Thanks to Apple's policies, Netflix won't have a hub for games on iOS
You can Netflix and chill by watching series and movies and now, even playing online as the video streaming company starts offering mobile games on its platform.
Starting with casual games including Shooting Hoops, Teeter Up and Stranger Things, Netflix is looking to add more games, which experts say is a strategy to add or retain subscribers.
“The inclusion of games within the Netflix app is vital to improving widespread adoption. It lowers the entry hurdle and makes it easier for Netflix to entice potential gamers who may otherwise overlook its offerings,” Likhita Chepa, senior research analyst at CapitalVia Global Research, told Moneycontrol.
Mobile games on Netflix are available at no extra cost for paid subscribers. A Netflix subscription on a phone or tablet starts at Rs 199 a month.
Chepa said while offering games is a fresh approach for Netflix, the streaming giant is late to the party in India, where rivals including ZEE5, Disney+ Hotstar, SonyLIV and MX Player already offer games on their platforms.
MX Player has over 100 hyper-casual games across categories including Indian board games and quizzes, said Nakul Kapur, head of international business and games. The platform has partnered with gaming companies in India and abroad.
“From March 2020 until now, we have grown nearly 4x with over 400 million monthly gameplays on the platform,” Kapur said.
MX Player has set up an in-house gaming studio and is especially bullish about casual gaming.
“We will continue to invest in not only building more India-specific games but also in adding features including social interactivity to make the experience more engaging,” he said.
“Adding games on any non-gaming app increases engagement time on such products by up to 40 percent,” said Yashash Agarwal, CEO and cofounder of Gamezop, an online platform that powers over 100 games across MX Player, SonyLiv and EPIC ON.
MX Player’s Kapur said that on an average, users spend about 33 minutes daily playing games on the platform.
Last year, Zee Entertainment’s streaming service ZEE5 had noted that users on the platform spent about 40 minutes a day on gaming.
Next big thing?
Does this mean gaming is the next big thing for streaming services in India to increase engagement and add subscribers?
Shailesh Kapoor, CEO of Ormax Media, a media consulting firm, said that while games alone may not attract new subscribers, it is a good value addition for existing subscribers.
He said games help in increasing engagement and time spent on the platform, which strengthens the platform’s brand and helps it retain more customers when subscriptions have to be renewed.
“Platforms in India lose up to 40 percent of their subscribers when the subscription period is over because subscribers don’t find the platform engaging enough to renew their subscription. Services like gaming can help in reducing this churn rate,” he said.
“Games on MX Player have certainly helped to increase stickiness to the overall platform,” Kapur said.
Gamezop’s Agarwal said that many streaming platforms in India are in talks with the company to introduce gaming as a feature for their users.
“Platforms realise that the demand for gaming has surged over the past year or so and having this as a value-added offering will result in better retention numbers for them. Whether the platform is monetising with ads or charging a subscription fee, the presence of games is directly conducive for both,” he said.
According to Kapoor, about 15-20 percent of the audience play games on streaming apps that offer games.
When it comes to adding subscribers, Utkarsh Sinha, managing director of Bexley Advisors, an advisory firm, says the resource might of streaming giants combined with content-driven games may be able to attract some users away from the gaming incumbents.
In 2019, when SonyLIV announced the launch of 100 show-based games in a phased manner, its aim was to add 50 million new users by offering the gaming experience.
Overall, Ormax Media's Kapoor said online and multiplayer gaming is a growing segment in India. However, only a few games break through and acquire cult status.
“Platforms are not hoping to find the next PUBG. For them, the idea is to give their subscribers more variety in the options for entertainment,” he said.
