Netflix launches new gaming app for kids
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Netflix continues to double down on its gaming features, introducing new kid-friendly content.
The streaming platform is launching a gaming app called Netflix Playground that targets children and features such games as “Playtime With Peppa Pig” and “Sesame Street.”
“We’re building a world where kids can not only watch their favorite stories, they can step inside them and interact with their favorite characters,” said John Derderian, Netflix’s vice president of animation series and kids TV, in a statement. “We’re creating a seamless destination for discovery, learning, and play.”
Netflix Playground is designed for children 8 years old and younger and is included in all levels of membership. Each game will be playable offline, including “Storybots,” “Dr. Seuss’s The Sneetches” and “Bad Dinosaurs.”
In addition to parental controls, the app does not allow ads, in-app purchases or extra fees. It’s available for download in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, the Philippines and New Zealand and will be launching globally later this month.
Major League Baseball’s opening day looks a bit different this year. Instead of playing multiple games all day, Netflix will exclusively air the first game between the Yankees and the Giants on Wednesday.
The Los-Gatos-based company has been investing in its games vertical since 2021, with mixed results. Some of the most popular games include “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas,” which became available on Netflix in 2023 and had 44 million downloads, and the multiplayer party title “Squid Game: Unleashed” in 2024 with 21 million downloads.
Last fall, Netflix also debuted its first slate of games for TV, including Tetris Time Warp and Pictionary: Game Night. Previously, subscribers could only play Netflix games on their mobile devices.
The announcement comes a little over a week after the streamer raised its prices. Netflix’s standard plan with ads will now cost $8.99, up $1. Both the prices for the standard plan with no ads and the premium plan are rising by $2, to $19.99 and $26.99, respectively.
