It seems that almost no one is interested in Netflix’s move into the gaming market. According to a new analytic report, the push by Netflix into gaming has garnered only 23.3 million downloads and average about 1.7 million daily users. That means that less than 1 percent of Netflix’s subscribers are taking advantage of the free games included in their subscription price.
Read: The upcoming GeForce RTX 4090 Ti has mammoth specs
Before the launch of its gaming division, Netflix said it did not expect the games to add to the company’s profitability right away. “We’re going to be experimental and try a bunch of things,” Netflix COO Greg Peters told investors during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings calls last year. That being said, how long does Netflix think it will take for its investment in gaming to show dividends?
The fact that the company has started losing so many subscribers also brings the investment into gaming into question. It was supposed to make the service stickier, i.e. a value add to its main business that would entice more customers to join and keep more of its current subscribers. It has spent a lot of money acquiring mobile game developers.
Earlier this year, the company paid $72 million to acquire Next Games, the studio behind Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales. More recently, it secured exclusive mobile rights to beloved indie titles like Spiritfarer and Into The Breach.
In January, Netflix said it was aiming to have “the absolute best” gaming service for its customers. It began rolling games out in November 2021, where active Netflix subscribers can access the catalogue of available games for no additional cost. The company is hoping to increase its catalogue to nearly 50 available games by the end of 2022.
Are you one of the Netflix subscribers playing the free games? What has your experience been like? Let us know in the comments below.
