Apple to bet big on "Netflix for games" on-demand service

Apple is reportedly the next major firm to put its money on the "Netflix for games" business, following other giants like Google, Microsoft, and Sony. Apple was planning a subscription-based gaming service since the latter half of 2018 and approached developers to offer their titles on the service, reports Cheddar.

The report also claims that the Cupertino-based company has also talked about being a game publisher. If Apple is coming up with a game, this could be an indication that it will be exclusive to the new service. The company has published exclusive games like Thatgamecompany's Sky previously. The price structure for the new service is still under the wraps.

A lot of companies are dipping hands in the online gaming waters and offering some kind of plans for PC gamers. For instance, Google's Project Stream allows users to play games directly from the Chrome browser.

Microsoft's Project xCloud sounds even better. It offers plans letting users enjoy gaming from Xbox consoles to their smartphones. For devices with touchscreens, the game will offer special control schemes to make gameplay easier. The "Netflix for games" moniker was given by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella as they built on the on-demand gaming.

Even Amazon seems to be gearing up to jump the bandwagon. With many companies foraying the same market, it seems likely that the market will be soon fragmented. But it will be interesting to see the on-demand gaming service.

Besides, Apple has also filed for a patent that will bring some changes to the home screen icons. Basically, the future iOS will allow users to make calls directly from the home screen. The company had previously filed for a similar patent back in 2008.