Why I’m Still Divided on Apple Arcade
The games are great, but is that enough?
Depending on who you ask, Apple Arcade is one of the best things to happen to mobile gaming in years. Its instant, unlimited access to a slate of 100+ games is enticing on its own, but the complete lack of in-app purchases might be the real draw. The service feels almost like a glorious throwback to the earliest days of iPhone games, a time when the idea of a free-to-play model that milked players for money barely even existed.
And yet, I can’t decide if I like Apple Arcade enough to keep paying the subscription price. I’ve played several of the games on my phone and tablet (and many of them are fun!), but I’m hesitant about paying for games that I don’t get to keep forever. I love the fact that Apple is investing more effort into premium, well-designed games — that’s something that has been sorely missed in the last few years. But is Apple Arcade something I want to invest my own money and time in for the long term? I don’t know for sure, but right now I’m slightly leaning towards “No.”
There’s so much to love
Apple Arcade captures so much of the best of mobile gaming. There’s something deeply fun about jumping into a well-designed title on a phone or a tablet; something I’ve enjoyed since my first iPod touch all those years ago. The convenience of an entertaining game on a device that I always have on me is something that no console can ever match, and to this day there are a handful of apps that I’ve really never stopped playing.
And the core reason anyone should care about Apple Arcade, its 10-second sales pitch, is that there are some amazing mobile games for anyone who takes the plunge. Mini Motorways, for example, is an impeccably-crafted title that’s a joy to experience. I’ve already lost more hours than I’m comfortable with building its myriad of highways and subdivisions, constantly trying to beat my family members’ high scores. Card of Darkness is another winner — it’s a fun, dungeon-crawling card game by Zach Gage (already a well-known mobile developer). These two apps are the ones I’ve played the most, but I’m sure there are plenty of other deserving ones that I haven’t even downloaded yet.
If the quality of its best games is part one of the sales pitch, part two is that Apple surgically sliced off the pieces of mobile gaming that many of its consumers hate. There are no in-app purchases on Apple Arcade, no free-to-play, manipulative experiences designed to part players from their cash. Apple makes way too much money from these kinds of games (Clash of Clans, Fire Emblem Heroes) to ever try to curb their influence on the App Store, but it’s genuinely nice to know that the company hasn’t forgotten about those who don’t want to shell out more and more money to enjoy a “free” game. Finally, Apple also curates everything carefully, mercifully alleviating the headache of scrolling through the poorly-organized App Store.
Growing pains
The biggest problem with Apple Arcade is its erosion of ownership. It’s fun to play an all-you-can-eat buffet of mobile games, but I’ve found that there are only a few games in the service that I keep coming back to for days and weeks on end. And I’d much, much rather pay $5, $10, or even $15 for the apps I want than have to keep shelling out a monthly fee to access them.
Take Mini Motorways, for example. This game is incredible. It’s by the same studio that made the also excellent Mini Metro, and their pedigree and skill is evident from the first tutorial screen. I keep playing this game a lot, but I’m not sure that I want to pay $5 a month for the foreseeable future for that privilege. If Mini Motorways ever releases as a paid purchase, I would happily snap it up, but there has been no indication that this is even a remote possibility. One of my favorite parts of mobile gaming is coming back to games that I haven’t played in a long time. It’s harder to do that with apps I don’t really own.
There’s also some uncertainty about the future of Apple Arcade. $5 a month isn’t a bad price at all, but I find it unlikely that Apple will stay at this price point forever (there’s also a $50 annual subscription, but I still haven’t decided if that’s worth it). Finally, will games ever cycle out of the service? Will any new ones be added that are the same caliber as Mini Motorways or Card of Darkness? The future may be even better for Apple Arcade than it is now, but it also may be much worse. Only time will tell if the quality of apps can hold up.
Even though I don’t know how much I like it yet, I’m undeniably happy that Apple Arcade exists. I’m glad the tech giant is investing more into what I see as the best parts of mobile gaming, even I’d rather own the games outright (the whole idea of digital ownership is pretty fragile anyways, but that’s a separate conversation). I truly hope this service succeeds and I’ll be thrilled if Apple continues to convince developers to add excellent games to it.
But for now, I’m still undecided. It will take a little more than 2–3 truly great games to convince me to buy in for the long term and the uncertainty about Apple Arcade’s future is worth talking about. For now, I’ll probably keep the service for another month or two, and then decide whether to jump for the yearly subscription or cut it off entirely. Maybe an influx of new games or departure of old ones will make the choice for me.
The views expressed are mine alone and do not represent the views of my employer or any other person or organization.
