Android users, you are not alone anymore. The new mobile game subscription service GameClub has finally been released for Android. Similar to Apple Arcade, GameClub members will have unlimited access to various premium games for $4.99 per month (with the first month free). Whether you are searching for adventure or spooky genres, you will have full access to over 40 different games with new title releases every week.
While GameClub is similar to Apple Arcade, there are subtle differences. GameClub began as a small startup company by co-founder and CEO Dan Sherman, veteran of the gaming industry, and co-founder Oliver Pederson, an engineer who built backend systems for games (including Yahoo Games). They originally launched the subscription service outside of the U.S. in 2018 and had a reason for developing it.
“I was seeing all these amazing game developers leave mobile because the types of games they make are not the types of games that monetize through in-app purchases and ads,” Mr. Sherman tells TechCrunch. “The free-to-play model actually only works for a handful of genres,” and “A lot of companies make a lot of money through a very small number of genres and game experiences — to the exclusion of a lot of other types of genres that GameClub is bringing back — action, adventures, arcade, tower defense — anything that can be completed.”
As a result, GameClub focuses on producing agreements with Indie game developers to release content that never made it in the market as GameClub exclusive. With older generation games returning for publication, GameClub will focus on showcasing Indie games in the original design with minor configurations for better retina display. Therefore, if you are interested in playing the original 64 bit era games or would like to play something different, GameClub may be the alternative service to Apple Arcade.