A few months ago, Apple canceled contracts for several Apple Arcade games and pursued other titles as part of a change in strategy to improve subscriber retention, according to a new Bloomberg report. The strategy? Offer more games that keep gamers "engaged" and playing beyond the service's one-month free trial, and by extension, remove titles in the portfolio that Apple says won't match that bill. The report cited Grindstone as an example that fits these criteria: an addictive puzzler that was praised by Polygon and others for keeping players hooked for far longer than other launch titles in Apple's line of games. Arcade 60+. Even after growing to 120 titles today, and more every month, the service doesn't offer the number of bona fide hits that keep subscribers hooked.
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(Image credit: Capybara Games Inc) Apple Arcade offers a wide range of games, but some are more relaxing and practical than the simple, repetitive but replayable gameplay of Grindstone and others on the service. The $4.99 / £4.99 / AU$7.99 monthly fee allows subscribers to access the full game library without in-game advertising or monetization, which is attractive, but this change in strategy suggests that the service needs more to justify its price to consumers. So Apple told some developers in mid-April that their Apple Arcade games lacked the "level of 'commitment' that Apple is looking for," according to Bloomberg, and they canceled their contracts. Although they were paid according to their level of development, this caused financial difficulties for some of the developers involved, especially in the midst of the pandemic. It's unclear how many games have been affected and how this change will change the Apple Arcade game library as a whole. Since its introduction in April 2019, it has become clear that the tech giant has been trying to appeal to a lot of crowds, mostly families, mobile gamers, and Apple users who can play games on most of the company's devices. The following lineup has been a unique mix of games that are stylish and thoughtful, but not particularly action-packed, that are deliberately different from popular titles in mainstream gaming. Nothing like The Last of Us 2, or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, or Assassin's Creed. While Grindstone isn't either, Apple's move could open the door to more compelling games. But we won't know until Apple signs on with new developers, or possibly when these games are ready to go on Apple Arcade. If there's one thing we know about Apple, it's that we know very little about it.
Apple Arcade Black Box
The original Apple Arcade release appealed to both gamers, who wouldn't have to deal with microtransactions, and developers, who were guaranteed to pay off their title development and exit from the service without having to include in-game monetization schemes. But the exact terms have never been made public, and since the tech giant hasn't released subscription or revenue data, it's unclear to what extent Apple Arcade was successful. Or, in other words, how much Apple has reported a €500 million investment in the service that the Financial Times reported in April 2019 paid for. So far, the tech giant has set aside tens of millions of dollars to help developers create games for Apple Arcade, spending between €1 million and €5 million on multiple titles, according to a new Bloomberg report. . Apple, notoriously shy about details, has only released information about the success of the general category that belongs to Apple Arcade: Apple Services. With the App Store, Apple Music and Apple TV Plus, the category increased sales to €13.3 billion in the first quarter of 2020, compared to €11.4 billion in the same period last year. It is not yet known to what extent Apple Arcade, released in September 2019, is responsible for this gain. Therefore, the performance of Apple Arcade is based on rumors and reports. The change in strategy to prioritize "higher engagement" games suggests that subscriber growth has been slower than expected, developers told Bloomberg. Regardless, Apple recently extended the free trial to two months, ostensibly to give the service a better chance of sinking in with gamers.