NEW YORK: American news agency Cheddar reported Monday that global tech giant Apple is in talks with game developers to create a Netflix-style subscription service for its gaming according to sources.
However, there is no clarity yet on the cost of subscription and as a result, the kind of games Apple will offer. The company has also discussed partnering with developers as a publisher, which could signal Apple’s ambition to assume distribution, marketing, and other related costs for select games.
It is believed that Apple’s ultimate target is to venture into mobile gaming and eSports which is estimated to become a $100 billion global industry by 2021, according to the sports intelligence firm Newzoo.
“It’s a big enough market to move the needle for Apple,” Long-time Apple analyst Gene Munster told Cheddar.
“The vast majority of revenue coming out of the App Store is games,” Video game analyst Brandon Ross added.
“Subscription has proven to be a successful way of monetising on mobile. It is completely unproven in games except for some minor success from Microsoft, Sony, and Electronic Arts.”
