A new player has joined the game!
Apple has just announced that they will be joining the video games platform club with the announcement of their new game subscription service, the Apple Arcade. This news came just 6 days after Google’s announcement of its Video Games streaming platform, the Google Stadia, that will arrive later this year – coincidence? Maybe. But one thing is crystal clear, and that is everyone is now going into the Video Games industry in one way or another.
So what is Apple Arcade?
No. It’s not actually an Arcade machine. Apple Arcade is a game subscription service, or as Apple boasts it, “The world’s first game subscription service for mobile, desktop and the living room”.
Unlike Stadia’s cloud gaming capabilities, the Apple Arcade would just allow you to download from the Apple App Store and play it on your phone for as long as your subscription to the service is active. But how is this any different than what we’re already doing? Apparently, the service respects user privacy (wait, you mean they don’t before this?), allows for a seamless ad-free gaming experience, with no ad tracking or additional purchases, gives you the freedom to try any games from its buffet style all-you-can-play handpicked collection of titles. Who picks them though? I have no idea.
The subscription service will feature over 100 new and exclusive games, including the original works of legendary creators like Hironobu Sakaguchi-san, well he’s not really a big deal, he’s just like the creator of the Final Fantasy series 😉 *screams like a girl*, Ken Wong (I really have no idea who he is), Will Wright, the creator of The Sims, Sim City, and Spore! (hell yesssh), and a dozen more other talented creators.
Every game will be playable offline, and many games will offer support for game controllers. Because subscribers can play Apple Arcade games across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV, they can pick up where they left off in a game, even if they switch devices. Not bad right?
What are the games confirmed so far?
- ATONE: Heart of the Elder Tree
- No Way Home
- HitchHiker
- Monomals
- Mr. Turtle
- UFO on Tape: First Contact
- Lifelike
- Doomsday Vault
- Enter The Construct
- Projection: First Light
- Sneaky Sasquatch
- Overland
- LEGO Arthouse
- Repair
- Cardpocalypse
- Sonic Racing
- Yaga
- Winding Worlds
- Down in Bermuda
- Spidersaurs
- Sayonara Wild Hearts
- The Bradwell Conspiracy
- Frogger in Toy Town
- Kings of the Castle
That is not the full list of games yet and Apple is already working with big names like SEGA, LEGO, and Konami to bring more new titles to its subscription service.
Apple is also investing in game development.
“We are working with some of the most innovative game developers in the world to create over 100 new and exclusive games to play across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV. Apple Arcade games will be great for families, respect user privacy and will not have ads or require any additional purchases. We think players of all ages are going to love Apple Arcade” – Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing
Apple is seeking to expand the Apple Arcade’s game library by contributing to the development cost of new video games and working closely with creators to the games to life. So far, the game studios who are confirmed to have their games feature on the Arcade are;
The list consists of the name of game studios and the games they are famed for.
- Annapurna Interactive (Florence, Donut County, and more…)
- Bossa Studios (Surgeon Simulator, I am Bread, Worlds Adrift, and more…)
- Cartoon Network (You don’t seriously expect me to list examples from this one do you?)
- Finji (Night in the Woods)
- Giant Squid (Abzu)
- Klei Entertainment (Don’t Starve)
- Konami (Metal Gear Series, Pro Evolution Soccer)
- LEGO (It’s LEGO…)
- Mistwalker Corporation (Terra Battle Series)
- SEGA (Sonic!)
- Snowman (Alto’s adventure?)
- ustwo games (Monument Valley)
- and more…
