After reports began to surface that Apple was working on their own game subscription service, Monday, during their special event, the company proved those reports true as they announced Apple Arcade, a premium game subscription service. Apple Arcade is set to only be available on iOS devices, Mac, and Apple TV. Thus, the service will not work on PC or Android devices.
Apple Arcade is set to be a place for premium mobile titles to thrive as opposed to trying to find an audience on the App Store which is dominated by free games. To allow games on the service to thrive, Apple Arcade is set to have its own tab on the App Store. The service is set to launch with over 100 games from small indie developers to bigger publishers such as Sega, Konami, Annapurna, and more. Games will include all features and future updates as part of the service. The company is also committed to helping the development of new titles, and will continue to release more games on the service into the future.
According to the Apple Arcade official website, the service will have a variety of features. These features include the games on the service having no ads or in-game purchases, the ability to “jump between” between devices while playing, the ability to play games offline, being able to have six people on the same subscription plan, and more. The company also guarantees the privacy of users that subscribe to Apple Arcade. Apple’s Ann Thai stated that the games on Apple Arcade “cannot collect any data about you or track any information about how you play their games.” However, users can consent to the collection of their data if they so choose.
Apple will be entering what appears to be a very competitive space going forward as more companies try to create their own game subscription services. Apple Arcade is set to launch this Fall in over 150 regions. However, no price has been set for the service as of yet. You can check out the full Apple Arcade introduction video below: