When OTT giant Netflix announced that it would get into gaming in 2021, people's expectations were high. In retrospect, unrealistically high, given how competitive gaming in general and mobile gaming in particular is. That said, this was Netflix, the brand that was the boss in OTT. People and analysts reckoned that if it got into gaming, it would definitely bring something new to the entertainment table. And after a relatively sluggish start, Netlfix finally seems to be working towards delivering on those expectations. Titles like “This is a True Story” and “Into the Dead 2: Unleashed” got the service's gaming ball really rolling a few weeks ago, and recently at its Geekend Week event, Netflix finally made the move that many had expected from it at the very beginning — its game service will finally have games based on Netflix shows.
Show-based games, exclusive to Netflix
Some will point out that even when it got underway, Netflix Games did offer some titles based on shows. After all, “Stranger Things: 1984” and “Stranger Things 3: The Game” were among the first two titles to be released on the platform. However, the point to note here is that these titles had been around for a while and had existed well before Netflix Games was launched. They had not been made for Netflix Games, so to speak, and had been available for download on other app stores before moving to Netflix Games.
The new titles coming to Netflix Games are very different. For instance, in the adventure game “La Casa De Papel,” you plan to rob a billionaire's casino in Monaco. There is a lot of lock picking and safe busting. And you are helping a friend of the Professor. Yes, this is a game based on the famous “Money Heist” series. It is being developed by Killasoft and will come to Netflix Games later this year.
Another title coming to the gaming service is “Shadow and Bone: Destinies,” an RPG that is again based on a Netlfix fantasy series of the same name. And if you have always wanted to be like chessmaster Beth Harmon of “The Queen's Gambit” miniseries, well, you can step into her shoes virtually in “The Queen's Gambit: Chess,” which lets you take lessons in the game, solve puzzles and take on not just other players online, but even characters from the show. Again, the title will be a Netflix Games exclusive and is expected to come later this year to the service.
Building a Netflix game and series world
Intriguingly, Netflix is also building a deeper association with gaming in another way — it is coming up with shows based on popular games. “Dragon Age: Absolution” is a series based on the iconic RPG, and the fighting classic, “Tekken,” is all set to have an anime series of its own with “Tekken: Bloodline.” Netflix Games today has 22 titles and this number is expected to go up to 50 by the end of the year, with many of the titles being not just based on Netflix shows but also being Netflix Games exclusives.
With the introduction of exclusive series-based titles, Netflix is not just looking to strengthen its gaming portfolio, but is actually building an online ecosystem of sorts. With its new series of games, the OTT giant has gently built a bridge between its shows and its games, allowing users to switch almost seamlessly from one to the other. So for instance, you can now not only watch “The Queen's Gambit,” but once you are through with the mini-series (we wish it were still going on), you can refresh your acquaintance with the characters through the chess game based on it. The same applies to “La Casa De Papel” (“Money Heist”) and “Shadow and Bone: Destinies.”
In fact, as per our sources, there is even work underway to launch games that will introduce new series or come out with "missing chapters" from existing ones. As per one industry insider, "This is basically part of creating a Netflix world of its own. You want to experience the Grishaverse (Shadow and Bone)? You can choose to watch a show. Or you can opt to play a game. And all without leaving the Netflix app. It also lowers barriers to entry. A person might not usually want to play a chess game, but would be more than happy to play the game as part of The Queen's Gambit experience. What's more, the games will keep interest in the shows alive even when they are off-season."
A ‘Ted Lasso’ game? A ‘Family Man’ game? You never know…
If things do proceed as planned, Netflix would perhaps be the first major OTT player to actually leverage its show content to get a gaming edge. After all, the likes of Apple, Amazon, and Hotstar have not really explored games linked to shows on their OTT services. Imagine what Apple Arcade could have achieved with a “Ted Lasso” football management game while users are waiting for a new season of the series! If Netflix is able to blend its shows with the games related to it, we could well see other OTT players (especially Apple) dipping their toes more than daintily in game-series synchronicity waters.
Of course, it is too early in the day to say just how well this move will pan out. After all, we have not even seen the games in all their glory. All we have are well-crafted trailers, which in best trailer tradition, hint at great things. All said and done, it is safe to say that for the first time since Netflix got into gaming mode, there promises to be a fair amount of ‘Netflix’ in Netflix Games. Just how well the games and series will play off each other could well determine the future of gaming on Netflix in particular, and might even add a new chapter to gaming in general as we know it.
A “Ted Lasso” football management game on Apple Arcade? A “Family Man” action game on Amazon Prime? A stealth game based on “Special Ops” on HotStar? A multiplayer RPG based on “Gullak” on SonyLIV?
They all might just happen if Netflix can make the gaming and series equation click.