Apple Arcade was introduced in 2019 as a new way to offer full access to games through a monthly subscription. However, the platform is not exactly considered a huge success. With the recent announcement of classic iOS games coming to the Apple Arcade, we want to know if your opinion of Apple Arcade improved with the arrival of classic iOS games.
When Apple announced Apple Arcade, the company promised to offer new games developed exclusively for the platform, which is available for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac. All the games included there have no advertisements or in-app purchases, since the user is already paying $4.99 per month for having access to Apple Arcade.
When it was launched, Apple Arcade had about 100 games, but most of them were mobile games from unknown franchises and indie developers. Titles like Mini Motorways, Hexaflip, Hot Lava, Super Impossible Road, and Oceanhorn 2 are certainly fun to play, but they don’t seem to be enough to hold subscribers.
Apple has never discussed Apple Arcade numbers officially, but an analyst predicted that the service would have about 12 million paid subscribers by the end of 2020. We don’t know if the actual number is higher or lower than this. What I do know is that many personal friends who tested the Apple Arcade have stopped subscribing to it right after the trial period ended.
Since 2019, Apple has been adding one new original game per week to the Apple Arcade. However, the company’s strategy seems to have changed following last week’s announcement that classic iOS games like Fruit Ninja and Cut the Rope are back on the App Store for Apple Arcade subscribers. Apple added more than 30 games to Arcade on Friday, including originals, classics, and remasters.
It didn’t take long before several people were celebrating on social networks for having the opportunity to once again play these classic games that were once big hits among iPhone and iPad users. Personally I spent the weekend playing Apple Arcade games, something I haven’t done in months — even though I have a subscription to the Apple One bundle.
As my 9to5Mac colleague José Adorno said, “Apple Arcade just went from a potential flop to a likely success.” Rather than betting everything on original, exclusive games, Apple seems ready to expand the Apple Arcade into other categories as well — and this could be the key to making the Arcade a successful product.
What about you? Has your opinion of Apple Arcade improved with the arrival of classic iOS games? Let us know down in the poll and also in the comments section:
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