Jump — Netflix for video games

With the boom in the gaming industry over the last decade and the general evolution of how we as a user base consume media it was natural that a subscription based game streaming service was bound to come up. Jump, or what is more commonly being called the “Netflix of Indie games” is the first of what promises to be many game streaming apps to hit the market.

The concept of Jump, while not being unique, is an interesting one. By providing a highly curated list of Indie games, they are catering to a somewhat niche, but very loyal and hardcore gaming user base. The Indie player is one who will spend hours scouring Steam and itch.io and other platforms for that perfect Indie experience and it is this user whose business Jump is trying to capture. So that explains the financial reason for deciding to go down the Indie route. However, how does it help the gamers as well as the game developers. While Jump has curated a list of 60 odd games to launch with on July 24, 2017, the list has to be extended and expanded if the app wants to survive. Well, that is exactly what Jump assures us is the plan. They intend to extend the list of curated games by 10-20 games monthly and it will take the shape and form a massive library. More importantly, it will save the gamers who want to experience Indie games a whole load of time as they won’t have to sift through the mountain of garbage that one usually has to plow through to find a title that’s worth sinking your teeth into.

The fact of the matter is that Jump has made the best possible decision to pick the Indie sphere to launch their game streaming app. It helps developers get noticed and saves them from the predatory practice of Steam Refunds. It gives them revenue based on hours played and will also help boosting sales by getting more visibility. A lot of Indie developers have hailed this move as something that was inevitable in the way the gaming sphere has been evolving and the way in which the masses consume their media and entertainment.