Video games have been around for decades, providing entertainment to whoever wishes to be entertained.
In what is said began around the year 1960s, when a tennis-like video game similar to the game Pong was created, games since then have developed quickly, in respond to the advancements of software and hardware.
And later, after the early days of computer games, and the first versions of Nintendo and Atari, the days of pixelated graphics and monophonic sounds have become a distant memory.
This is because video games have become more lifelike and so engaging.
As technology continues to evolve, so will video games. The only way the industry is going, is getting bigger. Not only that, the increasingly complex games that technology has allowed developers to create, balloons the costs of creating games. More modern games and hit titles can cost tens of thousands of dollars to create, and beyond to even hundreds of millions of dollars.
This pushed the development of games into Hollywood movie territory in terms of production and marketing costs.
So it's no surprise that a growing number of companies want a piece of the pie. In 2020 alone, the gaming industry generated $155 billion in revenue. From Google to Facebook and Apple, they have all earned their own pieces of the pie.
And this time, it's Netflix.
It all began when the American pay television over-the-top media service and original programming production company announced that it was going to gaming content for its billion-dollar entertainment mega streaming platform.
After months under development, Netflix finally revealed 'Netflix Games'.
Initially rolling out to all of its Netflix subscribers on Android, the exclusive games have no adds, require no additional fees and have no in-app purchases.
At first, five game titles are introduced: Stranger Things: 1984, Stranger Things 3: The Game, Shooting Hoops, Card Blast, and Teeter Up.
These games can be played by multiple users on the same account, as long as the device limit is not exceeded.
Netflix noted that while some games will require an Internet connection, "others will be available offline."
After testing Netflix Games with users in Poland, Spain and Italy, Netflix is expanding the gaming service to more than 190 countries.
“Whether you’re craving a casual game you can start from scratch or an immersive experience that lets you dig deeper into your favorite stories, we want to begin to build a library of games that offers something for everyone,” said Mike Verdu, Netflix’s VP of game development.
Verdu himself is a former EA and Oculus executive, who joined Netflix to lead the Netflix gaming initiative.
As the streaming platform working inside the multi-billion dollar industry, Netflix has been working to go beyond its traditional film offering in an attempt to get more users and add value to its services.
Netflix even went to an extent, saying that "Fortnite" was its competitor in its shareholder letter back in 2019, saying that it was losing more viewership to games than when competing against movie services like HBO. Not only that, Netflix faces stiff competition from YouTube as well.
While Netflix said it that is is planning to create games as a standalone product to compete with other services, its executives hope that popular characters or games may be able to help it with convent decision in the future.
For example, if the company sees that a character is played in a game more often that the other, it could push that character to be featured more.
"Maybe someday we'll see a game that spawns a film or a series," Greg Peters, Netflix's Chief Operating Officer and Chief Product Officer, said earlier this 2021. "That would be an amazing place to get to, to really see the rich interplay between these different forms of entertainment."