In a surprising turn of events, Apple seems to be taking notes from Microsoft and Epic Games. Reports suggest that Apple is cooking up its own game app store. This new platform will be like a mini App Store, complete with game recommendations, friend lists, and maybe even in-game chats using FaceTime or iMessage. It’s like Game Center, but with a cooler neighborhood.

For a while now, Apple has been dipping its toes into gaming. Earlier this year, it showed off some impressive games that work across iOS, iPad, and Mac devices. The list isn’t as long as what you’d find on PCs, but it’s growing, slowly but surely. Apple even updated its Game Porting Toolkit with iOS 18 to help developers bring macOS games to iOS.

Now, why is Apple suddenly playing hardball? It might be to ruffle some feathers, especially Epic Games’ CEO Tim Sweeney. Apple and Epic have a bit of history. Epic sued Apple for making apps use Apple’s payment methods. Apple, in turn, is trying to keep that 30% fee on in-app purchases. This new game store could be Apple’s way of saying, “We’re still the boss in iOS gaming. ”

Meanwhile, Google is dealing with its own app store drama. A judge said Google had to open up its mobile OS to third-party app stores, but Google got a temporary reprieve. Microsoft is watching closely, ready to pounce with its own Xbox app store on Android.

Apple's Game Store in the Making: A New Play for the Gaming World

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