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

"We have to be differentially great at it, there's no point of just being in it."

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 interviewer to "ask" the question again when Netflix was "winning games".

Netflix is beginning 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, 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 Oxen frees 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 Kris pee Street and its Hearthstone style rogue like deck building game Uranium: Rise of A khan. 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.

In the United States, the number one show on Netflix right now is thriller/comedy/whodunit The Woman Across The Street From The Girl In The Window. But pretty much everywhere else in the world is watching the latest killer TV series to come out of Korea, All Of Us Are Dead.

Season one of Squid Game is streaming now on Netflix.