Netflix is revamping its gaming strategy to win more users. Is it working?

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Netflix is expanding beyond movies and TV shows! At a recent announcement near Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, executive Alain Tascan shared that the streaming service is launching a new game where American viewers can compete for cash prizes.

“Best Guess Live” is a new game show airing weekdays at 5 p.m. Pacific Time. Hosted by Howie Mandel and Hunter March, the show presents five clues, and players of the mobile game try to guess the answer. The fewer clues needed to guess correctly, the more prize money they can win. Filmed in Van Nuys, this is Netflix’s effort to create a live, interactive gaming experience for its over 700 million viewers.

How would you like to play a game on your phone that could win you a lot of money – every single day? It’s quick, easy, and that’s the idea behind this new opportunity,” explains Mandel, the familiar face from shows like NBC’s “Deal or No Deal” and “America’s Got Talent.”

Netflix aims to make playing games just as easy as watching a movie, building on the same forward-thinking approach that allowed them to evolve from mailing DVDs to offering streaming movies, shows, and now, games, according to Tascan.

For the past four years, Netflix has been building up its gaming section, but with varying degrees of success. Recently, co-CEO Greg Peters rated their gaming efforts as a B-. Under the direction of [leader’s name, Tascan], the team has been concentrating on a few specific types of games: stories inspired by Netflix shows, games for kids, fun social games, and popular titles like “Grand Theft Auto.”

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The popular streaming service is bringing a unique experience to the mall: fans can now enjoy their beloved shows alongside food and drinks.

Netflix is seeing positive results from recent changes. Downloads of their mobile games rose 17% – reaching 74.8 million between January and October of this year, compared to the same timeframe in 2024. Interestingly, Netflix is also publishing fewer games, releasing 16 titles this year versus 35 last year, according to data from Appfigures.

Netflix declined to comment on the Appfigures data.

Netflix has been removing some games because players weren’t using them much. They’ve launched 142 games total, but around 78 were still being played as of October, according to data from Appfigures.

Over the past two years, Netflix has added two highly successful mobile games to its service. “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas,” released in December 2023, has been downloaded 44 million times. Last year, they also launched an original game, “Squid Game: Unleashed,” a multiplayer party game with 21 million downloads. This game cleverly linked to the second season of the popular “Squid Game” series, rewarding players with in-game currency for watching episodes.

Some analysts say there is still room for improvement.

Ross Benes, a senior analyst at Emarketer, believes the technology still feels like it’s in early stages. He doesn’t think gamers currently see it as a primary form of entertainment.

Netflix announced on Thursday that five new games – Tetris Time Warp, Boggle Party, Pictionary: Game Night, and LEGO Party! – are now available on televisions. Previously, Netflix games were only playable on phones and tablets.

When people start playing the TV games, they’ll find a QR code they can scan with their phones or tablets. These devices then become the controllers for the game. A good example is Pictionary on Netflix, where players draw on their phones.

Tascan explained that their main focus is now on making it as easy as possible for people to start playing. They think TV is the ideal place to offer this, as people are already relaxed and enjoying shows, making it a natural fit.

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These new TV games are part of Netflix’s ongoing push into gaming, which started four years ago. To support this effort, Netflix has grown its gaming team by acquiring four game studios: Night School in Glendale, California; Boss Fight Entertainment in Allen, Texas; Next Games in Finland; and Spry Fox in Seattle.

Netflix shut down Boss Fight Entertainment last month.

Mike Verdu, previously from Facebook and Electronic Arts, initially spearheaded Netflix’s gaming initiatives. He then shifted his focus to using generative AI to improve game development and player experiences in November 2024, and departed Netflix earlier in 2024. In July 2024, Tascan, formerly of Epic Games, was appointed as Netflix’s head of gaming.

Many companies are investing in gaming because young people spend significant time playing popular games like Roblox, Fortnite, and Call of Duty. Tascan notes there are approximately 3 billion gamers worldwide, and considering Netflix has over 700 million viewers, there’s a large overlap in potential audiences.

The streaming service revealed two new mobile games for children on Thursday: a digital coloring book called “Barbie Color Creations” and a hairstyling game, “Toca Boca Hair Salon 4.”

Entering this market is difficult for businesses. Google’s Stadia gaming service, which launched in 2023, is a good example – it was discontinued because it didn’t attract enough users.

According to Tascan, Netflix isn’t trying to compete with consoles like PlayStation or Xbox. Instead, they’re focused on being innovative and discovering fresh approaches to connect with their audience.

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As a huge fan of reality TV and a bit of a streamer junkie, I was excited to hear about all the new immersive competition shows Netflix is dropping! They’ve got a “Clue” show coming, and something called “The Golden Ticket” that sounds wild. But the big news this week? Season 2 of “Squid Game: The Challenge” just landed, and I immediately started watching!

Tascan said he is encouraged by the reactions he has seen.

He acknowledged it was a positive move, but questioned how many people would actually respond to it. As a data-driven company, their primary focus is on engagement – how many people will participate?

Tascan believes Netflix could dominate the gaming world in just a few years, becoming the leading platform like it is for streaming. He’s optimistic that the gaming division will improve its performance beyond its current ‘B-‘ rating.

“What I hope is, by the end of the year, we’ll upgrade to an A, hopefully A+,” Tascan said.

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2025-11-14 14:32