Most of the established tech reviewers seem to agree that Apple Arcade is an excellent service. They emphasize the high quality of games, the option of playing them on multiple devices (e.g., on the iPhone and Apple TV), and the low price of only $5 per month for the entire family. Well, while we clearly see the benefits of this new gaming subscription model and acknowledge its uniqueness, we also think Apple Arcade sucks as of now and is far from being the service that “saves mobile gaming”. Let me explain why…
Many games, but not the ones we want
Apple promises access to 100 “console-quality” games from multiple genres. Not all of them are released yet, though. While there are some console-like titles like Oceanhorn 2 (it very much resembles Zelda Breath of the Wild on the Switch), many other games are more similar to some simpler mobile games we have seen in the last couple years. The overall quality, however, appears to be high, especially since there are no annoying micro-transaction and “pay to win” concepts implemented. Therefore, the games are not designed to get you frustrated and eventually make you pay for virtual coins, gold, or diamonds to progress.
So, why do we think that Apple Arcade sucks then? Well, despite Apple emphasizing how “creative” or “sophisticated” the games are, we perceived most of them not innovative, nor above average fun to play. We would have preferred maybe only 20 titles but better ones. See, there is not a proper shooter like Fortnite, a racing game like Asphalt or Need for Speed, adventure game like the Walking Dead series from Telltale, or even a stunning platformer like Dead Cells. They tried to mimic some of these games but always in a non-original, slightly too family-friendly way. At least there is Sonic Racing from Sega included as a competitive answer to the overpriced Mario Kart Go. Still, right now, Apple Arcade feels like Apple putting in the absolute minimum effort to desperately squeeze out the most money possible for another subscription in its software ecosystem. I think the most innovative company in the world could do better on gaming content than that if they just tried.
Not as cheap as it seems
The price of $5 per month might be justified compared to other subscription and is by no means a rip-off. Especially its “all you can play” offer for the whole family might be attractive for parents who were struggling with their kids spending tons of money on microtransactions in their (not so)” free to play” games. Nevertheless, the last thing most people need is an additional subscription in their life and like everywhere. Obviously, like with any subscription, there is no ownership meaning: stop paying, stop playing. Also, $5 per month equals $60 per year, which is about the price of a “AAA”-game. There are many people not buying a “AAA”-game every single year. Considering Apple’s installed base of 900 million iPhones in 2019, they have already access to a vast customer base. If only 1% of all iPhone users sign up for the service, it will already result in more than half a billion USD yearly revenue for Apple. If 60 million people sign up for the service, which is how much they are currently paying for Apple Music, Apple makes 3.6 billion USD yearly revenue. This is more than established game studios like Rockstar Games, or Ubisoft make a year. Therefore, despite the seemingly low price, Apple Arcade could turn out to be a money-printing machine for Apple.
Inconsistent User Experience
One of the key features of Apple Arcade is the ability to play on any Apple device. This is a great feature, and lets players enjoy the same high-quality games on the go and on their TV or Mac at home. Nintendo designed the Switch console with that very idea and has been very successful with it. However, with Macs, Apple TVs, iPads, and iPhones all being very different devices, the games need to be able to work with very different input methods too. This challenges developers and often makes them design games to either work best for touch (e.g., Skate City) or for controllers. The same applies to display sizes. While Oceanhorn 2 takes advantage of big screens, Skate City or Sonic Racing are best played on iPhones. Eventually, this results in inconsistent user experience and diminishes the benefits of the versatility in devices to play from.
The Audience is unclear
Apple is really trying hard to position Apple Arcade games as premium. However, it’s not really clear who the service is really aimed towards. For “casual gamers” the typical target of “free to play” games on the Appstore, the monthly price of $5 is probably still too high. Many “heavy gamers” usually prefer bigger screens and a different kind of games than the indie titles offered on Apple Arcade, so they likely won’t be attracted either. The “indie gamers” could be interested, but most of them likely already own a PS4, Nintendo Switch, or a PC to play their indie titles on. Sure, the best console is the one you are always carrying with you, but that aspect is certainly not as crucial with gaming as it is with taking photos. Apple Arcade also doesn’t come with a lot of titles suitable for party gaming. With the PlayLink-Games for the PS4 (e.g., Frantics) or popular Nintendo Switch party games (e.g., Mario Kart, Super Mario Party, Smash Brothers, etc.) there are much better options on the market today. Finally, the only people left to target are the ones who enjoy mobile games, would like to play them on their other devices too, but are tired of the mainstream mobile games that are micro-transaction-focused. The initially mentioned parents with kids might end up being the most suitable target group for Apple Arcade. However, Apple makes tons of money with micro-transaction-based games as well, so they might not want to compete with their well-working business too much.
Verdict and Alternatives
All in all, we think Apple Arcade isn’t entirely delivering on its promise yet. But sadly, because there aren’t any good alternatives yet, that’s not a problem for Apple these days. Google has started its “Play Pass” offering in the US with a similar concept in mind. Still, it’s only focused on existing smartphone- and tablet-games (and apps!), but lacks the versatility in different devices, careful curation and exclusive “console like” titles. However, with Sony, Microsoft, Google, and Nvidia all introducing game streaming services that are also accessible through mobile, some stiff competition for Apple Arcade is on the horizon. Until then, we’ll have to play with what we have.
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