A gaming focus and a surprise “major tie-in with a Japanese game developer” at Apple’s event next week could explain why it’s being held so late in the day, compared to its previous events.
According to MacRumors’ Joe Rossignol on X, formerly known as Twitter, a source has claimed that the reason why ‘Scary Fast’ is so late is so it can go live during business hours in Japan.
Apple's event will take place on October 30 at 5 PM PT, but that’s also 9 AM in Japan, which lines up perfectly with this rumor. This could mean that a Japanese game developer may be announcing its debut on Apple’s devices. While we’ve already seen CAPCOM and Hideo Kojima announce intentions to release certain games on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, we may be about to see someone new enter the fray.
With Resident Evil Village landing on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max on the same day as the event, and with no concrete date set for Resident Evil 4 Remake on the same devices, could we see another push from Apple for its gaming aspirations on Mac?
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At the iPhone 15 event in September, Apple made touted the news A17 Pro chip, which powers the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max devices. One of these new additions was hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
For those unaware, this allows for more lifelike reflections and shadows in games. For instance, weather effects like sunlight and rain look tremendous as you explore a sprawling city.
This could be one of the big features of Apple’s M3 chip, and in turn, could be showcased on games like Resident Evil 4 - Remake. But Rossingol’s source mentioned a ‘major tie-in with a Japanese game developer,’ which may allude to a new company that hasn't previously partnered with Apple.
So it could be SEGA who may make a surprise appearance on Monday. The maker of Sonic, Yakuza, Shenmue, and more, it could be a great entry-point for the company to debut a bunch of games, all at once on Mac and iPhone. From Sonic Superstars to the Persona series, to the upcoming Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth that launches in January 2024, there’s plenty that could be showcased on Monday.
To note, SEGA’s Mega Drive console was also released back in Japan on October 29, 1988. With the iMac’s 25th anniversary this year, and the 35th anniversary of SEGA’s console, it could be a great lead-in to the event where the two come together.
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