Soon, Netflix will not just offer video streaming—its subscribers might have the option to play games as well. The U.S.- based popular OTT content platform and production organization are viewing gaming as a different category, which will be made accessible to its subscribers at no extra charge.

In a letter to its investors, Netflix affirmed that it is “in the beginning phases of further venturing into games,” which expands on the organization’s prior efforts on interactive content and its Stranger Things games.

“We see gaming as another new content category for us, as our venture into unique movies, animation, and unscripted TV. Games will be offered for individuals’ Netflix membership at no extra cost like movies and series. At first, we’ll be fundamentally centered around games for mobile phones,” the organization expressed. The declaration comes following the news that previous EA and Oculus leader Mike Verdu joined Netflix as the organization’s new VP of game development.

India’s mobile-first gaming industry on the rise
Netflix’s push to enter the mobile-first gaming space comes at a lucky time for the organization, which has been losing ground in a portion of its key business sectors including the United States and India. Analysts expect this drive will end up being remunerating for Netflix, especially in a mobile-first market like India.

“With the smartphone’s first move, Netflix will actually want to enter the Tier-2/Tier-3 urban areas in India which are not Netflix’s center user base. Numbers propose that streaming platform users in these urban areas incline toward vernacular and regional content. Adding gaming to content will add these users to the Netflix platform,” Anuj Kapoor, Assistant Professor of Marketing at IIM Ahmedabad, revealed to The Hindu Businessline.

India is viewed as the second biggest internet consumer market on the planet, with more than 560 million internet users. With the continuous COVID lockdowns, more consumers in the nation are becoming digital converts with their everyday routine—from work and study to shopping and casual entertainment. Real cash games in India are viewed as one of the quickest growing sections in the country, with a fantasy gaming user base expected to reach 150 million in two or three years, as per Roland Landers, CEO of All India Gaming Federation (AIGF).

An ENV Media study, which uses exclusive information from its properties including Indian affiliate SevenJackpots, moreover noticed that “around half of all smartphone users in India” are playing mobile games, bringing about a spike in online casino searches for sites like Purewin.com in the previous year. As indicated by ENV Media analyst, “the pandemic-stricken 2020 additionally pushed India to the highest point of worldwide mobile game download rankings.”

“The number of searches for mobile games have in a real sense soar during the previous half-year. Indian players appear to like to play local table games, for example, Andar Bahar straightforwardly from their phone, rather than utilizing traditional gadgets like tablets or desktop,” ENV Media CEO and founder Mattias Bergehed said, as per a Live Mint report.

Credits: Daijiworlc.com