Mobile developers fear the end of the Apple Arcade
Several game creators have testified that Apple Arcade could be dying, bringing hundreds of high-end mobile games with it. Project cancellations, unclear marketing reorientations, and declining developer payments are all factors in the increasing doubt about the platform's viability.
We've looked behind the hood of Apple Arcade, the tech giant's mobile gaming subscription service, and according to mobilegamer.biz's insider sources, we've discovered that it need more than just an oil change. The service has had a gentle reboot since its 2019 debut, and creators say that their game revenues have been steadily falling.
Apple's reluctance to approve unique initiatives for the service, "unless they are attached to a big family-friendly IP," was expressly mentioned by one insider. As shown by Hello Kitty Island Adventure's continuous support and Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom's January 2024 Apple Arcade releases, this is the case. Most of the games that are promoted on the platform are "plus" versions of already-available premium titles like Dead Cells, Monument Valley, and Gris.
What the Car is one of the last original independent games on Apple Arcade to get significant marketing backing, according to mobilegamer.biz, and a number of companies call Apple's staff "unpredictable and demanding to work with." Additionally, developers claim that they must wait six weeks to get a single tweet advertising their game, whereas family-friendly IP games are constantly supported. For instance, Hello Kitty Island Adventure has at least four appearances on Apple Arcade's Twitter account in the previous two months as of the time of writing.