Netflix is setting its sights on gaming beyond mobile, if a survey sent to subscribers this week is any indication. In the survey, the company asked respondents at length about their own gaming habits as well as their familiarity with a variety of game subscription services, including Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus and Apple Arcade.
A Netflix member who took the survey told Protocol that they were also asked about playing on a variety of devices, including mobile, tablets and game consoles. A number of questions suggested that Netflix may either launch an app on existing game consoles or stream games directly to smart TVs without the need for dedicated gaming hardware.
A Netflix spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The entire survey took about 20 minutes, according to the subscriber, who asked Protocol not to be identified by name. 17 pages alone were dedicated to ranking the importance of a variety of possible features, including the ability to play games without ads, a catalog that includes well-known games, the ability to play with friends and as game streaming to TVs.
Netflix launched mobile games in all of its markets in November, and has since been rapidly growing its catalog of titles. The company will launch its new Exploding Kittens game next week; it reportedly aims to have 50 mobile games available to its subscribers by the end of the year.
However, Netflix also appears to realize that its gaming endeavor won’t be easy. Survey respondents were asked whether they agreed with a number of statements about the company’s gaming efforts, including: “I don’t think Netflix can make good mobile games because it’s not what they do.”
Climate TRACE's data show emissions at the facility-level.Image: Climate TRACE