Netflix Games Is on a Buying Binge, Snags Boss Fight

Netflix Games could more or less be a rainmaker in the coming decade. On Thursday, the streaming service announced it has acquired a mobile game development studio Boss Fight Entertainment. The game studio will be part of Netflix’s growing efforts to build its gaming unit from scratch. If the latest acquisition is any indication, Netflix is on its path to becoming a gaming powerhouse.

Boss Fight Entertainment, which was founded in 2013 by former Zynga employees, has made several games for smartphones and tablets, including Dungeon Boss for iOS and Android devices.

The gaming company currently employs 130 people and has studios in Austin, the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and Seattle. It will continue to operate out of those studios. The latest acquisition will allow Boss Fight to continue making ad-free games, the studio’s founders said in a press release.

In response to Netflix’s acquisition of Boss Fight, the streaming giant’s VP of game studious, Amir Rahimi, said in a statement that the recently snagged game studio’s extensive experience building hit games across genres will help increase Netflix’s push to provide subscribers with a better gaming experience.

Netflix Games’ Buying Spree is Definitely Not Done! 

Netflix has been on a buying spree since last year. The streaming giant announced it was expanding into gaming back in July, and shortly after acquired its first game company Night School Studio in September. 

Netflix was quick to ramp up its gaming plans last year. The company announced it was expanding into gaming back in July, acquired its first game company Night School Studio in September and globally launched its first game in November on Android platforms.

Boss Fight Entertainment is the third studio that Netflix has scooped up following Night School Studio and Next Games, the team behind Stranger Things puzzle game. In addition to acquiring successful video game studios, Netflix has also created mobile games as part of its subscription package – this week the giant announced three new games on the platform – while also expanding with an interactive series, including a daily trivia game called Trivia Quest.

Big Tech Bets on Games

Gaming is a lucrative business for Netflix since it generates a large chunk of revenue from subscriptions and partnerships. It will also help the streaming giant attract more customers who seek to entertain themselves indoors. There’s also a looming threat of titans like Amazon Prime and Disney+ snagging a huge pie of the entertainment and gaming market share. This has dramatically petered out Netflix’s growth, leaving the company struggling to regain its foothold.

Netflix also has fewer game studios under its kitty compared to companies like Sony and Microsoft, which produce gaming consoles and hit games like Spider-Man and Halo. The streaming giant will have to catch up to its competitors soon, as even Amazon and Google are trying to break into the gaming industry.

With so many mega-acquisitions happening in such close proximity to each other, the question is: “Who’s next?”