Netflix has now launched its games on iPhone and iPad: Stranger Things 1984, Stranger Things 3, Shooting Hoops, Card Blast, and Teeter (Up!). The streaming company launched these games on android OS last week after nearly 3 months trial in Europe. The company plans to exploit popular Netflix intellectual property and franchises (likes Stranger Things), as well as other standalone games.
All these apps are available individually on the app store using Apple’s in-app payment system making Netflix to share 30 percent revenue for the first year of subscription with Apple, then 15 percent of each payment after that. Netflix became the first major developer to stop offering in-app purchase payment mode in the main Netflix app in 2018, to avoid giving Apple its 15-30% commission. This system continues in the main app even today.
Netflix Games is coming to iOS! Starting tomorrow, you can access Netflix Games through the Netflix app on any mobile device, anywhere in the world. pic.twitter.com/LoHYFi4xBX
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) November 9, 2021
When users launch these gaming apps, users are prompted to sign in with their Netflix account. Games can be played at no additional charge on an existing Standard Plan Netflix subscription.
However, there is one difference in terms of the user interface on iOS. While Netflix users on Android have a dedicated games row and a games tab, the gaming tab is not available on iOS. On the iPad, the row will be pinned to position 6 and will feature a categories drop-down menu.
Adding their own games tab would violate Apple app store policies and get them banned. “However, if the company is able to get more clarity around this rule in the future, it may be able to add a Games tab to its iOS app like the one available now on Android.”, a spokesperson was quoted by TechCrunch.
The streaming giant in September acquired its first games studio with the acquisition of the ‘Night School Studio’, a game developer known for the supernatural mystery graphic adventure title Oxenfree. “This will be one of the tools that we use and we’ll use it opportunistically when we find a great opportunity out there. So don’t expect us to go on a tearing buying spree,” Netflix COO Gregory Peters said in an earning call last month on the acquisition of Oxenfree. The company recently hired former EA and Facebook exec Mike Verdu as VP of game development to lead the strategy.
Riot Forge has recently announced the launch Hextech Mayhem: A League of Legends Story on Netflix. The game which is available to PC Users on payment of $10 will be available for free to Netflix users. Set in the League of Legends universe, the game is a rhythm runner featuring Ziggs, the “unforgettable yordle and Hexplosives extraordinaire,” the publisher was quoted in a press release.