Apple Shares Video Showcasing Apple Arcade Games in 100 Seconds

[ipedro]

Um, no. The iPhone will probably beat the XBox One or PS4 in terms of CPU. But in terms of GPU (which is what matters in gaming) those consoles are about 6 times more powerful. Also, those consoles (and x64 CPUs) are optimized for high memory bandwidth which is essential to put those GPUs to use. Apple's A1x chips have poor memory bandwidth. So while even an old i3 CPU can drive a powerful modern video card, the iPhone/iPad CPUs just don't have the bandwidth to do it, even if the GPU were available, which it isn't.

How does the iPhone 11 Pro fare up against the Nintendo Switch? It’s the best selling game console by a far margin. The point I’m making is that iOS games can no longer be considered “mobile games”. There are full fledged games that are visually and narratively rich games that could go head to head with what would traditionally be known as “console games“.

 

[digthewell]

These seem like really fun games! Can't wait to try em out. It's been so long since I left the conventional keyboard and mouse gaming behind, and I never really took to consoles or touch based games, but these do look interesting and fun, and relatively easier than those complex combinations on the screen.

 

[Duncan-UK]

But why would you want to use the Apple TV (which is hardly a decent GPU) to play games optimized for an iPhone/iPad on your 70" TV when XBOne and PS4 exist?

Because you don’t want another box under the TV and have no interest in playing ultra expensive games. Personally I did my gaming in the 80s on the VCS and 64 and have zero interest in owning a console, but I like the occasional blast on something like Galaxians.

 

[Laptopdog78]

I'll stick with PC/Xbox. Gaming on a 6-7" screen just doesn't do anything for me.

You could get an iPad at 11” or 12.9”. You could also get an Apple TV and play on the biggest tv imaginable!!

 

[Marshall73]

I play games on Mac, PC, Xbox, PS4 and Switch. I’m looking forward to picking up Apple Arcade too. Love the fact that I can use an Xbox Pad, although I do have the steel series pad too.

Nothing wrong with variety, Gears 5 on PC and Xbox One X then jumping into the switch for SNES Zelda then onto the Mac for a bit of Warcraft and now onto the iPad or iPhone or Apple TV for a quick blast too. I’m looking forward to Beyond a Steel Sky, which is coming to Arcade from Revolution Studios.
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I totally agree with that, I just don’t like the action-heavy games they are showing so far. Maybe in a couple years they’ll have a better variety of genres represented. My wife loves games such as Bejeweled and Frozen Free Fall, while I like games such as Advance Wars, FF Tactics, Hearthstone, and the like. I didn’t see anything in those areas. If Apple gets some of those without the depressing IAP and ads, I’ll be onboard.

it’s a 100 second add, they stuffed it with action stuff because it’s catches the eye. I’d expect titles across genres when it comes out next week.

 

[PickUrPoison]

I think it’s a common misinterpretation that Apple is now in gaming. They are not. They are in ”arcading”.

Does “arcading” mean providing an excellent gaming experience to hundreds of millions of users, and delivering exciting, entertaining and fun games—at a rather low price—to devices they already have in their pocket or at home? Does gaming only refer to hard-core gamers who use PCs and/or consoles?

I’m not sure if the way you want to define gaming works for anyone besides you, but maybe you can make a case for it. But maybe not.

 

[genovelle]

I'll stick with PC/Xbox. Gaming on a 6-7" screen just doesn't do anything for me.

Works on any Apple TVs you have and Macs too in addition to mobile

 

[Velli]

I can’t wait to see what the other 90 games are like... those genres don’t really appeal to me. I’m a sucker for simplistic strategy, rpg, tower defense etc. And many of the style of games I like, and some of the most popular games, are destroyed by pay-to-win. I was hoping that Apple Arcade would provide alternatives to the p2w games, in all genres. Seems way too platformer/racer focused.

I’m also worried if the requirement to work on all platforms limits the creativity.

 

[gnipgnop]

Um, no. The iPhone will probably beat the XBox One or PS4 in terms of CPU. But in terms of GPU (which is what matters in gaming) those consoles are about 6 times more powerful.

Apple Arcade is not just meant for use on iPhone though. Anandtech did an in-depth look at whether or not Apple's claim that a 2018 iPad Pro had the equivalent GPU performance of an Xbox One S and their conclusion was that it probably did. Then you also have a range of desktops/laptops that would be running Apple Arcade games as well.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/13661/the-2018-apple-ipad-pro-11-inch-review/6

 

[ryanwarsaw]

Not my kids. At restaurants they sit up straight and stare forward. I even force them to drop in on our adult conversations and pretend to be intrigued. If they have a coloring table mat... maybe if I'm in the right mood.

Letting your kids use an iPad at a restaurant doesn't mean you're dropping out as a parent. I have a great time with my friends and family, and I don't expect them to be miserable while we adults enjoy an IPA or two.

So not only do you let them use iPads but you get drunk in front of them. lol

Lighten up Francis

 

[cocky jeremy]

Works on any Apple TVs you have and Macs too in addition to mobile

But they still feel like games made for a small screen. I don't know, maybe it's just that none fit into types of games I like, but I just couldn't get into it.

 

[DevNull0]

Apple Arcade is not just meant for use on iPhone though. Anandtech did an in-depth look at whether or not Apple's claim that a 2018 iPad Pro had the equivalent GPU performance of an Xbox One S and their conclusion was that it probably did. Then you also have a range of desktops/laptops that would be running Apple Arcade games as well.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/13661/the-2018-apple-ipad-pro-11-inch-review/6

That article just goes on and on about why we can't really tell and the conclusion amounts to "it probably is" as you say but makes it clear they don't know for sure and I don't think even they know why they reach that conclusion. It also mentions that on the iPad, sustained GPU is much slower than burst power while on the xbox it can sustain its full power non-stop, and sustained power is what counts for gaming. So they're concluding the lower sustained power on the iPad rivals the full power of the xbox, yet they don't give any justification for that.

Also the iPad at peak burst power still takes less power than the XBOne S, and it takes far less power once it's thermally throttled. Best case is the iPad is comparable in burst power to the XBox, but by they time you get into the game it's far slower due to thermal throttling.

And don't lose sight of the fact that the XBox is a 2013 GPU, multiple GPU generations behind while the iPad is a 2018 GPU. When the next generations consoles hit in a couple of years, the iPads will be at a single digit percentage again as they are with gaming PCs.

 

[Coconut Bean]

I don't see the need to redefine the term gaming to include Apple Arcade. If you Google gaming you'll see gaming setups, dream hack, twitch, real world graphics etc.

I am most certainly not alone with this. I would associate Apple Arcade with casual gaming or mobile gaming. Or should we call every iPhone user a director just because they have a good camera in their pocket?

Does “arcading” mean providing an excellent gaming experience to hundreds of millions of users, and delivering exciting, entertaining and fun games—at a rather low price—to devices they already have in their pocket or at home? Does gaming only refer to hard-core gamers who use PCs and/or consoles?

I’m not sure if the way you want to define gaming works for anyone besides you, but maybe you can make a case for it. But maybe not.

I don't see the need to redefine the term gaming to include Apple Arcade. If you Google gaming you'll see gaming setups, dream hack, twitch, real world graphics etc.

I am most certainly not alone with this. I would associate Apple Arcade with casual gaming or mobile gaming. Or should we call every iPhone user a director just because they have a good camera in their pocket?

Apple Arcade is a much welcomed improvement for mobile gaming but it's not comparable to Stadia or other gamer focused gaming subscription services. Just as HomePod and Alexa are very different products.

I think Apple Arcade has it's place, it's just after the candy crush players and not the traditional gamers.

 

[DevNull0]

How does the iPhone 11 Pro fare up against the Nintendo Switch? It’s the best selling game console by a far margin. The point I’m making is that iOS games can no longer be considered “mobile games”. There are full fledged games that are visually and narratively rich games that could go head to head with what would traditionally be known as “console games“.

I'm not sure where you got the impression the Switch is the best selling console by far. PS4 has a 53% market share, XBox One is 45%, and Switch is 2%.

https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/console/north-america

Anyway, as far as the point you're making, what makes it a mobile platform is the controls and display. It will outperform even a last generation console by a comfortable margin, not to mention where it ranks next to an original NES. That doesn't mean it's not a mobile gaming device. You're not going to sit down for hours and play a AAA game on an iPhone or iPad. It's meant for a different experience.

 

[PickUrPoison]

I don't see the need to redefine the term gaming to include Apple Arcade. If you Google gaming you'll see gaming setups, dream hack, twitch, real world graphics etc.

I am most certainly not alone with this. I would associate Apple Arcade with casual gaming or mobile gaming. Or should we call every iPhone user a director just because they have a good camera in their pocket?

Apple Arcade is a much welcomed improvement for mobile gaming but it's not comparable to Stadia or other gamer focused gaming subscription services. Just as HomePod and Alexa are very different products.

I think Apple Arcade has it's place, it's just after the candy crush players and not the traditional gamers.

Gaming on iOS alone is a $33 billion dollar business. Arcade will grab its own slice. You can call it casual gaming if you want, it’s still some serious cash. But yeah, it’s not targeted at the serious/hardcore gamer market.

 

[Tech198]

The Sonic one looks good.. It think i heard From dust, but dust the guy say "into the dust"? [1:28]

 

[Abazigal]

I don't see the need to redefine the term gaming to include Apple Arcade. If you Google gaming you'll see gaming setups, dream hack, twitch, real world graphics etc.

I am most certainly not alone with this. I would associate Apple Arcade with casual gaming or mobile gaming. Or should we call every iPhone user a director just because they have a good camera in their pocket?

I will say it doesn’t matter what it’s called so long as it can provide a great experience or a good product.

I see the same argument all the time from people arguing about how the ipad isn’t a computer. As long as it lets me do what I need to do, who cares?

Take your director analogy for example. They are all means to an end. That end being a great video. If someone can produce a good piece of work using just an iphone alone, why not? It’s not like we haven’t seen our fair share of crappy directors who put out horrible pieces of work despite having access to huge budgets and high-end camera gear.

Same thing here. The ultimate aim of games is to provide the user with a fun experience. I know plenty of people who are never going to playing a game like destiny or Diablo or even fortnite or whatever game you consider a “real game” because it simply doesn’t appeal to them. Conversely, they have no qualms about keeping something like candy crush on their phones and playing them whenever they have a few minutes to kill.

As long as they have fun, who cares?

 

[69Mustang]

Then why wouldn't someone use an XBox on their TV? Game Pass looks a lot better than AAracade for living room gaming.

I'm not really sure what you're trying to ask. My quote isn't about what looks better or plays better. My quote is a refutation of the claim that the games are relegated to 6-7" screens. AA games can be played on phones, iPads, laptops, desktops, and TVs.

 

[Coconut Bean]

I will say it doesn’t matter what it’s called so long as it can provide a great experience or a good product.

I see the same argument all the time from people arguing about how the ipad isn’t a computer. As long as it lets me do what I need to do, who cares?

Take your director analogy for example. They are all means to an end. That end being a great video. If someone can produce a good piece of work using just an iphone alone, why not? It’s not like we haven’t seen our fair share of crappy directors who put out horrible pieces of work despite having access to huge budgets and high-end camera gear.

Same thing here. The ultimate aim of games is to provide the user with a fun experience. I know plenty of people who are never going to playing a game like destiny or Diablo or even fortnite or whatever game you consider a “real game” because it simply doesn’t appeal to them. Conversely, they have no qualms about keeping something like candy crush on their phones and playing them whenever they have a few minutes to kill.

As long as they have fun, who cares?

Not saying, that Apple Arcade is not going to be a success in any ways. Quite the opposite. All I am saying it is silly to compare it to services like Stadia, GeForce now, etc.

To go with the filming industry example. Iphone users at least record two orders of magnitude more 4k footage than Hollywood. But basically none of that will you ever see or none of that will ever make money. Yet enabling people to capture their moments in 4k a million dollar business.

Same way apple arcade is not aimed to be the platform for the next must have shooter or strategy game but rather give a good platform all kind of games.

I don't know where the hostile mentality comes from when I don't equate the Apple Arcade with Battlefield or Starcraft or GTA. I am in no ways saying games on Apple Arcade are not "real games". Just saying that gaming is not mobile gaming and gamers are not candy crush players by the current generally accepted definition of gaming and gamers (with the addition that I am by no means a PC gamer and my mobile gaming library is likely bigger than the majority of the users here). The simple truth is that most of the games on Apple Arcade are going to have an average gameplay measured in minutes, much better than standard for mobile gaming.

Despite that, we can already queue the comments how Apple Arcade is the most successful gaming service ever, yet adjusting for the fact that differences between all the future gaming services vs Apple Arcade are astronomically bigger than between HomePod and Alexa.