Apple Announces Apple Arcade, A Subscription Service Launching In Fall 2019

Published: March 26, 2019 2:47 PM /

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apple arcade

Apple has announced its own gaming subscription service. It's called Apple Arcade and it's coming in fall this year.

Apple Arcade will be available across all Apple devices when it launches. The service will offer over 100 games at launch, many of which will be Apple-exclusive games (although not all of them). There won't be any in-game purchases or ads. Games will be accessible both offline and online and data will sync across multiple Apple devices, meaning you'll be able to play on your iPhone and continue where you left off on your iPad. Security-wise, you won't be asked to share any of your data.

Some of the games available for Apple Arcade will be exclusively funded and commissioned by Apple themselves, meaning they will only appear as part of the service. It sounds like others will be mobile platform-exclusive, so you won't be able to get them on Android, or subscription service-exclusive, meaning they won't be appearing on Utomik or Origin Access.

Check out the trailer for Apple Arcade below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67umVefSXnY

The trailer shows off a number of games coming to Apple Arcade. Beyond a Steel Sky, Revolution Software's sequel to Beneath a Steel Sky, will be available for the service, although it won't be exclusive since it's also launching on PC and consoles. Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi also showed off a new game from his Mistwalker studio. The game's called Fantasian and it'll be released for Apple devices and as part of the Apple Arcade service. We're not sure yet whether the game will launch with the service or at a later date.

Plenty of other major studios are making games for the service or will have games included as part of the subscription. A new Shantae game developed by WayForward is headed for Apple Arcade, as is SEGA and Team Sonic's latest racing title Sonic Racing. LEGO is also making a pretty significant showing with multiplayer title LEGO Brawls and the mysterious LEGO Arthouse. Other studios confirmed to be involved with the Arcade project include Konami and Worlds Adrift dev Bossa Studios, as well as What Remains of Edith Finch publisher Annapurna Interactive. A full list of the games so far confirmed for Apple Arcade can be found right here and more are bound to be announced as time goes on.

There's still a lot we don't know about Apple Arcade. We're not sure what the pricing models will look like, and we don't know how Apple plans to pay developers who are creating for the service. Apple does say that a family model will be available for up to 6 family members, so it looks like you'll be able to share your games with them, but details are scant right now. We'll likely know more about Apple Arcade as we get closer to its fall launch window.

Will you be picking up a subscription to Apple Arcade when it comes out? Let us know in the comments below!

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Joe has been writing for TechRaptor for five years, and in those five years has learned a lot about the gaming industry and its foibles. He’s originally an… More about Joseph