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Netflix Is Aiming to Have the 'Absolute Best' Gaming Service in the Industry

Netflix is aiming to have the 'absolute best' gaming service in the industry as it looks to expand its array of playable titles in 2022.


During a recent earnings interview, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings was asked about how the company will approach interactive content over the long term. His answer was simple: "We have to be differentially great at it, there's no point of just being in it," said Hastings during the interview.

Hastings effectively pointed to the idea of Netflix becoming a gaming service that's competitive with the current industry heavyweights. "We're definitely 'crawl, walk, run' and, like, 'Let's nail the thing, and not just be in it for the sake of being in it or for a press release'. But we've got to please our members by having the absolute best in the category."

Hastings finished bullishly, asking the intervieweer to ask the question again when Netflix was "winning games".


Netflix began rolling out its gaming service in November 2021, allowing players with an active Netflix subscription to jump into a set of mobile games for no extra cost. The service initially included five games that rolled out to Android and Apple devices across 190 countries including Stranger Things: The Game, Stranger Things 3: The Game, Card Blast, Teeter, and Shooting Hoops.

In the shorter term, Netflix plans to keep building on that early offering. As part of a shareholder letter dated January 20, the company spoke further about its gaming service's future:

"Since launch, we released an additional five games, bringing the total to ten for 2021. It’s still very early days but we’re pleased with our progress. In 2022, we’ll expand our portfolio of games across both casual and core gaming genres as we continue to program a breadth of game types to learn what our members enjoy most."

Hopefully, we'll also hear what;s coming from Night School, the award-winning developer of Oxenfree, which Netflix bought last year.


Following the launch of Netflix's gaming services, Xbox boss commended the company on its decision to move into video games. “I think it’s smart what [Netflix is] doing,” Xbox boss Phil Spencer says. “They’re buying some studios. They’re learning about the creative process of interactive entertainment. And I think it’s a very smart way for them to move into the space.”

Netflix began the new year by adding two further games into its fold and bringing its total to twelve. The company's newest games include the hidden object game Krispee Street and its Hearthstone style roguelike deckbuilding game Arcanium: Rise of Akhan. A full list of Netflix's available games can be seen below.

Netflix's Available Games



For more from Netflix, make sure to check out this article detailing how the streaming service recently confirmed that it has given the go-ahead for the second season of its Korean survival-horror series Squid Game.


Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

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