Netflix's Gaming Dreams Just Got More Expensive
Opening up Netflix on my phone last night, I spotted Grand Theft Auto sitting right next to the new season of Squid Game. It's a weird sight that's about to get a bit pricier – Netflix just announced their biggest price bump yet, right as they're doubling down on gaming.
Anyone else notice how Netflix keeps pushing games lately? There's a reason for that. During their latest earnings call, Netflix exec Gregory Peters couldn't help but brag about GTA's "tens of millions of downloads" on their platform. But here's where it gets interesting – they're not stopping at mobile games anymore.
"We're breaking into a whole new content category," Peters said during the earnings call, laying out plans that sound more like a gaming company than a streaming service. Think Netflix-exclusive narrative games based on your favorite shows (yes, more stuff like Squid Game: Unleashed), and even couch co-op games streamed straight to your TV.
The Price of Admission But all this gaming ambition comes with a catch. Starting immediately for new subscribers (and your next bill for everyone else), here's what you're looking at:
Standard with ads: $8/month (up $1)
Standard: $18/month (up $2.50)
Premium: $25/month (up $2)
Want to share your account? That'll be $7/month with ads or $9/month without for each extra person.
Netflix's timing isn't random here. They just pulled in their biggest subscriber haul ever – 19 million new members in three months, pushing them past 300 million subscribers globally. The company's official line? "As we continue to invest in programming and deliver more value for our members, we will occasionally ask our members to pay a little more," according to their memo to shareholders.
Gaming's Growing Pains But here's the thing about Netflix's gaming push – it's still finding its footing. Just this year, they shut down one of their AAA studios (the one headed by former Halo boss Joseph Staten), and their gaming chief Leanne Loombe just jumped ship to Annapurna. Peters admits the gaming side's impact has been "relatively small" so far, but points out they're playing in a "$140 billion" market.
They're not giving up though. Netflix still has their internal Netflix Games Studio pumping out titles, plus teams like Night School Studio (Oxenfree II) and Boss Fight Entertainment in their corner. Their strategy? Keep it simple – no ads, no microtransactions, just games included with your subscription.
The Big Picture What's wild here is watching Netflix try to evolve from "that streaming company" into something bigger. Peters talks about creating a "virtuous cycle" between shows and games – imagine playing through a game that drops right as your favorite Netflix series launches its new season.
For now, US, Canadian, Portuguese, and Argentine subscribers are the ones feeling the price bump. But with 300 million subscribers watching (and maybe playing) worldwide, Netflix's gaming experiment is worth keeping an eye on. The question is: will subscribers stick around to see if their gaming bet pays off?
I'll keep this updated as we see how Netflix's gaming push plays out. After all, with that price hike, we should expect to see some pretty interesting games hitting our screens soon.
