Netflix appears to have a gaming problem, with the overwhelming majority of its users not embracing the new feature.
Netflix has been looking for ways to continue growing its subscriber base and keep existing users from jumping ship to competing platforms. As part of that effort, the company bet big on gaming, hiring former EA Exec Mike Verdu and scooping up the Night School Studio game studio.
According to Apptopia, via CNBC, it doesn’t seem like the company’s gamble is paying off, with 99% of its customers having never tried its games. Out of 221 million subscribers, Netflix’s games are only averaging 1.7 million daily users and have only been downloaded 23.3 million times.
The revelation is the latest indication of the challenges Netflix faces going forward. The company recently reported its first subscriber loss in almost a decade and is moving to roll out an ad-supported plan to help drive customer growth.
Netflix is also looking at options to monetize account sharing and has recently laid off an additional 300 employees. It remains to be seen if the company’s investment in gaming will pay off, but so far, it’s not looking good.