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[In Cold Blood]

For the longest while we have been hearing that the big boys are going to make their move into the console and PC Gaming space.
Google fucked around with Stadia and then shut it down citing a lack of exclusive content as the problem.

Apple is already the biggest in mobile gaming, and rumours of an Apple console has swirled around for years.

Amazon has also played around with it, opening studios, leasing game engines and adding game streaming to Luna.

The next major step is for one of these to buy a major publisher. We all have waited for it, yet crickets.

Will they? Won't they? What do you think?

Who will be the one who does jump first?

 

[nial]

I do not know.

 

[RoboFu]

Not anytime soon. They don’t have the problem of bringing in players. They all have the user base they are just waiting for tech to catch up and apple needs a better environment for publishers.

 

[March Climber]

Amazon might first.

Google would only invest in mobile publishers, otherwise they’re out of the race.

 

[Azelover]

Not Apple I hope. They almost ruined gaming already. I want them as far away from gaming as possible.

 

[Sleepwalker]

Apple will buy KojiPro and have him release movies on Apple tv+

 

[ReBurn]

I don't think Google will try gaming again any time soon. Amazon already has a game publishing business and they've been tightening their belt so I don't think they will be looking to spend billions right now. Apple might if they want to lean farther into Mac gaming, but I don't think anyone would switch to Mac to be able to play something like EA or Ubisoft games.

So no, I don't see it happening. But what do I know?

 

[Bridges]

Amazon and Google have already bought smaller devs after they put out a great game (Double Helix Games and Typhoon Studios respectively) and then completely failed to do anything with them. Not to say they wouldn't still grab a publisher, but I sure hope not. Their track records with gaming acquisitions already have started on the wrong foot.

Apple on the other hand, I don't know.

 

[Quasicat]

I think Apple is the sleeping beast in this example. They have the money to do whatever they want…to the point that Disney has been thrown around as a possible purchase for them.

 

[Robb]

Amazon seems the most likely to me since they have Luna going.

I can see Apple and Google jumping in as well but I think their focus would be more on publishers who also own big mobile game IP’s.

 

[Kuwitzzer]

Apple’s console? At what price? 1000$? Well yeah good luck with that. Apple has no reason to jump in a much smaller market segment when they have been stably enjoying money from the biggest market segment which is mobile. They are trying to make the Mac more attractive to gamers and that may be about it.

 

[In Cold Blood]

Apple’s console? At what price? 1000$? Well yeah good luck with that. Apple has no reason to jump in a much smaller market segment when they have been stably enjoying money from the biggest market segment which is mobile. They are trying to make the Mac more attractive to gamers and that may be about it.

The game publisher is what they could do. There's no equipment, they get content and IP, which they could lease out in the coming subscription wars.

 

[Gojiira]

Honestly anybody besides Microsoft would be fine, throw more hats into the ring so to speak. Apple could potentially scoop up some publishers and with the money they have they could afford to hire serious talent and then take their time, find what works and release quality games. I dont see them releasing a console.
Google surely could too but not sure they really have that much motivation.
Amazon definitely could jump in, plenty of money to throw at various ip’s.
I’d rather see what Apple could do over anyone else, but any are better than MS quite frankly.

 

[ZehDon]

Not as soon as I'd have said a few months ago.

I think Amazon is licking its wounds after its TV venture failed to deliver appropriate results for their record-setting investments.
Google is in a holding pattern after Stadia outright failed.
Apple may be vying for Disney, with rumours about acquisitions there, so attempting to pick up a video game publisher seems unlikely.

I think Meta is the better bet, they seem to be trying to heavily diversify as a means of generating growth. Snagging a publisher to begin pushing first party VR titles for their Quest headsets seems like a potentially good move.

 

[Kataploom]

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

maybe. never say never

 

[Spitfire098]

Better than one mega corp buying everything

 

[Del_X]

Apple already publishes games. Their ARM processors and porting toolkit makes them formidable if they want to compete. I don’t think they do - but if they wanted to release an “Apple TV Pro” at $500-600 that’s effectively a repurposed Mac Mini they could.

 

[Fredrik]

Apple clearly wants to jump in properly and will probably do it in some ways to help sell their overpriced Vision Pro.

 

[TransTrender]

I figured they tried enough going the publisher or developer route and will sooner try to buy Steam or MS, Sony, Nintendo.

The current state of the industry:

 

[Musashipan]

apple and sony have the same mentality fan base, so it would be perfect for apple to buy sony

 

[Kumomeme]

probably they still watching the Activision buy out conclude properly then perhaps waiting among each others to see who would make first move

 

[Chukhopops]

Apple will buy KojiPro and have him release movies on Apple tv+

That sounds like an excellent idea actually?

 

[X-Wing]

Apple is already making more money than anyone else on Gaming so I don’t see them doing any of that. The other two probably will at some point.

 

[UnNamed]

Yes eventually. Especially for the cloud market.

 

[Mr Hyde]

Hopefully nobody. The industry is good with the big three, no need for other giant tech corps to splinter it further.

 

[Chastten]

I doubt it. Each of them already makes way more money than they could ever hope to make with creating their own games.

I mean, Apple makes more from gaming than Nintendo, Microsoft and PlayStation, all while risking absolutely nothing. Why would they want to release their own thing?

 

[In Cold Blood]

Interestingly, Microsoft have 104 Billion cash In the bank, Amazon have 64 Billion, Apple have 55 Billion, Sony have 14 Billion, and mother fucking Google have 115 Billion.

After ABK Microsoft will be down to 37 Billion (although they make 35 Billion every three months in profit), so the one with the most amount of cash to throw around is Google.
I would have thought that Apple would have had more.

 

[Zathalus]

Apple is doing its own thing and is way more focused on mobile. Google killed Stadia and is also very focused on mobile. Amazon appears to be on a coat cutting journey and doesn't appear to have big plans for its gaming division.

 

[EverydayBeast]

People are advocating for google to make a gaming console if you think about it they’re just a search bar lol

 

[TheDreadLord]

I can see Apple coming up with something like Stadia and being successful with it.

 

[Spyxos]

After Google has driven Stadia completely against the wall and Amazon was also very unsuccessful with their attempts, I don't really think Meta and Apple want to invest much more. They would also be way too late.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Actual @ those poll results. Microsoft's set the blueprint. Amazon and Google have at best 1/10th the footprint in gaming Microsoft does, they can be the perfect little guys to regulators.

Although since Microsoft are installing plants in the American judiciary courts, Senate, Congress, and European Commission (and potentially the CMA) who will 100% operate in their favor over any other competitors, maybe it'll be impossible for Amazon, Google or Apple after all. The whole system needs a cleanse.

 

[Aenima]

Most likelly just Amazon. Google sold the studios they had, and Apple is happy printing money from they appstore without having to manage big studios.

 

[Solidus_T]

Apple is already beginning with Apple arcade and the new dev tools that port directX to their hardware.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Isn't MS already "one of the big boys" in big-tech land?

 

[Three]

unrelated but it seems Apple has a partnership with Playstation for AppleTV+. 6months free for PS5 owners and 3 months free for PS4. Wasn't sure if a thread exists about it but it runs until the end of the month.

 

[IntentionalPun]

I don't think so.

Amazon probably the most likely, but they've had MAJOR struggles trying to grow their gaming business. They kind of don't know WTF they are doing, but that also COULD BE why they end up buying something like a whole ass publisher.

Google is soured on gaming for now.

Apple? Eh.. I don't think so. They've shown far more interest in making TV shows/movies than they ever have making games.