Netflix will start creating mobile games

 

As the number of users of the streaming service continues to decline in the face of escalating competition, Netflix is attempting to diversify its revenue sources. Netflix now has a large number of games under its control, but going forward it will no longer rely on outside teams. This is a result of the streaming juggernaut's efforts to establish a gaming studio.

The identity of the game studio is yet unknown, but according to Netflix, it will have its headquarters in Helsinki, Finland, and concentrate on making "world-class" unique games free from advertisements and in-app purchases. The director of Netflix's internal game studio will be Marko Lastikka, who has previously held prominent positions at EA and Zynga.

Helsinki has some of the "greatest game talents" in the world, according to Netflix, making him a suitable fit for the project. The streaming behemoth also purchased Next Games, the mobile game studio behind The Walking Dead, in March of this year. It also took a number of other game developers under its wing, including Boss Fight and Night School Studio, the company behind Oxenfree. However, no original games have yet been created.

The idea is still in its early stages because Netflix claims that it would be years before we see the results of its own studios. In any case, the business's most recent purchases demonstrate how its gaming strategy is changing. Now that the emphasis is shifting from slightly modified iterations of existing games to original ideas,

Recently, it was discovered that the corporation was working on ways for users to invite one another to play games, indicate their online status, and more. References in the mobile app's code implied this. Although it simply stated that it was "exploring additional elements to enrich the Netflix mobile games experience" at the time, Netflix made no comments on the advancements.

Users of Netflix will first need to download the mobile games to their device before logging in with their Netflix credentials to use the new game handles feature. You can choose your in-game handle when Rival Pirates and Lucky Luna are released on iOS.

Netflix subscribers can play games and make friends without having to share their personal information, such as their Netflix account name or real name, by using gaming handles. But it also paves the path for future gaming experiences that are more complex, where game handles might be necessary for gameplay or might open up new possibilities for player interaction.

Netflix's statement that "this feature is merely the beginning of crafting a personalized game experience for our users around the world" in today's announcement hints that there may be more to come on this front.

As of today's launch, the business has announced that Into The Breach, Bowling Ballers, Mahjong Solitaire, Heads Up! Netflix Edition, and Wild Things: Animal Adventures are among the games that enable game handles. However, for the time being, only Dominoes Cafe, Lucky Luna, and Rival Pirates allow users to use their gaming handles inside the game.