Netflix Games finally debuts on iOS with five titles
What's the story
Streaming giant Netflix announced the debut of Netflix Games on Android last week. Now, the service is available on iOS as well, and users can choose from five launch-day titles to play. Interestingly, the games will not be streamed but will have to be downloaded individually from Apple's App Store because of Apple's rules governing the iOS ecosystem. Here are more details.
New roads
Why is this story significant?
Netflix's foray into the mobile gaming and game streaming industry marks a departure from its focus on growing as a streaming giant known for its TV shows, exclusive documentaries, and movies. Netflix hoped to introduce a Games tab in its main app but the iOS app store doesn't allow any other app to distribute apps itself, posing challenges for services like Netflix Games.
Launch titles
Some Netflix Games are playable offline, some are online-only
On both iOS and Android, Netflix Games offer five titles, namely, Stranger Things: 1984, Stranger Things 3: The Game, Shooting Hoops, Card Blast, and Teeter Up. To play one of these titles on iOS, users are redirected to Apple's App Store for the download and must authenticate their identity with their Netflix credentials to play.
Defaults
Android users will be redirected to Google Play Store
Similarly, on Android, users will be redirected to the Google Play Store to download each game they want to play. Netflix Games are offered in several languages and will automatically default to the one you prefer on the main Netflix app. If you haven't set a preference, games will default to using English. Interestingly, games aren't playable from kids' profiles.
Multi-use
Multiple people can share same account, play Netflix Games simultaneously
Netflix has made it clear that both iOS and Android users will be able to access multiple games simultaneously on different devices, all using the same account. To further ensure children don't use adults' profiles, you can lock your games using a PIN that would be required to log in and start playing each of the Netflix Games every time.