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Apple is responsible for all those business models you hate. Apple's insistence on taking a 30% cut on everything drove developers to adopt ads, since Apple didn't take a cut on those.
100%. I always roll at my eyes at Apple fans who complain about subscriptions too. After all, it's Apple who basically transformed the software landscape into a subscription hellscape. Apple is the one who popularized subscriptions in the consumer market and made things like micro-payment play-to-win games not only possible, but pervasive. As you note, demanding a ridiculous cut of everything drove developers to stuff their games and apps with ads.
 
I think the rub of it is that on mobile, Netflix Games is pretty aggressive in getting some solid titles (some that are even already on Apple Arcade) and Apple is not. Hard to entice keeping (or returning) to a subscription if its predominately all ages games.

What sucks is that Apple has helped some studios produce games that are AA exclusive or began as exclusive, but not enough to make it must have for gamers. Maybe one day Apple actually does treat video games with respect.
 
As someone who actually games as opposed to being an ersatz "Apple enthusiast gamer" I can tell you it's an embarrassment and never had a chance.
Like Stadia. Google has cancelled so many products that few if any people trusted Stadia to last. Think my brother and I were quipping about it during the launch event.

I think Apple will keep Arcade but it's unlikely they're going to give the right people enough room and resources to make it more than it currently is.
 
The degree to which they have dropped the ball on apple arcade is staggeringly unbelievable. There are entire games, such as Guildlings, that have remained unfinished for years on end. Most of their "exclusive" games are just ports, and bad ones at that. The audio for Balto, for example, is likely to give you hearing damage if listened to with headphones. Other seemingly first party exclusive games like Oceanhorn CD and Demon Sword, bafflingly, are no longer available at all. On a service which also has some of the best, most charming, challenging, and interesting games that I have ever played like A Monster's Expedition, Jumper Jon, and Lego Builder's Journey. Bleak sword, Beyond a Steel Sky 2 are pretty good. However, some games that should feature controller support do not, and other games that should not require a controller do, and they are all lumped in the big pile together. One of the worst offenders is Fantasian, which ought to be a graphical showcase for the M and A series chips, but does not run natively on that hardware and requires Rosetta! Fantasian is not the only example but surely the most egregious. Almost every other game is filler garbage. How many different card games do you need. How many different cartoon "fighting" games, how many "driving" games, when not a one of them is worth anybody's time. NBA 2k that looks and performs like a PS2 game, wow, amazing stuff guys, real value add there. Meanwhile, all manner of games which have no business being iPhone exclusive remain that way, like Devil May Cry peak of combat, Sky Children of Light, and PUBG. Did you forget about the Apple TV? It's literally an iPhone, running a fork of iOS. I'm really supposed to squint at all this stuff? Shameful. Disgraceful. Disappointing does not begin to cover it. Not even worth the $5 they were asking at launch anymore, much less the $40 a month (like $500 a year!) they want for Apple One now. But Eddy Cue gets his little gambling widget. Appalling. Sickening. Monstrous. The worst part is maybe that with just a tiny bit of care and attention this whole mess could be whipped into shape and they would sell 300 million apple tv boxes overnight.
Just following up, I remembered that the game featured during their largest marketing push was Sneaky Sasquatch. A pretty good game, has a lot of stuff you can do, pretty big overworld, very well supported long after release. Checks all the boxes. But it's like... fine. Ultimately it's a game where you have to go to work at your office job to make money in order to do any of the "fun" stuff. Wears pretty thin, pretty quick. Any of the other "good" games I've mentioned would do just as well to sell hardware, and are more engaging than Sneaky Sasquatch. This was back when it seemed as though Apple Arcade (assuming you had an apple tv) was aiming pretty close to console parity. Oceanhorn 2 is a perfect 1-to-1 Zelda clone. The Last Campfire and Samurai Jack are great but, like I said, you can get a better version of them on other platforms that come with a controller included.

I did some more research, and I was only further dismayed. A Monster's Expedition is one of the greatest games (maybe the best puzzle game) I've ever played. Removed from the service. Stela, ATONE, and Down In Bermuda, all of which did well to evoke some strong emotions in me as well as being very engaging and fun - removed from the service. Cat Quest 2, a delightful RPG (2P iirc!) on a service in desperate need of them - removed. Fallen Knight, which was kind of messed up and I didn't care for but they had the right idea of "we should make a 2D side scrolling action platformer" - removed. The Pathless, a gorgeous, juicy, wonderful game which would not have felt out of place on a modern console - removed. Any one of these games being no longer on the service is inexcusable. That all of these have seemingly been permanently erased from history is criminal. What the hell have I been paying for over the last five years. You really want me to play Hello Kitty Animal Crossing? You really want me to play Sponegbob Tennis? $4000 for an uncomfortable headset that lets me do three hours of spreadsheets and chores. Very funny. Joke's over now guys, come on, be serious. Be for ****ing real
 
A little beter than Jobs. Steve hated the gaming industry after his time at Atari. Not sure why or how there were so many games for Apple in II, Classic Mac or Road Apple days. I allege that Steve and Woz had some really embarassing pictures that they used as leverage.

I'll date myself. Karateka and Prince of Persia on the Apple II. Dark Castle on the Mac/Mac Classic. Escape Velocity and the daddyMac games...Marathon, Doom and Wolfenstein 3D on LC/Quadra/Performa 636.

There was Halo (almost...) and the Myth games from Bungie under Jobs. Not to mention Marathon. And the Unreal games up to and inckuding UT 2004.
And I remember Quake 3 came out as a Mac first preview or something. Which got Windows users was upset. Just like when the Arc browser was released for Mac first now last year (I think it was). :)

Further evidence that Apple doesn't get gaming and never will.

As I've said many times, anybody who's serious about gaming uses a Mac/Apple product.
You mean ”nobody”. :)

Edit:
Wanted to add that Halo did come to Mac later (2003 I think) ported by Westlake Interactive. But the app is only 32 bit so can’t be ran beyond MacOS Mojave.
 
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I've got older Macs I keep around because old games were just plain better. Until maybe 6 months ago, my primary laptop was a 2012 15" MBP running 10.14. I still use it regularly, because 32-bit software, it's sitting about 2 feet away from me and on right now.

But software compiled 20+ years ago is less of a problem. Emulation works, I can play Zaxxon or kill the hostages in Choplifter on a new Mac today. I played Swarms just a few days ago, it works just as well now as it did on the CompuColor II in 1980 - better, really, because load time is instant.

The gap is infuriating. There was ZERO reason for Apple to break 32-bit software. There was ZERO reason for Apple to break PowerPC software. I'd rather play Age of Empires III on Mac, but it's just easier to use one of the Windoze machines for it because I don't feel like hooking up a G5.

I don't want to play anything online. I don't want to play anything multiplayer, let alone massively multiplayer. I don't want DLC. And I definitely don't want a subscription to anything. Gaming for me is an escape from people, the thought of putting on a headset and talking to people as being fun... no.
What would go a long way with the gaming community is if Apple made emulators. Gaming emulators for PPC, 32bit Intel, early iOS and so on with formal commitments to keep them up to date.

I think there are good reasons for breaking away from 32-bit and PPC for software like web browsers and word processors but games need to be brought forward and be allowed to be played (without intervention from the producer) like movies and music.
 
I just think of it as a playground for kids. You buy a game or two, turn off microtransactions and let them have at it. I don’t think it was meant to be a huge gaming hub for anyone older than their teens. I could be wrong, but that’s how I choose to see it.
 
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Ahem...

"10% of US consumers use Apple Arcade weekly (MIDiA Research consumer survey Q4 2023). For context, this nearly matches that of Nintendo Switch Online or Steam (both at 11% in the US) and double Ubisoft+ (5%) or Nvidia’s GeForce Now (4%). Apple also has a number of Arcade originals."


How can Apple Arcade have the "smell of death" when its user base is only 1% lower than Steam?
Huh, could just be my demographics or my circle, but I don't know anyone who even knows what Apple Arcade is. My whole family uses Apple devices (including those outside of my household) and I just got a subscription to AA last month and was asking around if anyone wanted to jump on my family plan to use it. Had to explain it to everyone. Even my friends and colleagues don't know what it is. But according to their research, 10% of US consumers are using it all the time. So that is like 1/5 iPhone users. And that's just people that use it consistently, that doesn't include all the people that signed up for free trials, or stopped using it in the years it's been out. Either my anecdotal experience is way out of wack with the rest of the US, or this survey has something weird going on.
 
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I guess I'm one of the rare people who plays games on my Apple devices. I always have. Apple Arcade was a welcome alternative to all the pay-to-play crap in the app store. But in the last year it's hardly had any games of interest. And of those, few get regular updates. Honestly, I wouldn't still have it if it wasn't part of Apple Premier One. I still want it to succeed, so I hope Apple gets serious.
 
The only way Arcade makes sense is if they bring AAA titles to the iOS and macOS platforms. I would pay a subscription fee to get games I actually WANT to play on those devices, but sure as hell not for mobiles games I’d rather just outright buy if I have to rather than shelling out for an ongoing subscription.
 
XBox Game Pass says hello. Real games, real value, broad support across PC, XBox, and streaming. Solid discounts on buy-to-own. Think of that, an actual gamer-oriented service instead of Apple's half-baked insult. Apple's ridiculous product isn't compelling and deserves its failure, that's the actual problem. The tilting at windmills about subscriptions is tiresome.
Subscriptions are tiresome.
 
Arcade is still decent, plenty of solid games. It started off good and even the breath of life they gave it a couple years ago made it clear theres lots of potential. Apples problem indeed is they just don’t have much of a passion for any type gaming (aside from their 30% cut from IAP garbage freemium games). There are so many simple things they could do to make Arcade a better experience. They have tons of power and clout if they wanted to use it.

I‘ve been saying for years they should bundle it with an Apple TV/controller/one year of Arcade for $200. Marketing is super simple since you can pick up and play on ANY apple device. I can literally see the commercial in my head.
 
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Guess Apple will never be a gaming machine like the PC is.

For the answer, adapt this little girls question asking her father if they are ever going to Disney World to Apple becoming a PC-like, gaming machine...


Her Father knows exactly when. ;)

And why is that? Because the others- console makers and PC- take gaming very seriously and pushes LOTS of money in that direction... FOCUSED in that direction... to buy exclusives, subsidize development, buy whole studios, etc. Apple seems to sling some lip service and play on a "build it and they will come" mentality. Developers- exactly like Apple- simply go where they can make the most money. Who can blame them?

A few months ago there were multiple threads about Apple finally taking gaming seriously. Now we're back to "smell of death." This repeats every few years. The key problem is that the approach doesn't change: Apple doesn't want to put AppleTV+-like money and focus on gaming... so developers don't choose to code the big games for a niche platform, when they can make much more sure money developing for the established players... and then much more retail money because those markets are accustomed to paying more than $1 for big games. Us Apple people freak if a game is launched at $10 or more... we abhor in-app advertising... and rail hard against in-app purchases. In other words, we want AAA games for a $1.

It's also a bonus that the other guys won't opt to block sales of popular games and then attempt to wage legal war into oblivion over commissions on sales instead of make peace and be a good win:win partner so that your mutual customers can enjoy those games and you both can make some income from selling them.
 
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Ahem...

"10% of US consumers use Apple Arcade weekly (MIDiA Research consumer survey Q4 2023). For context, this nearly matches that of Nintendo Switch Online or Steam (both at 11% in the US) and double Ubisoft+ (5%) or Nvidia’s GeForce Now (4%). Apple also has a number of Arcade originals."


How can Apple Arcade have the "smell of death" when its user base is only 1% lower than Steam?
I seriously doubt this. Perhaps 10% of Apple Arcade subscribers use the service on a weekly basis, but 10% of US consumers being Apple Arcade subscribers?... that's impossible. I am not aware of anyone in my circle who subscribes to Apple Arcade or even has knowledge of its existence.
 
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It's the former rather than the latter.

You seem pretty confident. Better email the editors and let them know they've made a grave mistake with this article. All is well with Apple Arcade, both among users and developers. Apple brings the magic again!
 
Just following up, I remembered that the game featured during their largest marketing push was Sneaky Sasquatch. A pretty good game, has a lot of stuff you can do, pretty big overworld, very well supported long after release. Checks all the boxes. But it's like... fine. Ultimately it's a game where you have to go to work at your office job to make money in order to do any of the "fun" stuff. Wears pretty thin, pretty quick. Any of the other "good" games I've mentioned would do just as well to sell hardware, and are more engaging than Sneaky Sasquatch. This was back when it seemed as though Apple Arcade (assuming you had an apple tv) was aiming pretty close to console parity. Oceanhorn 2 is a perfect 1-to-1 Zelda clone. The Last Campfire and Samurai Jack are great but, like I said, you can get a better version of them on other platforms that come with a controller included.

I did some more research, and I was only further dismayed. A Monster's Expedition is one of the greatest games (maybe the best puzzle game) I've ever played. Removed from the service. Stela, ATONE, and Down In Bermuda, all of which did well to evoke some strong emotions in me as well as being very engaging and fun - removed from the service. Cat Quest 2, a delightful RPG (2P iirc!) on a service in desperate need of them - removed. Fallen Knight, which was kind of messed up and I didn't care for but they had the right idea of "we should make a 2D side scrolling action platformer" - removed. The Pathless, a gorgeous, juicy, wonderful game which would not have felt out of place on a modern console - removed. Any one of these games being no longer on the service is inexcusable. That all of these have seemingly been permanently erased from history is criminal. What the hell have I been paying for over the last five years. You really want me to play Hello Kitty Animal Crossing? You really want me to play Sponegbob Tennis? $4000 for an uncomfortable headset that lets me do three hours of spreadsheets and chores. Very funny. Joke's over now guys, come on, be serious. Be for ****ing real
Yeah you make a ton of valid points. From a technical perspective games look as they did nearly a decade ago….think about that. They brag and brag about how great these new chips are to run games that ran well on an iPhone 4! There’s no incentive anymore. Back in the golden age of mobile gaming (2008-2013), there were more risks, amazing graphics for the time on mobile. Fast forward 11 years and it’s still mostly the same stuff wrapped in different skins with 5 different in app currencies to purchase. All this because people thought $5 was too much for a game a decade ago. But will spend the same on a Latte.

I first blame consumers and then blame apple for just milking it with zero innovation/marketing/ambition.

In-App Purchases was the death of it all and that’s solely Apple’s pure greed tax
 
Subscriptions are tiresome.
You're welcome to not use them, as should always be your choice. However, actions have reactions—don't be surprised if Apple, and developers, don't necessarily target your needs and wants as a customer.

It's a bit like the iPhone Mini: So huge was the silent majority apparently beating down the doors for a small phone, even Apple, the king of manufacturing demand, couldn't make a go of it. But sure, everyone is gonna cast off their phablets any day now just like subscription services are teetering on the edge of irrelevancy.

There isn't a smell test in the world that passes.
 
You're welcome to not use them, as should always be your choice. However, actions have reactions—don't be surprised if Apple, and developers, don't necessarily target your needs and wants as a customer.

It's a bit like the iPhone Mini: So huge was the silent majority apparently beating down the doors for a small phone, even Apple, the king of manufacturing demand, couldn't make a go of it. But sure, everyone is gonna cast off their phablets any day now just like subscription services are teetering on the edge of irrelevancy.

There isn't a smell test in the world that passes.
Apple could make a go of it. They failed. Biggest issue was price and battery life on the 12 mini. Apple needs to make their 250% margin on everything
 
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