Netflix Games Launch Kickstarts Worldwide: What You Need To Know

Streaming giant Netflix, Inc. NFLX is girding up for a serious foray into the lucrative gaming arena.

What Happened: Netflix said it is taking its first step in the worldwide launch of Netflix games on mobile. Beginning Tuesday, Netflix subscribers can play five mobile games, namely "Stranger Things," "Stranger Things 3," "Shooting Hoops," "Card Blast" and "Teeter Up."

"We're in the early days of creating a great gaming experience, and we're excited to take you on this journey with us," the company said in a statement.

In July, Netflix relayed its intention to enter into video games by hiring former Electronic Arts Inc. EA executive Mike Verdu to lead game development.

The company said in its second-quarter earnings release in late July that it is the early stages of expanding its video game offerings, with an initial focus on mobile games.

"We view gaming as another new content category for us, similar to our expansion into original films, animation and unscripted TV," the company said at the time. 

The company then began offering some gaming titles to Netflix members in select European markets.

Related Link: Why Netflix's Video Game Launch Is Critical For Streaming Platform

Netflix Shares More Details: In order to play the game, one needs a Netflix subscription, the company said. There are no ads, additional fees and in-app purchases. 

The games are available on Android devices when a subscriber logs into a Netflix profile. The mobile games are available in many languages, and these games will automatically default to the preference set in a subscriber's Netflix profile.

If a language sought is not yet available, games will default to English.

Members will be able to play games on multiple mobile devices on the same account. These games will not be made available on kid profiles and for accessing the games from adult profiles, a PIN can be set.

While some mobile games may require an internet connection, others will be available to play offline.

As subscriber addition stagnates, this branching off into gaming could help the company diversify its revenue streams when it decides to monetize the service. As of now, the service could increase stickiness to the Netflix ecosystem.

NFLX Price Action: At last check, Netflix shares were slipping 0.45% to $678.11.