Netflix Has Remastered A Fan-Favorite Playstation Game, And It’s Free
Netflix Games is now a full-fledged gaming studio, as they have been buying other developers, and have now released a remaster of a former Playstation classic.
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Netflix, the world’s renowned streaming service, dipped its fingers into gaming some time ago, and the efforts are bearing fruit. The company has expanded its gaming lineup once again with the launch of two more titles — one of which is a fan-favorite PlayStation classic Shatter. The new title, called Shatter Remastered, is released under Netflix Games and is currently available for iOS and Android users, completely free, only if you have a monthly subscription.
According to ComicBook, the latest Netflix Games title is exclusive to Netflix subscribers and features no ads, no in-game purchases, and no additional fees. This is quite odd, considering that most free-to-play titles include at least some advertisement that serves to cover the game’s expenses. But Shatter Remastered doesn’t have any strings attached, and no fine print either. As previously discussed, the game won’t incur any additional fees, bar your monthly subscription amount.
The 2009’s Shatter was a Breakout clone game, developed by Sidhe Interactive for PlayStation 3, PC, and iOS. It consisted of a paddle, a ball, and a field of blocks, and players had to destroy all the blocks to clear the level. The game brought several new mechanics to the classic brick-breaking genre and received favorable reviews upon launch. But is Netflix Games’ Remaster as good as the original? Well, it is hard to say, considering that it still hasn’t aggregated enough reviews to draw an adequate conclusion.
As we previously stated, Shatter Remastered is exclusive to the streaming service subscribers only, and considering the App Store lists Netflix Games as the game’s seller, it’s highly unlikely for that to change. And if such restrictions are lifted at some point, the free download would most likely be replaced with an upfront payment, or the game would be monetized through dishonest monetization practices associated with in-game purchases and/or advertisements.
Netflix Games has recently reached a partnership deal with RocketRide Games, which already had several of its games distributed via Netflix’s streaming service. The company has been building out its’ gaming service since its announcement last year when the company debuted with several Stranger Things-themed gaming titles and other casual video games. Since then, Netflix Games has added more than a dozen of video games.
The company also acquired Texas-based Boss Fight Entertainment, and an independent gaming developer, for an undisclosed amount, marking Netflix Games’ third acquisition of the gaming company. The company in question, however, was founded in 2013 by former Zynga Dallas and Ensemble Studios employees. According to Netflix, the studio has experience with developing gaming titles across various genres and will help the streaming platform accelerate its ability to provide its users with more titles.
But that’s not all. Earlier this month, Netflix Games also disclosed its acquisition of Finland’s Next Games, a mobile phone developer that helped Netflix develop gaming hits Stranger Things and The Walking Dead. But perhaps the most promising gaming title set to arrive from Netflix Games is the first-person shore title called Into the Dead: Unleashed, which signals that Netflix is done with testing the video game market, and is moving onto a more dedicated production.
