Netflix subscribers will be getting a bunch more games based on hit TV shows

A new report from the Wall Street Journal has revealed Netflix's motivation to move further into gaming by expanding its offerings of mobile games both based and not based on hit TV shows.

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Netflix hasn't been quiet about its motivation to get into the gaming market, as it wasn't long ago that it announced it will be bringing Netflix subscribers direct access to a selection of games users can download and play on their smart TVs and computers. Additionally, the company announced it was going to be releasing a dedicated controller app that would turn an iOS device into a controller that can then be used to interact with games played on smart TVs.

Netflix already offers more than 70 games on its platforms, and according to the report from the WSJ, it will be expanding its library with games based on hit TV shows. The idea behind creating games based on hit TV shows would be to maintain interest in the show between seasons and ultimately maintain as many active Netflix subscriptions as possible.

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I can definitely see this idea working if it is well executed with perhaps an RPG-style game. For example, imagine if, between Game of Thrones seasons, HBO had a Hogwarts Legacy-like game, but based in Westeros, that unlocked playable content that was focussed around the events of the season that just ended. Fans of the show would then be able to play out the events of the season through an HBO subscription, and perhaps find out more information about the show that they missed when they were watching it.

This idea would be the cream of the crop for big universe TV shows, but executing it would be an incredible challenge. TV shows and video game development are commonly delayed for various reasons, and failing even once to release the video game content between TV show seasons would result in the hype train being stopped.

However, just because something is very difficult doesn't mean its impossible, and if Netflix continues down the gaming path, I can definitely see them working towards rolling out a TV show that incorporates gameplay based on the TV show.