Apple’s latest gaming efforts won't move the needle

If Apple wants gamers to take the Mac seriously, it’s going to need to do a lot more.

- BY JASON CROSS

Believe it or not, Apple is already dominant in gaming. Most games, globally, are played on mobile phones, and despite the greater sales of Android-powered phones, the iPhone is the mobile gaming device.

But it still feels like Apple is always looking to break through with real gamers. At Worldwide Developers Conference this year, it had another pitch for gamers and game developers, and it felt just like the last few years: big promises about how great gaming is on Apple’s platforms, how great it can be for developers. There’s even a dedicated Games app now!

However, just as the efforts of the last few years have been unsuccessful at turning Apple’s platforms into something gamers care about, so too will this year’s effort fail to move the needle. It boils down to the same thing: Apple just isn't tackling the core problems that keep gaming enthusiasts off its platforms.

THERE ARE GAMERS—AND THERE ARE GAMERS

By most accounts, about 3 billion or so people play video games, with about half of those primarily playing mobile games, with console and PC gamers split between the other half. Mobile gaming brings in a lot more revenue, too. So if you play games, mobile or otherwise, you're a gamer.

The Games app is is made to navigate with a controller, in portrait or landscape. That's a start.

But then there are the gamers.