Why Apple needs to open up Apple Arcade

When we first heard about Apple Arcade, long before we knew it would only cost £4.99 per month, I hoped that it would give developers an alternative to the freemium model that has plagued mobile gaming.

Now iOS 13 has been released and with it, the Apple Arcade service. At £4.99 per month with family sharing, it’s a much better deal than anticipated. And the games are great – the variety and quality exceeds my highest hopes. I’ve only played about 15 of the games offered, and I can see myself spending a lot more time with at least 10 of those.

But more importantly, playing the games in Arcade has really thrown into sharp relief just how bad mobile game monetization has made even otherwise good games. This is a service that could potentially