Since Netflix Playground’s global launch in April, the platform’s dedicated mobile app for kids games has tripled its daily player count, leading to a 600% year-on-year increase in kids engagement.
In its Q2 earnings report, Netflix stated that although this segment remains small compared to its overall games division, “these early signals give us increasing confidence that we are building a foundation with exciting growth potential.”
Netflix Playground currently offers exclusive games for preschoolers. Netflix Games GM (Kids) Lisa Burgess told GamesIndustry.biz the company plans to develop more titles for children aged six to eight.
“It’s a harder audience. By six, some kids are already on Roblox and Minecraft, and the ecosystem gets more competitive, though not impossible.”
Playground is included with a Netflix subscription and is also available as a separate app in app stores. It has no in-app purchases, fees, or ads, and all games can be played offline.
In a separate earnings call, Netflix co-CEO Gregory Peters discussed the outlook and direction of Netflix’s overall games division.
Peters noted monthly active players for cloud games increased elevenfold over eight months and that the company is “focused on scaling up cloud games.”
“Adoption is significantly ahead of that curve that we had for mobile games with even higher retention value,” he said.
“We’re scratching the surface in terms of what we think the total potential the space offers for us. You’re going to see us continue to calibrate and refine our level of investment here, which is still very small relative to our overall content spend based on demonstrated performance, based on what is working for our members and what’s delivering returns to our business.”
Last year, Netflix redefined its games division strategy around four pillars: mainstream games, narrative games, party games, and kids games.
Beyond kids games, Netflix reported “two of its most successful cloud game debuts” in June: Delphi Interactive’s FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition and Night School Studios’ Unhinged.