Netflix
NFLX
is adding four new games that can be downloaded directly from the Netflix mobile app, with an aim to expand its gaming lineup.
The new titles that have been launched include
Dragon Up
(East Side Games),
Moonlighter
(11 Bit Studios),
Townsmen – A Kingdom Rebuilt
(HandyGames), and
Exploding Kittens – The Game
(Exploding Kittens Digital). These four titles bring the Netflix catalog to 22 games.
With the new
Dragon Up
, users can hatch and collect rare dragons and then help them revive their magic in this colorful animated idle adventure single-player game.
Moonlighter
allows gamers to manage a shop in an idyllic village during the day. By night, users can explore dungeons, slay monsters and unlock mysteries in this best-of-both-worlds RPG adventure.
Set in medieval times,
Townsmen – A Kingdom Rebuilt
lets players build a city by making smart financial decisions and doing what it takes to keep their people happy.
A fourth game,
Exploding Kittens – The Game
, will be added to Netflix’s catalog next week on May 31. The mobile game based on the physical card game will come with two exclusive cards that only Netflix subscribers will be able to use.
Will Video Game Expansion Aid Prospects?
The recent mobile game launches are just the latest parts of Netflix’s ongoing push into video games. Netflix is planning to release 30 new gaming titles on its platform by the end of this year. Netflix already has several shows based on games like
The Witcher, Arcane
(based on
League of Legends
),
The Cuphead Show, DOTA: Dragon’s Blood
and
Castlevania
.
On Mar 22, Netflix announced that Netflix games are now available on Android and iOS devices. With a Netflix subscription, there will be no ads, fees or in-app purchases for these games.
Other titles launched this year include the first first-person shooter game
Into
The Dead 2: Unleashed
and
This Is A True Story
developed by Frosty Pop and Shatter Remastered, a PikPok production.
The company is also rising on strategic acquisitions, in line with its goal to expand its footprint in the gaming industry. Since launching the games initiative in November 2021, the company has acquired three studios, Finland’s Next Games, Texas-based developer Boss Fight Entertainment and Night School Studio, the developer best known for its supernatural mystery adventure
Oxenfree
.
In March, Netflix announced that it would acquire Next Games, a developer and publisher of mobile games based in Helsinki, Finland for €65 million ($72 million). Founded in 2013 and led by Teemu Huuhtanen, Next Games specializes in mobile games based on popular entertainment franchises like
Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales
, the story-driven puzzle RPG (role-playing game) inspired by one of Netflix’s most-watched series.
However, Netflix faces intense competition in the gaming space from gaming giants like
Sony
SONY
,
Nintendo
NTDOY
and
Microsoft
MSFT
, which produce gaming consoles and massively hit game franchises.
Sony Interactive Entertainment’s PlayStation consists of two hand-held video game consoles, five home video game consoles, a media center and a smartphone, among other things. Some of its best game franchises include
Spider-Man, Crash Bandicoot, Final Fantasy
and
God Of War
, among others.
Nintendo, which dominated the gaming landscape throughout the late 80s and 90s, has several hit franchises like
Brain Age, Kirby, Super Smash Bros., Pokémon
and
Mario
, among several others.
Microsoft’s Xbox, which currently consists of five video game consoles, applications, streaming services and an online service names Xbox network, also has a development arm known as Xbox Game Studios. Microsoft’s most popular gaming franchises include
Halo, Age of Empires, Gears of War, Fable
and
Killer Instinct
, to name a few.
An expanding gaming portfolio and major acquisitions made by Netflix —currently carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold)— only highlight its emerging strategy as it aims to catch up with its competitors. You can see
the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here
.
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