Netflix Aims to Capture Young Gamers with The World of Peppa Pig
Even though I have a Netflix subscription, I always forget they have several exclusive games. Now, the company seems to be adjusting its strategy to further capture young audiences. This June, Netflix is releasing The World of Peppa Pig, an all-in-one app where kids can play with puzzles, mini-games, memory challenges, coloring books and more.
This is different from most of Netflix’s existing adult-skewing games like “Too Hot to Handle 3,” “Death’s Door,” “Money Heist: Ultimate Choice,” and “Squid Game: Unleashed.”
Netflix reports nearly 15 percent of all its viewing comes from the kids and family genre, and kids are a huge reason families may stick with a streaming service. My kids usually default to Netflix for their Saturday morning cartoon fix, and I think they’d call 911 if I ever canceled. So it makes sense Netflix will cater to the preschool crowd.
That said, I have to put in a plug for my favorite preschool app: PBS Kids. There’s the PBS Kids video app, which gives you free access to safe, educational shows like “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” “Wild Kratts,” “Super Why,” “Rosie’s Rules,” “Molly From Denali,” “Curious George,” “Sesame Street,” and “Word Girl.” There’s also the PBS Kids Games app (also free), which has great games featuring all the characters from those popular shows. And there’s the free Play and Learn Science app from PBS Kids, with games that help older kids think through science problems.
Those PBS Kids apps are amazing and my kids love them. So many games are time-wasters, but those PBS Kids games help my children build critical thinking, math, and reading skills.
In Netflix’s 2024 Q4 letter to shareholders, the company wrote, “Going forward, we’re focusing on offering best-in-class titles in a few key genres, including immersive, narrative games based on our IPs; socially engaging party games; games for kids; and mainstream established titles (like ‘Grand Theft Auto’).”
If Netflix can deliver kid-friendly games like those on PBS Kids, I’ll be the first to download them. I just hope they focus on the educational aspect over mindless screen time.
