It's been barely a week since Google announced its video game streaming service that we have another tech giant making the leap into gaming and it comes at no surprise that this company is none other than Apple.

During its Apple Event today, the multi-billion dollar company announced its take on video game subscription service, the Apple Arcade. Touted as "the world’s first game subscription service for mobile, desktop and the living room", this service will offer over 100 new and exclusive games to subscribers, with titles coming from game creators like Hironobu Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy) and Will Wright (SimCity) that will be playable across Apple devices.

Apple also announced that the service will feature games from Annapurna Interactive, Bossa Studios, Cartoon Network, Finji, Giant Squid, Klei Entertainment, Konami, LEGO, Mistwalker Corporation, SEGA, Snowman, ustwo games and dozens more. Some games that have already been announced include Sonic Racing, LEGO Brawls and Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm.

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Unlike streaming services like the recently unveiled Google Stadia, the Apple Arcade will be playable offline, and the games will be ad-free and without in-app purchases. For a monthly subscription fee (of an unspecified amount at the time of writing), players will have the opportunity to try any game in the service with all game features, content and future updates included right off their iPhone, iPad, Mac and/or Apple TV. Moreover, given that the service is accessible across Apple devices, subscribers can pick up where they left off in a game, even if they switch devices. Apple also mentions that "many games will offer support for game controllers".

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Apple Arcade will launch in fall 2019 in more than 150 countries from a new tab on the App Store across iOS, macOS and tvOS.

What do you think of Apple's move into the video game industry? Do you look forward to the Apple Arcade-exclusives?

SOURCE

 

[XDel]

Seems like a strange comment from somebody who's life project is bringing an old game (one of the all time greats, no less, but definitely from 'the past') up to date.

Perhaps, but there is a difference. My project is made from fun and passion. It is free and I run no hype train like I'm going to produce the next big thing. The corporations on the other hand, have an endless hype train, they have no real passion except to make profit and please their masters. They are often afraid to take chances, and thus like everything in the market place is 99% made up of off the shelf components so to speak, and really bring nothing new to the table, not even heart.

 

[MrJey]

Checks date, almost 1 april.... hmmmm

 

[Pleng]

Sounds like someone is defending Apple and other lame-ass companies who keep recycling the same BS every year.

I didn't mention Apole or any other "lame-ass" companies. You're comment, however, also seems odd considering how quick you are to defend anybody who has a dig at Nintendo because they consistently throw out very similar games in the same franchises.

I actually happen to like my Nintendo systems /because/ they "recycle the same BS every time" so perhaps I *am* defending them. So what?

 

[pitterpatter]

Is this a joke?

No, Apple arcade certainly seems better than Google Stevia. u mad?

 

[gman666]

Next week they'll announce rent-a-kidney... Why own your own stuff when you can subscribe for a nominal fee?

 

[grey72]

Personally I (regretfully) think it might be the future. Since it DOES offer average people access to higher end graphics etc... at the cost of input lag.

To me it slightly resemble the change that happened from cartridge-based systems of the 90s to the disc-based PS1 and Saturn (Vs. the N64), which had the disadvantage of added load time or "loading screens", that for all intents and purposes were non-existent on consoles. I'm sure many people were advocating against it, also because they knew it was a more fragile medium. Ultimately the pros of more STORAGE, cheaper PRICE, and the fact that the industry didn't give them a choice until N64 that came later than the rest.

Comparing to today we have:
Streaming system VS. Non-streaming consoles of this gen
Graphics: Streaming (for most people)
Storage: Streaming
Price: Streaming
Input-lag:Non-streaming
Accessibility: Equal imo

Personally, I think what will decide is what is gonna be available from the industry. If Sony and Microsoft join this bandwagon with their next consoles then we're once again stuck with only Nintendo being the one using last gen's medium.

If not, we might get a situation were all gaming companies' try at this form of distribution utterly fail and they have to hurridly get out systems that take physical media.

Yeah you summed up my thoughts exactly. We may laugh at it now but it's one of more probable scenarios for gaming 10 years or so from now.

 

[Stwert]

Yes, I hope it fails, Apple has a big enough share as it is, we don't need its influence spreading like a virulent disease.

Apple has less than a quarter share of the smartphone market, the rest is dominated by Android. So by that logic, wouldn’t it be Android, and therefore Stadia, who poses the biggest problem.

Not that I’ll be giving my money to either of them. Just playing devils advocate.

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Perhaps, but there is a difference. My project is made from fun and passion. It is free and I run no hype train like I'm going to produce the next big thing. The corporations on the other hand, have an endless hype train, they have no real passion except to make profit and please their masters. They are often afraid to take chances, and thus like everything in the market place is 99% made up of off the shelf components so to speak, and really bring nothing new to the table, not even heart.

I don’t care what anyone says, I’m always happy if someone does a good Alien Breed remake. Loved those games, I was playing AB3D on my CD32 just yesterday (again )

 

[chrisrlink]

Please Apple, stop putting your c0ck in the first hole you see.

yeah worst way to get a cyber STD, anyways their only doing this cause their beef with Google

 

[DayVeeBoi]

Personally, I think what will decide is what is gonna be available from the industry. If Sony and Microsoft join this bandwagon with their next consoles then we're once again stuck with only Nintendo being the one using last gen's medium.

If not, we might get a situation were all gaming companies' try at this form of distribution utterly fail and they have to hurridly get out systems that take physical media.

Oww, that's bleak existence for the next few years, let's hope it doesn't come true. Cloud-based and then more half-assed off the shelf hardware. Yuck.

 

[DragonBoy]

I love the closing words of the video... Yeah, thank God Apple came along with their robust ideas that could not be done by Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all these years... Please people don't support subscription services... They're just killing our hobby!

 

[Captain_N]

I love the closing words of the video... Yeah, thank God Apple came along with their robust ideas that could not be done by Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all these years... Please people don't support subscription services... They're just killing our hobby!

I agree. I will never support subscription services. I will wait till its hacked and does not require their devices. I have alot of game backlog to play. enough for 30 years....

 

[Excel Koushiroue]

a true apple pippin successor

 

[slaphappygamer]

Welcome to The AppCade!

AppTemp when?

 

[the_randomizer]

Apple, doing the same things others have been doing since 1976.

 

[trakker1]

EPIC Games will be next! You watch! Pay Per Level Gaming...........

 

[Bladexdsl]

it's gonna be called the SHEEPbox

 

[kevin corms]

I don’t understand the reaction, they already have games... this is just a subscription service. Calm the hell down guys.

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ya know. why cant cloud gaming be streaming files insted of video of a game being streamed to you pc via a web browser? yes you will need the hardware, but at least you dont need to install anything.
(but the cons could possibly mean slow load times, chance that a file can get corrupted on the servers side if its only one server, and many other things. i know this because i ran a test 1 year ago to see if it was possible to stream games by files insted of video)

This isn’t cloud gaming...

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Apple is ahead. If you count from the rear.

Or if you actually look at revenue from gaming lol.

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Apple has less than a quarter share of the smartphone market, the rest is dominated by Android. So by that logic, wouldn’t it be Android, and therefore Stadia, who poses the biggest problem.

Not that I’ll be giving my money to either of them. Just playing devils advocate.

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I don’t care what anyone says, I’m always happy if someone does a good Alien Breed remake. Loved those games, I was playing AB3D on my CD32 just yesterday (again )

Android has a lot of market share mostly in the very low end, for games and apps Apple is way ahead. Why do you think developers treat android as a second class citizen?

 

[huntertron1]

I don’t understand the reaction, they already have games... this is just a subscription service. Calm the hell down guys.

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This isn’t cloud gaming...

thats how i imagined cloud gaming. i know its not

 

[Hurtz007]

ya know. why cant cloud gaming be streaming files insted of video of a game being streamed to you pc via a web browser? yes you will need the hardware, but at least you dont need to install anything.
(but the cons could possibly mean slow load times, chance that a file can get corrupted on the servers side if its only one server, and many other things. i know this because i ran a test 1 year ago to see if it was possible to stream games by files insted of video)

I'm actually very interested in this... maybe also stream the computing power similar to that playkey blockchain project

 

[SquidGuy]

ffs Apple could have waited at least some time to show off Google Stadia 2:Buy my Service