Apple may be Getting into Gaming with New Service

According to another report from Cheddar, the iPhone-maker is focusing on a new gambling subscription service. Citing five people “familiar with the matter,” the new report says that Apple began having discussions with game publishers last year to make this form of a “Netflix for matches.” Users would pay a subscription fee to gain access. 

There is not any timetable given for when this service would launch, how much it would cost or that publishers, what kinds of games will be contained or perhaps which devices it would operate on. Cheddar’s report notes as it is in the first phases, Apple could choose to abandon things altogether. 

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However, a move into gambling would make sense for the company, particularly since it attempts to find strategies to grow its Services group amid iPhone sales. In his correspondence to shareholders earlier this month announcing an alteration to the company’s advice for its first-quarter earnings, CEO Tim Cook made several references to its Services unit — which includes the App Store, Apple Music and iCloud — noting that it “generated over $10.8 billion in revenue during the quarter, growing into a new quarterly record in each geographic segment.” 

Besides this new report on gaming, rumors have suggested that Apple is set to launch its video streaming service. If it does get into gaming, Apple is the latest major technology company to enter the space. Earlier this month, Amazon was reported to be working streaming service, while Google has been experimenting with what it requires Project Stream for streaming matches to a laptop or desktop. 

Sony provides a game streaming service for the PlayStation 4 and PC called PlayStation Currently, which enables gamers to play over 700 games in the PS4, PS3, and PS2 for $99.99 each year. Microsoft likewise has a game streaming service for the Xbox One known as Xbox Game Pass, which provides access to over 100 games for $9.99 a month. The Xbox-maker is also currently experimenting with streaming Xbox games through its Project X-Cloud to mobile devices.