iOS 14: 'Phoenix 2' Space Shooter Delivers Playable Demo via App Clips

[MacRumors]

One of the new features that arrived in iOS 14 is called App Clips. App Clips is described by Apple to be a "small part of your app" that can be available to users at just the right moment.

App Clips focus on finishing one task quickly. An ideal App Clip experience allows users to open and complete a task in seconds.

Instead of requiring an App Store download, they can be loaded and run via Safari, and once done with the experience, the full app download is offered to the user. Early examples given by Apple included take-out order apps, scooter rental apps, or apps to set up an appliance for the first time.

Game developer Firi Games has implemented an App Clip for their space shooter game Phoenix 2. The App Clip can be played by visiting their Phoenix 2 website on an iOS 14 device and tapping "Play" on the banner that appears on the top of the screen.

The introduction of Phoenix 2 is also available as an App Clip. App Clips are a new iOS 14 feature that allows you to run a part of an app without any download from the App Store. Try it yourself by tapping the 'play' button in the banner at the top of this website (requires Safari on iOS 14; the banner does not show if you have Phoenix 2 already installed).

After a few moments of downloading the assets, the introduction level to Phoenix 2 appears playable as a native App Clip on your device.

The demo plays just like a native app but without any app installation. Once done with the demo, a link to the App Store is available to the full game [Free]. TouchArcade wrote about the experience and thought the "frictionless experience" for game demos held a lot of potential for App Store game discovery.

Article Link: iOS 14: 'Phoenix 2' Space Shooter Delivers Playable Demo via App Clips

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

This is definitely a welcome feature.

 

[A MacBook lover]

Wow, I tried it and it’s as if I downloaded the full game. Amazing quality for a feature I thought I’d never use

 

[applicious84]

I'm going to lose some time playing games and testing apps that I wouldn't have tried today...Phoenix 2 is already kinda fun.

 

[stefanovago]

Wow! This is unbelievably smooth!

 

[applicious84]

Also, I ended up downloading the whole game and didn't really pay attention to whether I was paying anything for it, so there's that. I just wanted to keep playing, and I'm sure lots of people will be smarter than I was, but I wonder how this might play out in the future

 

[adamjackson]

I honestly haven't played a game on an iPhone since Tap Tap Revenge back in 2008 and this was neat in that it was cool to try a game and see how mobile gaming has changed but then realize honestly it hasn't changed much. This was just a copy of an arcade game from the 80s on a very tiny screen. the drama around Fortnite legitimately confuses me. People actually play games on these small screens? bewildering.

 

[DeeeLAN]

I wonder how long until advertisers lock focus on this and ruin the experience.

 

[MvdM]

And here are the in app purchases for the full game (€1 = $1.16):
5000 Credits € 5,49
800 Credits € 1,09
12000 Credits € 10,99
Special Offer € 5,49
25000 Credits € 21,99
Special Offer € 21,99
Special Offer € 10,99
65000 Credits € 54,99
Special Offer € 54,99
140K Credits € 109,99

 

[apparatchik]

Pretty cool, really engages you without all the fuzz, I think what makes Apple’s implementation of existing ideas (ie widgets) stand out is its quality and smoothness... and developer commitment, which might be the most important factor...

Just to go a bit off-topic regarding gaming in Apple devices:

Some people dismiss Apple Silicon coming to macs (and windows going away) as a blow to gaming in macs, I, to the contrary, think this is the biggest thing to happen to macOS gaming, because now you can develop a single binary to target iPhones, iPads, iPod touches, AppleTVs and Macs, every current game designed for iOS will be playable on the Mac. Hopefully a stream of triple A, keyboard/controller supported games will make their way to Apple Silicon/Metal Macs with the performance Intel IG havent been able to deliver...

 

[omarojo]

I dont see any banner. And yes Im in Safari in iOS14 and I dont have the game installed.

 

[apparatchik]

And here are the in app purchases for the full game:
5000 Credits € 5,49
800 Credits € 1,09
12000 Credits € 10,99
Special Offer € 5,49
25000 Credits € 21,99
Special Offer € 21,99
Special Offer € 10,99
65000 Credits € 54,99
Special Offer € 54,99
140K Credits € 109,99

I really wish there would be an “unlimited” option where your credit card gets topped up as you progress, so missiles, armor and upgrades can be charge for swiftly and frictionless, a call by the bank when you’ve reached your credit’s limit is more than enough imho

 

[arn]

I dont see any banner. And yes Im in Safari in iOS14 and I dont have the game installed.

Looks like this (but not dimmed)

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I dont see any banner. And yes Im in Safari in iOS14 and I dont have the game installed.

At the VERY top, upper right hand side, you’ll see a blue “play” button. It’s not a browser banner, it’s the OS banner that pops up when the site in question has an app, or some such.

 

[Shirasaki]

Given the well established reputation of iOS gaming, well, I wonder if some devs would take a break from it and actually do something different, like porting RTS game into iOS. It’d be cool to play RTS on iPad with mouse and keyboard.

Back to this game, judging by the inapp purchases, looks like this is the game I will pass. Not sure if there’s any aspects of loot boxes but still.

 

[macfacts]

How is this different than playing a flash type game?

 

[Kkspire]

Apple always comes up with things that I would have never imagined that works so well.

 

[Eduardo Paz]

I dont see any banner. And yes Im in Safari in iOS14 and I dont have the game installed.

Same 😕

 

[szw-mapple fan]

So much better than those annoying “interactive” ads for mobile games. Hopefully more games adopts this.

 

[80s Fan]

This is kind of cool. I noticed that it leaves an app icon in your App Library even though there's no app on your phone (correct?). Removing the app clip and icon is not intuitive imo. I'd expect to remove it like any other app -- through jiggle mode. But you have to go in to settings > app clips > Phoenix 2 > delete.

 

[iZac]

Just wait for...

Fortnite: Clips

But in all seriousness, I assume this needs an active Developer account but how would the clips version go through Apples vetting process if it's available on the web? Do these App Clip links just point toward a direct download from Apples own App Store servers?

 

[PickUrPoison]

And here are the in app purchases for the full game (€1 = $1.16):
5000 Credits € 5,49
800 Credits € 1,09
12000 Credits € 10,99
Special Offer € 5,49
25000 Credits € 21,99
Special Offer € 21,99
Special Offer € 10,99
65000 Credits € 54,99
Special Offer € 54,99
140K Credits € 109,99

That’s one of reasons Arcade is such a good deal, no special offers are required.

100,000,000,000,000,000 trillion credits are only € 0.00 🙂

 

[garylapointe]

That worked better than I imagined it would!

 

[PickUrPoison]

I wonder how long until advertisers lock focus on this and ruin the experience.

Is that allowed by Apple?

 

[PickUrPoison]

I dont see any banner. And yes Im in Safari in iOS14 and I dont have the game installed.

Ad blocker?