Apple Arcade is a new video game subscription service that endeavors to bring pay-to-play games to the forefront across Apple devices, including not just the iPhone and iPad, but also Apple TV and Macs. This service will provide gamers willing to pay for it access to games not found anywhere else.
That’s right. A good portion of them will be exclusive.
Now, before you blow off these offerings just as super casual mobile games, you should know that Apple teased several games from well-known companies like Skybound, Konami, Lego, Devolver Digital, Klei, and The Chinese Room. In fact, there’s even a game being developed by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi titled Fantasian and a project titled Beyond A Steel Sky featuring art from comic artist and Watchmen co-creator Dave Gibbons.
Both Fantasian and Beyond A Steel Sky are far beyond what most people think of as a mobile game experience featuring gameplay and storytelling gamers are used to getting from console and PC games.
Some of the other games highlighted during the Apple Event may seem a bit more mobile-esqe in design but are narrative heavy. And, of course, there’s the whole AR thing, which kind of works better on mobile devices.
As mentioned, the service will be subscription based. When it launches in the Fall of 2019, it will be available in 150 countries and subscribers will have access to over 100 games, both online and offline. There will be no ads or micro-transactions and a single account can be shared with the family.
Unfortunately, the one bit of information they didn’t provide is how much the subscription will cost. That information will arrive at a later date.
If you’d like to watch the full Apple Event stream, it can be found on the Apple site, here.
