcing the acquisition.
“Shooting Hoops,” “Teeter Up,” and “Card Blast” are three casual games available to Netflix subscribers in Spain and Italy, as well as Poland, where Netflix began marketing its first members-only mobile games within its Android app. Here’s how it works: Members will be directed to the games’ listings on the Google Play Store for their region via a new “Games” page within the Netflix app. They will download and install the game in the same way that they would any other app. When it comes to logging in, however, they’ll need their Netflix credentials to get started.
“We view gaming as another new content category for us, similar to our expansion into original films, animation and unscripted TV,” the company said in its shareholder letter.”We think the time is right to learn more about how our members value games.”
