Apple Arcade Is The Next Step For Quality Mobile Gaming

Last March, Apple announced the Apple Arcade subscription which allows users to have access to over 100 iOS games. Due to the current state of mobile gaming, Apple definitely has a chance of getting a major stake in the whole mobile gaming industry.

Apple Arcade is the company’s first entry in the video game industry, and it’s a subscription-based gaming service similar to consoles. Once subscribed, the games available on this platform can be played offline without any ads, unlike most free apps in the App Store.

Several well-known developers and industry names will be part of the first games available on the Apple Arcade. Hironobu Sakaguchi, the father of "Final Fantasy," is making a project for this platform titled "Fantasian." The game’s technology is unique as real-life dioramas are photographed then used as the explorable areas in the game. This type of exploration isn’t seen much in games released nowadays, but can be spotted in the "Final Fantasy" entries in the 90s where characters look like they travel in hand-drawn areas.

Aside from this title, Klei Entertainment, makers of "Don’t Starve," and Annapurna Interactive of the award-winning "What Remains of Edith Finch" fame will also have titles to release in this platform.

While the mobile market games are often criticized, mobile platforms like iOS and Android have some of the largest audiences in the video game industry. The leading games in the platform are either “mobages,” which are pocket versions of MMORPGs, and casual competitive games like battle royales and MOBAs tailor-made for smartphones.

MMORPGs require many players grouping together and resource grinding as they live in a virtual world, while the competitive games require skill and a competitive spirit to survive.

With these titles and systems lined up for the iOS systems, Apple seems to offer a gaming experience mostly found on console games and tirelessly pursued by most mobile phone developers.

For now, we’ll have to wait for the Apple Arcade’s release to see if the iPad, Mac and Apple TV hold up as gaming platforms.