Netflix and the Gaming Arena: the Remote Play Cloud Gaming Service

Netflix announced its foray into the gaming industry in August, with the goal of expanding its entertainment offerings beyond movies and TV shows. The streaming giant rolled out a limited beta test in Canada and the UK, initially focusing on select TVs, with PC and Mac compatibility coming in the next few weeks through Netflix.com on supported browsers. This decision to venture into gaming was a strategic one, opening up new opportunities while also presenting its own set of challenges.

Netflix's Gaming Ambitions

Netflix set its sights on the gaming industry during the beta test, starting with a careful rollout of its gaming service. Such cloud-based services can allow you to remote-play games by streaming them over your home broadband connection, as opposed to downloading the whole game to your device.

The initial beta test included two titles: "Oxenfree" from Night School Studio, a game developed by Netflix's own gaming studio, and "Molehew's Mining Adventure," a gem-mining arcade game. The choice of these titles highlighted Netflix's intention to cater to a diverse gaming audience.

Gaming on TV with a Smartphone Controller

One of the standout features of Netflix's gaming service during the beta test is its utilisation of smartphones as game controllers. For many of us, our phones are practically an extension of our hands, and Netflix aimed to capitalise on this familiarity to make gaming accessible to a broad audience. This approach could eliminate the need for additional hardware purchases, making it more cost-effective for gamers. When playing on TV, you’ll control games by using your smartphone. On Android, the controller will be accessible through the Netflix app, while on iOS, you’ll need to download a special controller app. If you have access to the games on the web, you’ll play them with a mouse and keyboard.

The TVs and connected TV devices that will support Netflix’s games for now:

• Amazon Fire TV streaming media players

• Chromecast with Google TV

• LG TVs

• Nvidia Shield TV

• Roku devices and TVs

• Samsung Smart TVs

• Walmart Onn

Advantages of Netflix's Gaming Venture

1. Diversification of Content: Netflix continues to be at the forefront of content innovation. By entering the gaming market, it aimed to offer subscribers a more comprehensive entertainment experience.

2. Leveraging Existing Infrastructure: Netflix had already established a robust infrastructure for streaming content, which it leveraged during the beta test announcement to deliver a new gaming experience.

3. Smartphone Controller: The decision to use smartphones as controllers could be seen as a stroke of genius. It eliminated the need for users to invest in expensive gaming controllers, potentially lowering the barrier to entry for casual gamers.

Potential Downfalls and Challenges

1. Competition: The gaming industry remains fiercely competitive, with established players like Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. Netflix needs to find its niche and offer unique and smooth gaming experiences to stand out.

2. Content Library: Initially launching with just two games during the beta test to a very restricted number of users could potentially limit the appeal of Netflix's gaming service. Expanding the library quickly is going to be crucial.

3. Technical Challenges: Delivering a smooth gaming experience over the internet, especially for console-like games. Latency issues and network stability need to be addressed. A stable home Wi-Fi connection plays a pivotal role in cloud gaming. While buffering helps Netflix address issues related to jitter and latency when streaming videos, cloud gaming applications are notably more susceptible to subpar performance in these aspects, significantly impacting the overall gaming experience.

4. Doubts Surrounding the Compatibility of Low-End Smartphones with Cloud Gaming: Low-end smartphones typically feature less powerful processors, limited RAM, and less capable GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) compared to their high-end counterparts. Cloud gaming relies heavily on remote servers to process and render complex game graphics, which can be a resource-intensive task. The relatively weaker hardware of low-end smartphones raises doubts about their ability to smoothly stream and display graphics-intensive games from the cloud. Cloud gaming can be demanding on a smartphone's battery life due to the constant data streaming and processing required. Low-end smartphones and older smartphones typically have worse battery life and/or less efficient power management systems. This raises concerns about how long they can sustain gaming sessions without needing frequent recharges.

Conclusion

Netflix's decision to enter the gaming arena is a bold step that has the potential to reshape the entertainment landscape. By offering an innovative gaming experience, leveraging its existing infrastructure, and using smartphones as controllers, Netflix aims to capture a significant portion of the gaming market. However, it also faces stiff competition and technical challenges that will have to be overcome to succeed.