According to The Wall Street Journal, the company has had discussions about how to make money from its games for months now, including in-app purchases, putting a price tag on more premium titles and placing ads on games that subscribers to its ad tier have access to. These methods are common (and effective) in the mobile gaming world, with consumers expected to spend $111.4 billion on mobile games in 2024

The only reason Netflix games library is decent, its are not laid with ads or in-app purchases. If that was changed it would no longer make the experience enjoyable. Hopefully, they don't.

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[–] 36 points 2 years ago

Enshitification intensifies

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  • This is truly absurd.

    Netflix basically bought the rights to republish versions of established mobile games as "Netflix Edition" titles with ads and in-app purchases removed as a value add to subscribers to get them into their games ecosystem. And now they want.... to put ads and micro transactions back? I understand the reasoning behind it obviously-- they need a return on their investment-- but that is a clean about-face from their initial strategy

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  • I think Netflix Games is stupid.

    I have a Netflix account.

    But to download a Google play game then to be told to log into my Netflix account or else uninstall? That's stupid.

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  • [–] 16 points 2 years ago

    So they are going to put ads and in-app purchases inside of a paid streaming app that also has ads? Games as part of Netflix only made sense if they were part of a value-add. Having the games individually having monetization completely invalidates paying for Netflix (aside from video).

    This is a dumb idea, and Netflix knows it. Sounds like an intentional plan to kill off their game segment.

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  • [–] 15 points 2 years ago*

    https://youtu.be/opURPN9uP1o

    Own your files, accept no compromise.

    If buying isn't owning, piracy isn't stealing.

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  • [–] 11 points 2 years ago*

    If the ads fit in-world, like a Coke bilboard in a racing game or as is used in many games now the real product names of guns: I'm fine with that.

    If it's a fuckin' popup or splash page or something that isn't actually part of the game itself, all subtle like: Fuck that.

    Given the mainstream popularity of video games, it makes a lot of sense to get sponsorships to place real world products in the game, the way it's done on TV and movies. Subtle. Not all up in your face like Wayne's World (at least that was a joke) or Death Stranding.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 years ago

    Capitalism, yet ruining another platform by trying to squeeze more money out of existing subscribers. It's never enough.

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  • [–] 8 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Into the breach is a good Netflix game. I found an APK online, it even works without my Netflix account, which is nice.

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  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • This article is entirely bullshit speculation.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago (2 children)
  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago

    Shareholder value more important than a sustainable service. πŸ™„

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago

    Alternative headline :Netflix waiting to see how Prime Video ads pans out before pulling the trigger.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago

    I didn't play Netflix games when I had Netflix. Now they want to make that even worse? Good fuckin luck

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  • [+] 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 child)
  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    There are some pretty cool games that were ported to mobile by Netflix, like Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon, but if they are going to inject ads and in-app purchases into them (you know, on top of the subscription), they are going to ruin them

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    I completely forgot about Netflix adding games. I assume it's crap, but is it worth checking out? Has anyone actually used it?

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  • hideshow 6 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago

    I've only used the Asphalt Xtreme game, and it's awesome. It's like the old asphalt 6 days where you raced cars and didn't need to worry about fuel or in-app micro transactions to progress.

    The only selling point to Netflix gaming is that there are no in-app purchases or ads. I can't see any scenario where adding adds/micro transactions doesn't immediately kill Netflix gaming.

    Frankly, I think this whole thing is a beat up for clicks.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago

    I'm glad I don't use Netflix

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago

    Didn't they just post about how they acknowledge that their game ecosystem sucks is almost nobody uses it but they intend to change that... now they want to add Advertisements? 10/10 company planning

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    They don't consider shit, they have a long tern plan that includes publicly flying out test balloons like this to see how pissed off the public get. If it's benign enough, they'll do it. If not, they'll wait a while and try again.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    Meh, just canceled Netflix anyway. Their lineup is shit.

    Going back to the seven seas.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago
    [–] 1 point 2 years ago

    The website seems fine , at least a week ago. But the app which I rarely use. I had to use it recently and oh boy. Is horrendous and overwhelming. Geez.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago

    this was the obvious next step

    why won't someone think of the shareholders?

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)
    [–] 1 point 2 years ago

    I didn't even know netflix had games, oh well. Meanwhile, the games I bought from GoG are DRM free and mine forever.

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  • [–] 0 points 2 years ago

    This isn't news, Netflix Games is a mobile game developer, they will follow the trends of mobile gaming to generate profits.

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