Apple announces its video game subscription service 'Apple Arcade'
During its Apple Event today, the multi-billion dollar company announced its take on video game subscription service, the Apple Arcade. Touted as "the world’s first game subscription service for mobile, desktop and the living room", this service will offer over 100 new and exclusive games to subscribers, with titles coming from game creators like Hironobu Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy) and Will Wright (SimCity) that will be playable across Apple devices.
Apple also announced that the service will feature games from Annapurna Interactive, Bossa Studios, Cartoon Network, Finji, Giant Squid, Klei Entertainment, Konami, LEGO, Mistwalker Corporation, SEGA, Snowman, ustwo games and dozens more. Some games that have already been announced include Sonic Racing, LEGO Brawls and Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm.
Unlike streaming services like the recently unveiled Google Stadia, the Apple Arcade will be playable offline, and the games will be ad-free and without in-app purchases. For a monthly subscription fee (of an unspecified amount at the time of writing), players will have the opportunity to try any game in the service with all game features, content and future updates included right off their iPhone, iPad, Mac and/or Apple TV. Moreover, given that the service is accessible across Apple devices, subscribers can pick up where they left off in a game, even if they switch devices. Apple also mentions that "many games will offer support for game controllers".
Apple Arcade will launch in fall 2019 in more than 150 countries from a new tab on the App Store across iOS, macOS and tvOS.
What do you think of Apple's move into the video game industry? Do you look forward to the Apple Arcade-exclusives?