Netflix just had its best month yet for game downloads, and the company has some pretty big plans for its expansion into the gaming space — reports Protocol.
According to data from Sensor Tower, Netflix’s games catalog racked up 2.9 million downloads during July, signaling an uptrend for the service. In total, Netflix’s games have seen 17 million downloads on iOS and Android since the first ones were introduced in November of last year.
A report from earlier this month indicated that Netflix’s game library only pulls 1% of the platform’s subscribers as daily active players. However, those numbers don’t seem all that bad when you consider that Netflix currently only offers about two dozen games, and 1% of Netflix’s subscriber base amounts to an estimated 1.7 million users.
“Netflix is really just at the beginning of implementing its strategy for a new games business, and it’s not off to a bad start,” Sensor Tower mobile insights strategist Craig Chapple told Protocol. “With an increasing portfolio of globally recognizable entertainment IP, there’s a lot of potential here.
In addition to owning highly desirable IP, Netflix has also picked up a few game studios like Next Games and Boss Fight Entertainment to aid its efforts.
Netflix regularly adds new games, with plans to nearly double its library by the end of this year. The company has been pretty hush about what the future holds for games on its platforms, but several job listings suggest that a full-fledged cloud gaming service from the streamer may be in the cards.
“We are looking for a rendering engineer to support our cloud gaming service,” Netflix wrote in one of the listings. Some listings also note that Netflix is looking to “launch games fast at minimal cost, learn fast, and iterate quickly.”
Cloud gaming could be the natural progression for Netflix’s gaming service — especially considering the prevalence of smart TVs, most of which the Netflix app comes pre-installed on.
It’s still early days for Netflix’s gaming venture, and there are plenty of ways for the company to move forward with it.
Have you tried any of the games available on the Netflix app? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.