Apple Launches Arcade

At an Apple Special Event on March 25, the company unveiled Apple Arcade, which it calls the world’s first game subscription service, for mobile (iOS), desktop (macOS) and the living room (tvOS) as well as offline. It will feature curated, new games that will allow users to download and play a selection of premium games for one fee. Unlike Google Stadia, this is not a cloud streaming service; instead it’s Apple’s version of an Xbox Game Pass-style model for games across Apple platforms. The service is slated to launch sometime this fall in 150 countries.

Some big name developers and publishers are already on board including Sega, Platinum Games, Devolver Digital, Annapurna, and Konami. Even the esteemed Hironobu Sakaguchi, known for his leading roles on the Final Fantasy series and other notable RPGs, was featured with his upcoming game, Fantasian. Many of these games are not exclusive to Apple platforms, but will be included in Apple Arcade alongside the 100 exclusives that have been promised at launch.

New games will be added regularly, although it’s unclear how often that will happen. Along with Fantasian, The Pathless, Team Sonic Racing, Where Cards Fall, Beneath a Steel Sky, Overland, Projection: First Light, Hot Lava, Oceanhorn 2: Knights Of  The Lost Realm, Sayonara Wild Hearts, LifeLike, LEGO Arthouse, LEGO Brawls, The Artful Escape, No Way Home, Repair, Hitchhiker, Cardpocalypse, The Brandwell Conspiracy, Yaga, Down in Bermuda, Winding Worlds, UFO On Tape: First Contact, Frogger in Toy Town, Doomsday Vault, Kings of the Castle, Sneaky Sasquatch, Mr. Turtle, Spidersaurs, Enter the Construct, Monomals, and Atone: Heart of the Elder Tree have all been confirmed.

It’s unclear if each game will be a permanent addition to the catalog, but that appears possible given that Apple says it will be involved in supporting development of the games. These will all be premium, non-free-to-play games, and subscribing to Arcade will get you the full versions, including any updates or DLC that are released for them. You can hit up the Apple website or Apple TV+ for more updates as they become available.

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