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Is this any different from what Xbox or PS does? Honestly asking
Microsoft gives you a lot more time in advance when a game is leaving Xbox Game Pass, and here's the real kicker: GAMES AREN'T DELISTED since Xbox Game Pass is just a rental service. All the games on Game Pass are available to purchase on the Xbox Live store, and Game Pass subs get discounts on buying games so if they're not renewing or their the game they like is leaving the service they can buy it to keep playing.

PS Plus gives you select free games every month that are added in your library and can be played for free if you're an active PS Plus sub, even if you cancel one month but renew another month.

Apple Arcade on the other hand is the only option. If you want to buy What the Golf, Fantasian, Shantae and the Seven Sirens, or Exit the Gungeon on your iPhone or Mac, well too bad you can't. Sub to Apple Arcade or no game for you. These games have Mac ports but can't be bought on Steam because of Apple Arcade.

Is it any wonder why Xbox Game Pass is not available on iOS? If it was easily available on iPhone, Apple Arcade would be dead. It's why Apple is so hellbent on blocking Microsoft from getting the service on iOS
 
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There’s no convulsed system where a game dropped from the subscription service will disappear from the store entirely if you want to buy it unless the dev brings it back, you also aren’t under any fear of even paid games having you suffer through terrible full screen ads as is the case on mobile.
Just pay for 1Blocker instead, its firewalll works on ads on in apps, as well as websites.
 
Yes, but the saves most likely won’t transfer. You would need to start the game over.
Devs can make it so that your saved progress transfers across, if they wanted to, or they could choose to start afresh.

The limitation of no ads or in-app purchases is also removed once leaving the service, so there’s no guarantee a game will re-launch itself on the App Store, and if it does, whether it will be the same game but with ads and IAPs, or whether it might have changed or even be wildly different.

This article explains what’s in the document.


You can find links directly to the Apple Support document on that page and via Google, but Apple made the support document unavailable - they unpublished it!

However I just checked about 40 min later - and it’s now back.


At the end it says;

If a game is leaving Apple Arcade​

Games might sometimes leave Apple Arcade. If you download a game before it leaves Arcade, you can play the game for at least two weeks after. If you try to launch an Arcade game that is no longer playable, you receive a No Longer Available message.

After a game leaves Arcade, the game developer might choose to make their game available on the App Store. These games might vary from the Arcade version. If the developer makes their game available on the App Store and allows you to load your saved progress, you can pick up where you left off in the Arcade version.

Published Date: July 25, 2022
 
But Macrumors comment's told me Apple is / was going to take over the Gaming world with Apple Arcade when they launch. Just like how Apple Music was suppose to annihilate Spotify, or Apple TV destroying Disney + and Netflix!
No one told you that. Apple intends to compete in these markets where it matter and prevent apple users from being locked out like their competitors attempt to do at every turn. That includes even simple internet access. If Apple is making money from anything on their platform others will want to take it from them. This ensures they will continue developing for the platforms.

It’s those companies that pretend Apple is killing their business when the majority of their money comes outside of Apple’s network.

Apple’s take over of anything usually just entails sucking up the majority of the profits from an industry while people call them a failure because others have far more volume.
 
Apple Arcade is such a joke that only reinforces the fact that Apple doesn't understand video games.
But they ironically make more money from it than all of the so called real gaming companies combined. Casual gaming is far more profitable because there are billions more of accessible potential players. They chose not to focus on a gaming model that after 20 years Microsoft claims they have yet to break a profit when Apple could be profitable in 5 years or less.
 
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Casual games, casually disappearing. Most subscribers won't notice.

A cheap service for throwaway entertainment.
Considering the number of apps is already really low and noticed, I disagree with you. This is just the first batch of expired contracts. There will likely be more apps leaving.

Apple arcade is somewhat of a flop. The bulk of subscribers are in subscription bundles. It adds value to said bundles, but not so hot as a stand alone subscription base from its launch.
 
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No different to what xbox and PS does with their services

Yes it is, with Xbox you can always buy the game still if it's offered for sale even if it's in Game Pass, and if you subscribe to Game Pass you get a discount on the digital store too.
All Microsoft exclusive games remain available on Game Pass too, for several years at least.
And your game saves are always transferable and remain stored in the cloud as that's a Microsoft network feature.
 
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But they ironically make more money from it than all of the so called real gaming companies combined. Casual gaming is far more profitable because there are billions more of accessible potential players. They chose not to focus on a gaming model that after 20 years Microsoft claims they have yet to break a profit when Apple could be profitable in 5 years or less.
Define they? And a source?

Casual gaming is profitable because most of the apps are simple and have in-app purchases and ad revenue, both of which a developer gets none of in Apple Arcade, which when it rolled out had potential to be huge or meh, and it turned out to be mostly meh with most people that subscribe not directly subscribing but having is as a throw in on a subscription bundle.

People have to play the game for the developer to get paid and they are paid based on the amount of time paid. Developers haven't gotten rich off of Arcade and when Arcade launched, it has a fraction of the games it does today. As contracts expirations roll out, its far more likely to see a lot of developers pull out. The music model of fractions of pennies does not work for games, and Arcade has a low user base. A game has to be played a lot for that developer to see much in royalty payments from Apple. In game purchases and ADs would probably make them a lot more money.

Your Microsoft comment is WAAAAAAY out of context and 100% inaccurate. Xbox/gaming division for Microsoft turned profitable years ago. (Google is thy friend.).

GamePass and Xbox Live are very profitable (and for the developers that put their games up on GamePass) and always have been. The Xbox echo system as a whole after R&D, selling the first several gens of consoles are losses in exchange for subscribers, etc. is where Xbox had not turned an overall profit for the gaming division as a whole, but they've been profitable for a long time now.

GamePass is a much more expensive subscription fee, giving developers a larger royalty payment per gaming session. The bulk of titles are also older that were likely generating zero revenue that not generate something for past development efforts, and many are owned outright by Microsoft.

You cannot compare GamePass to Apple Arcade.
 
I wanted to try two of these games but I have very little time and I didn't managed it, still playing others game on Apple Arcade (1-2 hours a week)
 
Just acquire some classic games such as Neo-Geo or Taito or something like that. To me Arcade is the worst service offering from Apple.
iCloud sync, play on many difference devices, many games, no ads... for me it is perfect
 
Imagine what apple COULD do with gaming.

E.g.

We want to be the best gaming platform in the world. Every game you buy, you'll own. We will work with developers to ensure a minimum 10 years of compatibility with all future iOS and MacOS releases, with many games supported way beyond that. We'll do this by ensuring backwards compatibility where possible and failing that provide an emulation layer.

We want every customer to curate their own selection of games, in the same way you do music. It's personal to you and we understand that.

As a sign of our commitment, we are launching our own gaming Studio - Apple Gaming. We'll showcase the latest technologies and set the standard for entertainment across Apple devices.

We will fund this endeavour in the same way we have built Apple TV+.
 
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This isn't a guarantee either. You could purchase an app, and then Apple could remove the app from the App Store. Meaning if you ever deleted it from your phone, you couldn't get it back.
True, or you offload your app / you have to re-install your phone and you get a different version. Happened to me with Monkeyrama, I paid for the full version, the developer replaced the App store version with an free ad supported version not honouring the purchase. That's why I preferred local backups of apps, but that's no more.
 
I still can’t believe on the first thread people were defending Apple and acting non-chalant.

“Oh well, contracts end…”

Would you guys have the same attitude if For all Mankind, Servant and a few movies left Apple TV+ because of “contracts”??
 
Honestly I think most of the games on this service are pure garbage. I know it’s Apple Arcade but when you play Civ VI, John Tiller games and Hiarcs Chess, it’s unlikely you’ll find anything of value.

Shrug.

Tom
 
So you’re 67% into a game, then wake up to find that you have to buy the game just to complete it…

TIM YOU’RE A GENIUS!
These games were not being played in meaningful numbers. Most of the complaints I’ve seen online are from people whining about something they don’t use.
 
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