U.S. streaming giant Netflix announced Tuesday the global launch of several mobile games for its subscribers as the group looks to diversify into the lucrative video game market.
Two of the titles offered by Netflix are from the universe of the science fiction and horror series Stranger Things that airs on the platform (Stranger Things: 1984 and Stranger Things 3: The Game).
The other titles (Shooting Hoops,Card Blast and Teeter Up) are card or skill games.
These games were already available for a few weeks for Netflix members in Poland, Spain and Italy.
Subscribers around the world with an Android tablet or smartphone, Google's mobile operating system, will now be able to download them for free from their devices and play them without being exposed to advertising.
The group has not announced whether it will soon launch these games on devices equipped with the iOS system developed by Apple.
However, he indicated that other titles should follow soon.
For several months, Netflix has been displaying its ambitions in the video game industry, while competition is becoming increasingly intense in the streaming sector with the launch of rival offers such as HBO Max or Peacock TV.
Beyond direct competitors like Disney+, the executives of the Californian group regularly mention YouTube, social networks and video games among their rivals in the entertainment market.
The company bought its first video game studio in September, Night School Studio, a California-based startup that created the supernatural thriller Oxenfree.
Netflix also hired Mike Verdu, a former Electronic Arts and Facebook executive, last summer to oversee its video game business.
The global video game market is worth more than $300 billion, according to figures released in April by consulting firm Accenture.
