Netflix could be supplementing its plummeting revenue by increasing its focus on gaming

We reported in the recent past about the handful of mobile games that Netflix had released for gamers to enjoy, the primary titles of which were based on Stranger Things, while others included various minigames like golf, basketball, match-three puzzlers, and so on. Now, it seems like the company is looking to raise the number of their offering to near 30 before the end of this year.

According to a recent report by The Washington Post, Netflix is “looking at content opportunities around video games from every direction”. A source close to the company’s plans on this reported to TWP that it has plans to turn video games into shows and vice versa. For example, Exploding Kittens, a popular card game that’s been around for years could become both a TV show and a mobile game later down the line.

So far, the formula for turning games into shows and movies has not been successfully approached in the past, and turning movies and shows into games is virtually unheard of – at least, as far as I can recall. At this time, Netflix is aiming to focus solely on mobile games, but in the future, it may branch out and compete on other platforms like TV gaming or something.

What I find most interesting is that with the plummeting subscriber numbers across the board at Netflix, it comes out with more news of doubling down on its efforts with gaming. Is Netflix going the way of Red Box where it later began offering games as a way to supplement its income after streaming services like Netflix came along and stole its thunder? I think so!

Within this ecosystem, Netflix is looking to build out a games business that can create synergy between what people watch and what they’re playing.

The Washington Post

I’m not at all saying that this is simply a survival strategy though. Gaming has taken the world by storm, and it’s inevitable, in my opinion, that companies like Netflix would seek to capitalize on the synergy between the two gargantuan mediums – it’s smart! What I am saying though is that the company’s timing marks a clear and desperate attempt to lay the foundations for transitioning its business model before that future arrives.

There are more and more streaming platforms that have come in and stolen the shine and shimmer Netflix once held as the sole owner of that space it carved out when Blockbuster failed to take its throne with this new business model. Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock, and more are all now new brands of tissue where Netflix was once “Kleenex”, and it needs to continue to find ways to differentiate itself and stand apart from the competition.