Apple Arcade launched in September 2019, offering mobile games that were ad-free for $4.99. This was something new to everyone because we were used to free-to-play games and ad-supported games. Arcade offered a range of games that could run on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. The games also worked offline.
How games were created for Apple Arcade
Alex Rofman, the Arcade’s senior director, said that they were not trying to replicate top genres of mobile games or trying to find better games than the most popular ones. Still, they focused on games that would not survive if Arcade did not exist.
In February, mobilegamer.biz, an industry website, published an article in which anonymous developers aired their frustrations with Apple Arcade. Some of them were talking about their canceled projects. Others said that royalty payments on games are actually falling and that Apple seems to be deprioritizing the service. But, Rofman denied the idea, saying that games are more important to Apple than they have ever been because iPhones are improving, and it is amazing to run a high-performance game on a device that fits in a pocket.
Apple Vision Pro
Apple Vision Pro launched with 12 native games. Rofman explained:
Since the invention of touch gaming, there really hasn’t been much innovation in the kinds of games that we all play. The graphics are better and TVs are getting thinner, but in terms of gameplay styles and input methods, there hasn’t been innovation in a long time. Vision Pro opens up an entirely new world of possibilities and we’re barely at the dawn of it.
Apple Arcade has an important role in the mobile gaming ecosystem. Alex Rofman thinks that 2024 will be the year that Apple Arcade’s ambitions will be tested. So, we’ll definitely wait for the new chapter to kick in!