Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) launched its integrated gaming platform for Android and iOS in November.

While a number of titles have been added periodically over the following months, there hasn’t been much buzz around Netflix Games. The streaming platform has admitted that it is due partly due to its own relative silence toward its gaming efforts.

“We started in November of last year, so only a handful of months and we’re still intentionally keeping things a little bit quiet because we’re still learning and experimenting and trying to figure out what things are going to actually resonate with our members, what games people want to play,” said Leanne Loombe, Netflix’s head of external games, during a panel at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 13. “So it’s really important that we have some time to build up to that.”

According to Loombe, the past few months have indeed been an experimental time for Netflix Games. The streaming giant has been “trying out different ways of discoverability” during this time. As an example, she mentioned that Netflix has opted for a dedicated “Games” tab on Android, while games simply show up online on the iOS app homepage.

Loombe also noted that this is easier to do at the moment because Netflix games are a bonus benefit of a subscription – no additional fees are required. “It’s still very, very new, but one of the things we want to do is make sure that games are a really valuable part of our members’ subscription. So there are no ads, there are no additional costs,” she said. “Every single game is free with your subscription and there’s no monetization, which is a really great thing for developers from a creative perspective. They get to really focus on making great games and not having to worry about creating games that just drive revenue and money.”

Having Netflix games on mobile is also part of a larger goal to attract an even greater number of people to the platform.

“We want to make sure there is a game on Netflix for every single one of our members, whether that’s someone that plays games every single day or someone that’s brand new to games or wants to try something like Netflix out,” Loombe said. “A very accessible, broad-appealing game, something that people can start to play easily. And starting with mobile is a really great way for us to ensure that we can get games into people’s hands easily and remove some of that friction that might exist in other platforms.”

The key question, however, is how many people have actually played these games. Netflix is known for its lack of transparency regarding the performance of its original content. It’s been even less transparent about its success – or lack thereof – with Netflix Games.

Loombe didn’t clarify this point but said that Netflix is ​​still working on all of this as far as games go.

Loombe noted that they’re still establishing the metrics for measuring performance success, as well as defining what a “great game” looks like on the Netflix platform. She did, however, mention that they are using comprehensive data to figure out their plans for Netflix Games going into 2023, and made it seem as if development wasn’t stopping anytime soon.

After eight months of activity, the service’s catalog has grown somewhat but still remains very marginal compared to the competition (for once Apple is well ahead with Apple Arcade) and only has twenty-three games – compared to five at launch. But development and the number of games should speed up heading into the end of 2022.

During Netflix’s Geeked Week last week, its event dedicated to nerd and pop culture, Netflix not only presented its new series and upcoming original productions, but also the next titles from its Netflix Games service, available on iOS and Android. The platform has promised 50 titles by the end of 2022, free for subscribers and guaranteed without ads. And it already announced nearly twenty to come. It is preparing for the arrival of several games from its most popular series, such as Queen Gambit or La Casa de Papel. 

In other Netflix gaming news, Toronto-based Snowman recently announced that its next title, Lucky Luna, is coming to Netflix’s gaming platform.

However, Netflix’s broader business is in decline, with the streamer recently announcing its first-ever quarterly loss of around 200,000  subscribers. This news also comes while anticipating a further drop of two million in the second quarter of 2022. During this, the company laid off numerous employees while restructuring its content movie and TV packages. Therefore, it remains to be seen how much Netflix will invest in games.

If Netflix’s ambition in gaming is quite laudable, it is quite difficult to imagine that subscribers will stay on the platform for the video games it offers. The platform seems to have a hard time accepting that the successive increases in pricing it has imposed (especially with regard to account sharing) have ended up exhausting its users.

Netflix Is Looking for Candidates for a Real-Life ‘Squid Game’

The streaming network announced Tuesday that 456 entrants will compete for the biggest cash prize in television history in Squid Game: The Challenge.

A total of $4.56 million is up for grabs for anyone who can survive all levels of childhood-inspired games. Alliances and strategies teased by Netflix will be necessary for players if they hope to win the prize.

Netflix has also confirmed that the upcoming reality series has the support of Squid Game creator Hwang Don-hyuk.

Squid Game became the biggest TV premiere in Netflix history when it aired in September 2021, with over 1.65 billion hours watched in just 28 days. The show has been renewed for Season 2, with a possible Season 3 also in the works.

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