Apple Arcade: New and Updated Games Announced for September

[MacRumors]

Apple today announced that four new games will be added to Apple Arcade this month, including Cypher 007, Japanese Rural Life Adventure, Junkworld, and My Talking Angela 2+. In addition, Apple said over 40 games available on the service will be receiving updates this month, including the popular game Hello Kitty Island Adventure.

Details about the upcoming games and updates can be found in the Apple Newsroom announcement on Apple's website.

Launched in November 2019, Apple Arcade is a subscription-based gaming service accessible through the App Store. Priced at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year in the U.S., the service provides subscribers with access to nearly 300 games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. All games on Apple Arcade are free of ads and in-app purchases.

Apple Arcade is included for three months for free with the purchase of a new Apple device, such as one of the upcoming iPhone 15 models, which are expected to be announced at Apple's event on Tuesday, September 12. Apple says this offer is available for first-time subscribers and "qualified" returning subscribers.

Article Link: Apple Arcade: New and Updated Games Announced for September

 

[pacmania1982]

I know it's not on Apple Arcade, but I wish they'd hurry up and release Stray for the Mac. I can't wait for it!!

 

[FaustsHausUK]

Hello Kitty Island Adventure is surprisingly not terrible, but Starfield is out now and Aggretsuko has nothing on interplanetary exploration.

 

[cateye]

"Japanese Rural Life Adventure," soon to be followed by "Akron Ohio Tire Factory Worker Sim," "Mexico City Family Masa Bagging Festival Platformer," and the magical and amazing update to last year's Apple Arcade exclusive, "It's Yet Another God**** Derivative Match 3 Game Except This Time It's Vaguely Fruit or Perhaps Vegetable-like Multicolor Blobs And Sometimes They Explode For No Real Reason And Then The Game Crashes" Truly, Apple gets gaming with these stunners!

Meanwhile, I'm playing Starfield on my Series X.

 

[NickTuesday]

I think Arcade is awesome!!!. The Apple TV is amazing. Put the machine to sleep and you can resume your game in 3 seconds. Since I always listen to podcasts,the podcast app is a godsend while playing.
I purposely put Fantasian (must finish now since it's being tested for Steam and it might leave Arcade) on the back burner because I didn't want it color my thoughts on other games. 3 months later I am enjoying the service. Now we get 007.

 

[macos9rules]

"Japanese Rural Life Adventure," soon to be followed by "Akron Ohio Tire Factory Worker Sim," "Mexico City Family Masa Bagging Festival Platformer," and the magical and amazing update to last year's Apple Arcade exclusive, "It's Yet Another God**** Derivative Match 3 Game Except This Time It's Vaguely Fruit or Perhaps Vegetable-like Multicolor Blobs And Sometimes They Explode For No Real Reason And Then The Game Crashes" Truly, Apple gets gaming with these stunners!

Meanwhile, I'm playing Starfield on my Series X.

How do you like Starfield? I wish I had more free time to play.

 

[cateye]

I wonder why Arcade is as inexpensive as it is?

Because Apple's seed funding to developers, and the payout system for AA, is extremely low. Real games on other platforms tend to run tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars to produce and involve vast teams of producers, programmers, artists, modelers, and other specialists. AA titles generally get mid 5-figures in seed money from Apple, are produced by small indie shops (not exclusively, of course, but the majority of them), and Apple has requested developers focus on low impact "diversion"-style games with low barrier to entry. Basically, ultra-simple mobile-first "games."

There's no sin in enjoying games like that—people should enjoy what they want to enjoy without people like me casting aspersions. But don't be surprised if people who expect more from games as an art form find Apple's boomer-something approach lackluster, low ambition, and low reward.

 

[cateye]

How do you like Starfield? I wish I had more free time to play.

Honestly, just barely getting started. It's definitely a classic Bethesda RPG. "Skyrim in space" is not entirely accurate, but it's not wrong, either. I need to explore a lot more and see if the reports that it's far more polished than the usual quirky-jerky Bethesda game is.

Unfortunately, they just added a Husky Raid playlist to Halo Infinite, and that sort of mega-ultra-sweaty competitive chaos is total gaming crack to me. So I don't know how much time I'll invest in SF for the time being. Nice to have choices, though!

 

[NickTuesday]

Because Apple's seed funding to developers, and the payout system for AA, is extremely low. Real games on other platforms tend to run in the tens of even hundreds of millions of dollars to produce and involve vast teams of producers, programmers, artists, modelers, and other specialists. AA titles generally get mid 5-figures in seed money from Apple, are produced by small indie shops (not exclusively, of course, but the majority of them) and Apple has requested developers focus on low impact "diversion"-style games with low barrier to entry. Basically, ultra-simple mobile-first "games."

There's no sin in enjoying games like that—people should enjoy what they want to enjoy without people like me casting aspersions. But don't be surprised if people like me who expect more from gaming and consider it an art form find Apple's boomer-something approach to gaming lackluster, low ambition, and low reward.

I get what you are saying, but even on Gamepass I think well sure here is the game with the service but the dlc will cost you. I understand why third parties do that. No problem with that. But I think Microsoft first party games should include dlc. You can buy dlc withought owning the game. I see both sides of that. You don't have to buy the game, but if you buy the dlc you don't own the game. They call it the best deal in gaming, and I think they fall just a little short of that in this respect. Of course, now both Sony and Microsoft have raised prices. I foresee 50 dollar a month subs in a decade.

 

[jason4427]

The new puzzle game finity. Is quite good.

 

[star-affinity]

Because Apple's seed funding to developers, and the payout system for AA, is extremely low. Real games on other platforms tend to run in the tens of even hundreds of millions of dollars to produce and involve vast teams of producers, programmers, artists, modelers, and other specialists. AA titles generally get mid 5-figures in seed money from Apple, are produced by small indie shops (not exclusively, of course, but the majority of them) and Apple has requested developers focus on low impact "diversion"-style games with low barrier to entry. Basically, ultra-simple mobile-first "games."

There's no sin in enjoying games like that—people should enjoy what they want to enjoy without people like me casting aspersions. But don't be surprised if people who expect more from games as an art form find Apple's boomer-something approach lackluster, low ambition, and low reward.

Yeah. A vast difference on Apple Arcade compared to what's on for example Xbox Gamepass. But the games on Xbox Gamepass doesn't run on phones. Many games on Apple Arcade also run on Macs, but the majority is definitely mobile (i.e. iPad and iPhone) first. So many times they feel a bit off on the Mac. Not all, but many.

One gripe I have with Apple Arcade is with performance. I get hiccups on an Apple TV 4k (1st gen) at times on a 1080p TV wen playing Jetpack Joyride 2. Sveral games on the Mac runs choppier than they should even on the 38 graphics core M2 Max I have from work. Again, not all, but several. Also on several games the macOS mouse pointer remains visible while playing games where it should be hidden so it has to manually be tucked aside. So while there are some exceptions where I don't have any complaints on the Mac version, things could definitely be better.

 

[cateye]

But I think Microsoft first party games should include dlc. You can buy dlc withought owning the game. I see both sides of that. You don't have to buy the game, but if you buy the dlc you don't own the game They call it the best deal in gaming and I think they fall just a little short of that in this respect.

The thing is, Microsoft makes it easy to save money on Game Pass. I flipped three years of XBox Live Gold using discount cards off eBay into three years of Game Pass Ultimate for a net cost to me of $5 a month.

As for including/not including DLC or expansion packs... eh, I see your point, but the appeal of Game Pass is both the churn (games cycling in and out of the service) and the ability to sample and play the base tier of games that would cost $60 and up otherwise. Love the game? Then you can buy it (or its DLC) and own it forever at a Game Pass-exclusive discount. I get that Microsoft is balancing the financial viability of the service against what it offers consumers, but I think saying "here, you get to play A level games without paying A level prices right off the bat" is a decent compromise.

 

[NickTuesday]

The thing is, Microsoft makes it easy to save money on Game Pass. I flipped three years of XBox Live Gold using discount cards off eBay into three years of Game Pass Ultimate for a net cost to me of $5 a month.

As for including/not including DLC or expansion packs... eh, I see your point, but the appeal of Game Pass is both the churn (games cycling in and out of the service) and the ability to sample and play the base tier of games that would cost $60 and up otherwise. Love the game? Then you can buy it (or its DLC) and own it forever at a Game Pass-exclusive discount. I get that XBox is balancing the financial viability of the service against what it offers consumers, but I think saying "here, you get to play A level games without paying A level prices right off the bat" is a decent compromise.

Exactly. I have just have some strange OCD.I always feel if pick one game to play the other game I want to play is going to leave the service. LOL!!!

 

[applepotato666]

Arcade is a bit boring and I wouldn't get it as something separate from my One subscription at 4.99 (perhaps because I don't play games often), but I've been obsessed with the Hello Kitty game. It's been keeping me on Apple One because I don't want to lose my island 😭 I spend a good half hour in it every day. Also love Limbo+. I think Hello Kitty deserves to be more than an Apple Arcade exclusive - even if that means they add in-app purchases.

 

[cateye]

But the games on Xbox Gamepass doesn't run on phones.

No question—even I can see the value of Apple Arcade as an iPhone gaming service. Especially given what a trash fire the free-to-play/in-app-purchase model has made mobile gaming otherwise. The lack of advertising or IAPs is its killer feature; credit where credit is due. But, it's an unbelievably weak service as a stand-in for a healthy gaming ecosystem on the Mac.

 

[fatTribble]

"Japanese Rural Life Adventure," soon to be followed by "Akron Ohio Tire Factory Worker Sim," "Mexico City Family Masa Bagging Festival Platformer," and the magical and amazing update to last year's Apple Arcade exclusive, "It's Yet Another God**** Derivative Match 3 Game Except This Time It's Vaguely Fruit or Perhaps Vegetable-like Multicolor Blobs And Sometimes They Explode For No Real Reason And Then The Game Crashes" Truly, Apple gets gaming with these stunners!

Meanwhile, I'm playing Starfield on my Series X.

Excuse me, but you got sarcasm all over me.
Meh it’s ok. it made me laugh 🤪

 

[Darren.h]

Personally I like the mobile games available for Android. Quite a few High quality Games.

Dan recently said Android software or eco System he finds are not the same quality as Apple.

I dont think he looked long enough to find Android software has come a long way the past few years.

I suspect it will surpass Apple as to the amount of Software available.

 

[fatTribble]

At the risk of stereotyping myself, I have enjoyed Star Trek Legends in Apple Arcade.

I played City of Heroes long, long ago and loved it, but it ate up a quarter of my life.

Now I go more for the quick fix games that still let me have a proper dinner rather than a bowl of Grape Nuts at midnight.

 

[vegetassj4]

Yeah, but can it run Crysis? pffft....

 

[contacos]

I am still in the middle of playing Wylde Flowers. So much more engaging than Animal Crossing. I almost can’t believe it’s „free“

 

[syklee26]

Apple needs to acquire a major publisher like EA to be relevant in game industry. Honestly, they should’ve gone after Blizzard.

 

[4743913]

Despite Apple One and endless free subscriptions to Arcade (after I canceled Apple One) because I bought some hardware, I have never even opened it. Phone games (and phone games played on a Mac) are garbage and adult pacifiers. Read a book.

 

[RandomTox]

Not even gonna try it, and I wonder what's the critical number of subscriptions customers must reach to say NO to all additional ones. Companies naively believe that customers can subscribe to every offering out there. Beware of recurring fees in general. It drains your budget in uncontrollable way.

 

[RandomTox]

Apple needs to acquire a major publisher like EA to be relevant in game industry. Honestly, they should’ve gone after Blizzard.

They should have acquired Minecraft.

 

[nostaws]

Needs more multiplayer on a single TV/console games (local multiplayer).
Got Arcade over the summer to play/bond with my kids.
Other than some driving games, there were very few offerings.
Super jazzed to play the king of the hill kart game (whatever it’s called). Only to find out that you can only race others via network.