As it turns out, “Netflix Gaming” isn’t a streaming service

One month after its imprecise announcement of a brand new gaming-centric technique, Netflix has defined the way it will “publish” video video games within the foreseeable future: as downloadable smartphone apps, out there solely for paying video-streaming subscribers.

The information coincides with the corporate’s public launch of Netflix Gaming on Thursday as a part of the service’s smartphone app… however solely in Poland—and solely on Android. The corporate’s American Twitter translated Thursday’s Polish announcement, which explains how the service works. It additionally introduced the 2 video games launching as a part of the service right now: Stranger Issues 3, a 16-bit beat-’em-up that was beforehand out there as a standalone Google Play buy (and continues to be reside on PC and consoles); and Stranger Issues: 1984, a brand-new, smartphone-exclusive sport that appears to revolve round sluggish, puzzle-solving motion by way of pixelated TV-series environments. (Each video games, coincidentally, have been made by the identical indie sport studio, BonusXP, which relies in Texas, not Poland.)

To entry this content material, you may must log in to Netflix’s Android app whereas utilizing a Polish IP tackle, then open the area’s new “N Gaming” tab. From there, choose both of these video games, and the app will direct you to their Google Play obtain listings. As soon as downloaded, go again into the Netflix app and boot the sport of your selection from there.

No advertisements, no MTX—but additionally no iOS?

This course of is a bit dizzying—and definitely not frequent amongst smartphone sport or app platforms. It is uncommon to see one app vet the credentials of one other app earlier than permitting you to play a sport (although we have seen this setup earlier than in collections like icon packs). And it is unclear how properly such a credential passthrough system may work on iOS, which Netflix would arguably wish to get such a service engaged on ultimately—assuming the transfer would not result in an countless headache of Apple approvals, anyway. Arguably, Netflix might merely make these video games out there as standalone downloads with Netflix credential checks, however then it will lose a useful metric alternative: extra folks downloading and utilizing the devoted Netflix smartphone app frequently.

The excellent news about this entry technique is that Netflix can promise two key issues inside its managed sport umbrella: no in-game purchases (aka microtransactions, or MTX) and no ads. If a sport is “N Gaming” branded, it is within the clear on these fronts.

(In the event you’re questioning, Poland has just lately turn out to be a extra fashionable take a look at area for sport and app launches, with Sony’s PlayStation Plus Video Move remaining a Poland-only promotion in the meanwhile.)

Thursday’s Netflix Gaming launch clarifies that, for now, Netflix does not have designs on turning into “the Netflix of video video games,” at the very least when it comes to mimicking its fashionable video-streaming app to ship video video games. In order for you cloud-streamed video games, served in all-you-can-eat trend for a flat subscription charge, Xbox Sport Streaming and Amazon Luna stay your greatest choices, as long as you reside in a appropriate area.

The transfer appears much less within the supply technique and extra in pumping out simply accessible video games that lean on Netflix’s large library of licenses. Contemplating how enormous the smartphone-gaming market is and the way a lot room there’s for a recognizable service that guarantees ad-free, MTX-free enjoyable with acquainted characters and sequence, it is arguably a greater enterprise name than competing straight with Nintendo, Sony, or Microsoft.

May Netflix produce other platforms or supply strategies in its sights? It is unclear. Immediately’s announcement reminds customers that the corporate is “explor[ing] what gaming seems like on Netflix,” an announcement that provides the corporate the authorized wiggle room to say that it may sooner or later announce a backpack-mounted VR-chess model of The Queen’s Gambit or a real-life escape room expertise modeled after any of its docuseries about serial killers.

However Netflix’s option to announce one particular game-production path right now, with out hinting at fashionable choices like PCs, consoles, or cloud-streaming platforms, is kind of telling. What’s extra, it aligns with Netflix’s notable rent of Mike Verdu as the corporate’s gaming workforce’s head; his trendy observe report has largely revolved round cellular fare on behalf of EA and Zynga.

Itemizing picture by Netflix