GTA And Netflix Gaming: Everything You Need To Know
Did you know that Grand Theft Auto (GTA) might be coming to Netflix? Yes, you read that right! A new GTA game may soon hit the popular streaming platform in the near future. If you’re guessing its GTA 6, no its not. Instead, it’s a brand-new game that will be designed specifically for the streaming giant’s platform. This means that users on Netflix will soon get a taste of thrill from one of the most popular video games in the world. The collaboration, if official, could possibly a huge benefit to both parties with the rising popularity of video games.
The news of the possible collaboration was first reported on Wall Street Journal which was covering Netflix’s ongoing efforts to include the renowned video game IPs in its ever-expanding catalog of games. According to the reports, it seems that Netflix is in talks with the publishers of Grand Theft Auto for a possible game release on its platform. The plans include releasing the GTA game on the platform by a licensing deal with Take-Two Interactive, the publisher of the GTA franchise. However, nothing has been confirmed just yet and other aspects like what would the game be like and who would be developing it still remains to be seen.
GTA Spin-Off Most Likely For Mobile Gaming
In the past few years, Netflix has been focusing on making its streaming platform more interactive and fun. This has been done through the addition of games on the platform. Many of the games are based on original Netflix shows and have proven to be somewhat popular among Netflix users. So, now that Netflix is looking to expand its gaming library by including famous original titles like Grand Theft Auto, it will most likely be a mobile game. This is also because the only way to access the Netflix Games catalogue is through the mobile app. However, Netflix has mentioned that it is looking to further expand its library to include games that can be played and streamed on PC or television.
In August 2023, Netflix made an announcement that a few selected subscribers from the US and Canada would be able to cloud-stream a few selections of games from its portfolio on their televisions. It has also begun holding multiple tests for game streaming on PC and Mac through the two games from Nigh School Studios called Oxenfree and Molehew’s Mining Adventure. Fast forward to October 2023, Netflix also added two more games to its library. The games were Paladin Studios’ Nailed It Baking Bash and Spiritfarer by Thunder Lotus Games.
As per the reports from Wall Street Journal, so far, Netflix has spent around 1$ billion on games. This trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down as the company has been hiring more gaming executives as it aims to now foray into AAA titles. While the news is certainly an exciting one, it is still a waiting game, as there is no way to predict if Netflix’s investments will eventually pay off or that it ever will. The games are included with the Netflix subscription and are not standalone purchases. Given that there is no good way to know if the games will be good enough to get more people to subscribe onto the platform.
Will It Be A Success?
Right now, it doesn’t seem like the games on Netflix are a huge draw for current subscribers. According to reports till the 20th of September, the games on the platform have been downloaded around 70.5 million times in total. Even though this seems like a huge number already, it is minuscule compared to the eye-popping numbers brought in by some of the biggest mobile games in the world. An example would be the game Honkai: Star Rail which was released earlier this year and recorded 20 million downloads on its opening day alone. Further reports state that only less than 1% of Netflix’s subscribers play its games on a daily basis. Even some of the most famous gaming titles that have been added to the platform like Oxenfree, Immortality, Spiritfarer, are not as popular on the platform as they are available elsewhere.
It is possible that collaboration with GTA could turn the tide in favour of Netflix, it is too soon to say if it will be a success. With Grand Theft Auto 6 on its way, it is also possible that any small releases on other platforms would be quickly overshadowed. Developers Rockstar Games are working on GTA 6 which will be set on Miami’s Vice City and will have two protagonists: Jason and Lucia. That being said, it should also be noted that GTA is a big title and has been for a long time. Given its popularity, there is a good chance of it succeeding on Netflix as the overall game’s concept has proven to be successful multiple times.
