Apple(US:AAPL) Hua Er Jie Jian Wen·2025-05-28 02:28Core Viewpoint - Apple is launching a dedicated gaming application for its devices, aiming to strengthen its presence in the gaming market as Nintendo prepares to release the Switch 2 [1][4]. Group 1: New Gaming Application - Apple plans to pre-install a new gaming application on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, which will serve as a game launcher and manage in-game achievements, leaderboards, and other activities [1]. - The new app will provide access to the App Store's gaming section and promote Apple's monthly subscription service, Arcade, priced at $6.99 [1]. - This application will replace the Game Center social network, which was launched in 2010 but never gained significant market traction [1]. Group 2: Market Context and Challenges - Despite the new application potentially enhancing usability for Apple products in gaming, there are challenges in changing the perception of players and high-end game developers regarding Apple's gaming capabilities [4]. - Apple is not typically viewed as a gaming giant, with many developers and players believing that Mac still lags behind Windows computers [4]. - The application is set to launch with the next version of iOS in September, coinciding with the release of the next generation of iPhone [4]. Group 3: Financial Insights - Approximately two-thirds of Apple's App Store revenue comes from games and in-app purchases, including tokens, levels, and other game upgrades [5]. - The Mac platform has made progress in recent years, with faster chips improving graphics performance, and Apple has released tools to facilitate the porting of existing games to Mac [5]. - As part of its gaming strategy, Apple has acquired RAC7 Games, a small studio known for the popular game Sneaky Sasquatch [5].