Apple Shifting Apple Arcade Strategy, Dropping Game Contracts

As per a Bloomberg report, Apple is shifting the Apple Arcade strategy, dropping some game contracts, focusing only on those works that can better attract subscribers.

Earlier this year, Apple terminated contracts with multiple game studios, informing them that the company’s strategy for selecting games is changing. Some games that plan to log in to Apple Arcade have not received enough attention. Apple wants to find works that really attract users to subscribe.

This, of course, led to some developers speculate that changes in strategy may mean that subscriber growth did not meet expectations. Lately, Apple has also begun offering some users a free trial for the second month, in the hope of remaining them for a longer time.

Apple said in a statement its vision has always been to grow and evolve the ‌Apple Arcade‌ catalog, and thus far, the mobile game subscription service features more than 120 games.

"‌Apple Arcade‌ has redefined what a gaming service can be, putting unlimited play at the fingertips of subscribers and their families across all their Apple devices," Apple said in a statement. "We are proud to have launched the first-ever mobile game subscription service that now features more than 120 games, many of which are award-winning and widely celebrated for their artistry and gameplay. The vision has always been to grow and evolve the ‌Apple Arcade‌ catalog, and we can't wait for our users to try the games developers are working on now."

Apple Arcade was launched in September of 2019. The service is costing at $4.99 per month, games are available to family members with Family Sharing and contain no ads or in-app purchases. It's reported that Apple has spent millions of dollars funding some games.