Highlights
- Netflix is launching free-to-play video games on TV, included with a standard subscription.
- The new service uses your smartphone as a controller, with an initial focus on social party games.
- This launch is part of a major strategic reboot of Netflix's gaming division to expand its offerings.
Ever finished a series on Netflix and wondered what to do next? The streaming giant now has a new answer: game night. In a major move to expand its entertainment offerings, Netflix is officially launching video games that you can play directly on your TV, with an initial focus on fun, social party games for the whole family.
Announced by co-CEO Greg Peters at the Bloomberg Screentime conference in Los Angeles, the new service turns your smartphone into a controller. By simply scanning a QR code on your television screen, you can jump into the first wave of titles, which includes party staples like Boggle Party, Pictionary: Game Night, Tetris Time Warp, and Lego Party.
Highlighting the value for subscribers, Netflix pointed out that a game like Lego Party, which would normally cost around $40, is included for free with your membership.
Netflix Adds Free Party Games to TV Service
This launch is the latest step in Netflix's significant, multi-year investment in the gaming sector. The company has quietly built a mobile gaming library approaching 100 titles and has strategically acquired several respected game studios, including Night School Studio, the creators of Oxenfree, and Spry Fox, known for the hit game Cozy Grove.
The move to television is part of a significant strategic reboot for Netflix's gaming ambitions. Peters candidly gave the company's efforts so far a "B-minus grade", signalling a need for a fresh approach.
To lead this new charge, Netflix has brought in Alain Tascan, a veteran from Fortnite publisher Epic Games, to spearhead a new strategy focused on four key areas: games for kids, party games, bringing mainstream hits like Grand Theft Auto to the platform, and creating games based on its own beloved shows like Stranger Things.
Netflix believes its biggest advantage is that it's already a centrepiece in millions of living rooms. "To entertain the world, we must include games," said Tascan, noting the unique opportunity Netflix has to engage people on their main entertainment screen.
To make this vision a reality, the company is investing heavily in its cloud server capacity, ensuring that when you fire up your next game night, the experience is as smooth as streaming your favourite show.
