Netflix is continuously adding to its diverse portfolio of games, announcing a new slate of titles set to launch on the platform this summer and beyond. And while the “serious gamer” might be enticed by the pending arrival of The Case of the Golden Idol or Don’t Starve Together — games that have enjoyed success on other platforms — it’s interactive fiction games that are the most exciting both for Netflix and its gaming community.
Because where a Fallout fan has to go outside Amazon to play the games Netflix’s games channel the enthusiasm of a show’s community right back into the app, creating what Loombe calls a seamless “connective tissue between the TV show and the game.” In this new economy of attention, where companies are competing to have as many eyeballs on their apps or services as possible, that Netflix fans don’t have to leave the app to continue their fandom experiences is potentially a huge advantage.