Ever since Netflix ventured into the world of video games in 2021, the response from subscribers has been relatively modest. However, recent figures indicate that the partnership between Netflix and Rockstar to bring Grand Theft Auto (GTA) to the streaming service has been highly successful. In December 2023, the monthly mobile game downloads nearly tripled to 28 million, showing a significant increase.
According to data from Appmagic, as reported by Mobilegamer.biz, the monthly game downloads on iOS and Android for Netflix surged from around 10 million in November to approximately 28 million in December. This substantial jump is directly linked to the addition of the Grand Theft Auto series on Netflix. Specifically, Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas in their Definitive Edition versions joined the streaming service on December 14th, 2023.
The figures from Appmagic reveal that San Andreas emerged as the most popular game among Netflix subscribers, generating a total of 11.6 million downloads. This is followed by 4.1 million downloads for Vice City and 2.4 million for GTA 3. Combined, these numbers amount to 18.1 million downloads, indicating an additional 10 million downloads in December from non-GTA games. This is almost equivalent to the number of downloads Netflix garnered in November.
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Netflix will undoubtedly view this as a victory, especially considering that only about 1% of its 221 million subscribers were downloading games as of August 2022. With 28 million downloads from its current base of approximately 274 million members, it suggests that as much as 11% of its users are engaging with games on the platform.
This is positive news for Netflix, which has made substantial investments in the video gaming industry since its initial foray into gaming in November 2021. Over the years, its gaming catalog has expanded to include over 80 titles, and it has acquired several notable studios, such as Triple Town and Cozy Grove developer Spry Fox, The Walking Dead mobile developer Next Games, and Oxenfree creator Night School Studio, which released Oxenfree 2 last year. Additionally, Netflix has established a new Los Angeles studio, led by former Overwatch executive producer Chacko Sonny, with the aim of creating a brand-new triple-A third-person RPG for PC.
Although most of its game offerings presently require downloading to play, Netflix has been experimenting with a limited game streaming beta. The goal is to make its gaming catalog accessible on all compatible devices, including mobile, TVs, and computers. Initially, only Oxenfree and Molehew’s Mining Adventure were available for testing.