Netflix started its adventure in the gaming world about three years ago, but its part of the business that offers a different type of entertainment hasn’t proved to be popular among its customers.
About 1 percent of Netflix subscribers play the games that the streaming service offers for free. Most of them are completely unaware that Netflix has a strong portfolio of mobile games that they can play on their Android or iOS devices.
More importantly, these games are completely free and don’t include any ads or in-app purchases. However, that will probably change sooner or later, as Netflix is now looking into ways to monetize its gaming business, The Wall Street Journal reports.
People familiar with Netflix’s plans claim that executives have been trying to find a way to generate revenue from its mobile games. The discussions covered subjects like in-app purchases or even full price for premium games, as well as games with ads that would be available for subscribers to its ad-supported plan.
Up until now, Netflix has been against any type of monetization when it comes to its mobile games, just like it was happy to allow subscribers to share their passwords with their friends.
Although these are just discussions that might not be greenlit, Netflix is always looking for new methods of generating money at the expense of its customers. The crack on password sharing is a good example of how Netflix backtracked on its original policy.
If Netflix decides to put ads or in-app purchases into its games, it might mean the death of its gaming business before it even gets to be popular.