Apple Arcade Redefines Gaming for iPhone & iPad Users

The curtains have been drawn on the mega-hyped Apple event. And, it has left us all with a list of services to talk about. But, the one service that made the biggest ripple in the gaming circle is the Apple Arcade. For gamers across the globe, there was no greater joy than witnessing the launch of a gaming subscription service that promises a slew of fantastic looking games!

The Great Unveiling

Just like the gamers, we were no exception to the excitement surrounding this launch event. And so we made a list of predictions (obviously) that reflected our hopes and expectations from this event. And boy, were we on mark! The build-up to the D-Day was cleverly executed. It wasn’t even ‘Show Time’ yet, and there was Tim Cook saying hello on the new iPad. But that wasn’t all. Remember the release of the rumored new AirPods weeks before the main event? It was unexpected, to put it mildly, and it broke the pattern of what Apple had been doing for so long. This only left fans more excited about what more was to come.

First glimpses of the all new services that Apple plans to launch, including TV+, Apple Card, News+ and Apple Arcade, was shown to the world at the Steve Jobs Theatre in Cupertino, California. And the awesome spectacle that was Apple Arcade (Apple’s new game subscription) left everyone awestruck.

Is a game subscription worth so much hype?

For starters, it’s not just any game subscription. It’s a service by Apple. So, of course, everything here is larger than life. But, jokes apart, is it really that big a deal?

Consider this – the App Store boasts of nearly 300,000 free and paid games, and over 1 billion downloaded games. This makes it the world’s largest gaming platform. Those are big numbers and the tech giant is playing smart by making use of that. Of these several hundred thousand games, Apple plans to curate a few of these into its subscription service. And you get hundreds of exclusive, new games on Apple Arcade, which will soon launch on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV.

But Apple can’t be the same as everybody else now, can it? Hence the difference in Apple’s subscription and competitor cloud gaming services, like Sony, Microsoft, and Google. The former’s gaming subscription isn’t designed to stream games to iOS devices like its competitors’. You’ll have to install the titles from the App Store instead. How’s that for spoiling you with choices?

The Big Collection

With Apple Arcade, the tech giant goes big and commits hard. It promises to give its customers a curated collection of titles. These include ones by renowned creators such as Hironobu Sakaguchi, Ken Wong, and Will Wright, from which you are free to try any. They’ve even brought companies like LEGO, SEGA, Cartoon Network, Konami, ustwo games, Snowman and more on board because Apple doesn’t just stop at one thing. They have a thing for going all out. Which brings us to the other features of this gaming subscription. Few of them include all-you-can-play games, no interrupting and annoying ads, and no ad tracking or additional purchases for convenience. And better still, consumers are all guaranteed user privacy.

Phil Schiller, Apple’s Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing said, “The App Store is the world’s biggest and most successful game platform. Now we are going to take games even further with Apple Arcade, the first game subscription service for mobile, desktop and the living room.” He added, “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.”

But Apple being Apple, they won’t sit back after just curating the games. The tech conglomerate is, in fact, planning more. They will lend a financial hand to the development costs of creating and work closely with the creators of these games. Apple might not have announced its own game studio today, but this certainly feels like a big step toward that.

How Does it Work?

Unlike other gaming subscriptions where you pay up front for each game, Apple Arcade will allow players to try any game in the service without having to loosen your purse strings. Additional purchases aren’t required since every game comes with complete access to all game features, future updates and content. And if your wifi goes wonky, worry not because offline gaming is also supported. And if you want to talk convenience, get this: Gamers can pick up just where they left off in a game even when you switch devices, from iPhone to iPad to Mac and Apple TV. What do you think about this?

We’ll have to have a little more patience though because it’ll take some time before we can enjoy these services. Apple Arcade is set to launch later this year, around fall, in over 150 countries. However, Apple hasn’t revealed the subscription rates yet. Will it be exorbitant? With Apple’s record for product and service pricing, it might just be. But, Apple did say that the service offers “access for up to six family members,” suggesting that sharing is an option.

Now, we wait. And thanks to Apple, we’re getting good at the waiting game. Meanwhile, why don’t you tell us which services you are most excited about?