Netflix Tests New Gaming Features

By Tanner Dedmon

Netflix appears to be testing some social features within its relatively new gaming platform such as the ability to give yourself a unique game handle which others can use to find and interact with you. Since these tests began, Netflix has confirmed its intentions to explore different features related to Netflix Gaming, but it hasn't said yet what those additional features might be. details gathered from the Netflix app's code, however, have given some indication of what areas Netflix may explore next.

First noticed by Steve Moser (via Tech Crunch), it was discovered that these game handles players could create would be used for things like multiplayer invitations and related social encounters. It was said that, like we see through other gaming platforms' naming systems, these game handles would be akin to nicknames in that they did not have to be the same as whatever name your primary Netflix account was under.

Netflix shared a statement with Tech Crunch saying it's looking to "exploring different features to enrich the Netflix mobile games experience" but did not have any additional info to share at the time beyond the confirmation of game handles being tested.

As Tech Crunch noted, references made to additional social features were found in the app's code. These features include the ability to say whether you're online or offline for those who want to be social or those who want to game in peace. Leaderboards making it so that players can see how they stack up against whoever they've connected with are also apparently in the works.

Netflix has been adding new games to the gaming section of the app over time since the platform fully rolled out this year, but so far, it seems like the company is having a hard time actually getting its subscribers to engage with these games. A CNBC report on the topic of engagement with Netflix's gaming platform suggested that games have been downloaded over 23 million times with a little over 1 million users spending time with the games every day. That's still a lot of people, but in terms of Netflix's total subscribers, the daily gamers represent less than 1% of the user base.

Netflix has started acquiring whole studios as well as individual games for its platform, so with those acquisitions combined with these new social features, expect to see the games platform continue to be invested in.

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