Netflix has bought video game creator Night School Studio and released five mobile game titles in certain European markets, the company said, because it wants to diversify its revenue sources amid intensified competition in the streaming space.
Night School Studio, the first studio acquired by the American giant, is known for its debut game, Oxenfree, a supernatural thriller for teenagers with a strange soundtrack.
The studio games, available on Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PCs, will be the first non-mobile titles in the new video game portfolio of the streaming giant.
"Like our shows and movies, these games will be included as part of the Netflix subscription, all without commercials and in-app purchases," the company said.
Netflix is trying to create a kind of "Apple Arcade"
The company said it has introduced the titles "Stranger Things: 1984", "Stranger Things 3: The Game", "Card Blast", "Teeter Up" and "Shooting Hoops" on the Android platform, for Netflix members in Spain and Italy.
Poland, where "Stranger Things" titles are already available, will receive the other three titles.
If you're in one of these three countries, you'll see a new menu in the Netflix Android app. When you tap a game, you'll be directed to the game profile in the Google Play Store. You can download the game and log in using your Netflix account. The new titles are now available in all three countries.
Netflix has said in recent months that it sees gaming as a key part of its future. The company said it will focus on mobile games for starters.
"We see games as another new category of content for us, similar to our expansion into original movies, animation and television," the company said in a letter to shareholders.
"We think it's the right time to learn more about how our members appreciate games."