Netflix is getting into gaming

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and Chief Product Officer Greg Peters confirmed that in the latest earnings report, the company is expanding into gaming. Journalist Julia Alexander transcribbed part of Hastings and Peters' statement about the forthcoming offering of video games on Netflix on their Twitter account, where the two executives explained how the company will approach the service.    

There are reports that Netflix will launch a bundled video game service like Apple Arcade, giving subscribers access to up to 100 games for $4.99 a month. Video games will appear alongside movies and TV shows, Bloomberg says, and the company will offer games alongside its documentaries and standalone specials. According to the report, Netflix plans to offer video games on the main app sometime next year.    

Netflix is set to launch a video game platform next year, according to a report by Bloomberg. The company is in the early stages of expanding games that build on its previous efforts in interactivity, the company said, pointing out that its Black Mirror, Bandersnatch, choose-your-own adventure films and Stranger Things are all video games. Netflix is "in the early stages" of game expansion, building on its early efforts in "interactivity" with Black Mirror: Banderssnatch and its Stranger Things games.    

This information was first reported in the spring, when Netflix was considering offering its subscribers a bundle of games similar to what Apple offers on its Apple Arcade service. During today's quarterly results, Netflix executives detailed plans to make video games free on top of their main subscription service, rather than as a separate offering.    

Mobile games will be Netflix's primary focus, with executives saying on Tuesday that all devices within the service will be supported as candidates for Netflix games. Netflix is unique in making games part of its one-and-only subscription.    

His foray into the embattled video game industry, contested by more experienced companies like Epic Games, Microsoft and Electronic Arts, could pay off if it gives Netflix more leverage to push its prices up. Video games are not a billion-dollar business, but offering games could give Netflix the next big thing it desperately needs, according to critics. The move into gaming also expands Netflix beyond its core business of TV shows and movies to become the world's largest subscription video service.