More games added to Apple Arcade

Apple set its current record for iPhone sales back in fiscal year 2015. Sensing that a peak in handset revenue was near, Apple decided to focus on its Services unit since it is aimed at active iPhone users and would allow the company to generate revenue and profits without worrying abut how many iPhones it might sell. Instead, the tech giant set a goal of hitting $50 billion in Services gross by fiscal 2021 from the $24.35 billion it collected from its second largest business unit in fiscal year 2016. And right on time, Apple surpassed its goal during fiscal year 2020 by recording $53.77 billion in Services revenue.

The businesses in this group include the App Store, iCloud, Apple Music, Apple Pay, Apple TV+, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, Apple Arcade and more. Getting consumers to agree to make recurring payments each month for subscriptions was a smart idea and on top of strong Services revenue, it looks like Apple might break the record for iPhone sales this year thanks to the redesign which brought back the popular look of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s. Also helping iPhone sales this year is the fact that the iPhone 12 series is the first to support 5G connectivity.

Today, Apple added 30 new mobile games to Arcade bringing the total to 180. The additional titles include Fantasian, a game created by the developers of Final Fantasy. New versions of NBA 2K and The Oregon Trail are being added along with Platinum Games' World of Demons. Apple is also adding two new categories of games: "Timeless Classics" and "App Store Greats." While the majority of Arcade games can be played over Apple TV, Mac, and iOS, games in those two categories can only be played on the iPhone and iPad.

Reportedly, Apple is not very happy with the amount of time that players are giving certain games. In fact, Apple is rumored to have backed out of deals it had made to acquire new games for Arcade. Last year, there were some reports stating that Apple was seeking out games that would keep Arcade subscribers engaged. As an example, Apple mentioned Grindstone, a multi-level puzzler from Capybara Games, as the type of content it was looking for.

Those developers that met certain milestones got paid from Apple and were told that they might get to work with Apple again in the future if their games showed promise of keeping subscribers engaged. Those firms unable to deliver exciting games that keep subscribers entertained and coming back for more, have suffered financial difficulties after losing their deals with Apple. Even if these developers were able to get Google and its Play Pass service interested in their games, it still might not be enough to make up for the financial hit that they would take from Apple's cancellation. Google allegedly pays developers based on the amount of engagement that Play Pass users have with a game; Apple, on the other hand, signs contracts with developers for the rights to use their games in the Arcade app.

Arcade is priced at $4.99 per month or $49.99 for a full year. Subscribers do not have to pay for any in-app extras. Those who purchase a new Apple device are eligible to receive a three month free trial to Arcade. If you've never subscribed to Arcade, you can take advantage of a free one-month trial before shelling out real cash to subscribe.

If you want to take advantage of "buying in bulk," the Apple One bundle will allow you to hook up with Arcade and several other Apple services for a discounted price. For $14.95 a month, you can purchase an Individual subscription that includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade and 50GB of iCloud. This saves the subscriber $6 per month. For $19.95 a month, the subscriber can purchase the Family Bundle for a total of six people. The price savings is $8 per month and includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade and 200GB of iCloud. The top tier of Apple One is called Premier and is priced at $29.95 each month. This level saves $25 monthly and is designed to be shared with up to five other people. This tier includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, 2TB of iCloud. It also comes with News+ and Fitness+.