Netflix to Further Expand Its Video Game Segment

Netflix looks to further expand its share in the video game industry as it is set to open a new Netflix Games studio in Helsinki, which will be led by Marko Lastikka, co-founder of the Zygna Helsinki game development studio. This move, however, is far from unprecedented.

The massive subscription streaming service and production company has been participating in the video games market for at least several months already, with official reports about its decision breaking in July of last year (2021).

Despite the lack of results in terms of user engagement with their games, Netflix still seems unfazed and will continue to expand its participation in the video game industry. Its move to open a video game studio in Helsinki, Finland, is definitely not the first.

As of November 2021, the company’s video gaming arm, Netflix Games, has already bought at least three other studios. Just earlier this year, the company spent $72 Million to buy the Finnish mobile game developer Next Games. The other companies that Netflix acquired are Boss Fight Entertainment and Night School Studio.

The company, though, has its fair share of notable games. It has released some familiar titles like Stranger Things 3: The Game, Moonlighter, and Exploding Kittens, plus some not-so-familiar titles like Krispee Street, Hextech Mayhem, and expansion support and platform release of the semi-popular, turn-based strategy Into the breach. Although, recent reports say that less than 1% of Netflix subscribers actually play the streaming service’s games as of August.

Despite the abysmal participation of its subscribers in its games, Netflix is in it for the long run. Company vice president of game studios, Amir Rahimi, said in a statement the following:

“It’s still early days, and we have much more work to do to deliver a great games experience on Netflix. Creating a game can take years, so I’m proud to see how we’re steadily building the foundation of our games studios in our first year, and look forward to sharing what we produce in the coming years.'

The good news is that the company assures its users that its games won’t have any ads or in-app purchases, and rightfully so. Netflix’s subscription service automatically comes with access to these games, so not adding any more barriers to playing their already unpopular game titles should be expected.