Back in November, Netflix announced it was getting into the gaming business. A slate of five titles was rolling out to start, which is really nothing. However, there was no extra charge for it. Now here we are 3/4 of a year in the future and basically, nobody's using it. Zack Zwiezen at Kotaku has more of this not-surprising news.
Data shows that less than one percent of its users are actually playing any of these games. And while the streaming giant has announced more games coming to its service, very few of its over 200 million subscribers will likely care.
[Since November] It’s since added more and now has over 25 mobile games that people can download through the Netflix app on either Android or iOS devices. Some of these games—like Into The Breach—are really good, too. And all of these games contain no ads or microtransactions.
Kotaku
When you consider the massive reach of Netflix, it's a bit crazy to think that such a small percentage of people are even aware of its existence. Compare that to Apple and their marketing of Arcade. Yes, it's been out a bit longer, but there are those giving estimates that it will reach 70 million subscribers by 2025.
Netflix is recently finding itself in a position its never been in before: losing subscribers. It has some great programs, but there is a lot more competition now. Further, companies like Apple and Disney can keep throwing money at their services because it is one of many businesses they are in. Netflix is streaming and that's it. Will their games service take off? It is possible, but they need to make people aware of it and make it compelling. I personally have never heard anyone mention the service at all. That is a marketing failure.