Yeah, there was some good stuff early on, but I haven’t been that interested in most of the recent additions. Still, we will be subscribing at some tier. Really wish news was in the middle tier.
That’s what makes Arcade fun! A lot of those games really shine when you can just prop up your iPad, or cast to the TV, and use proper controls. I love that Apple required every game to have real controller support.
If I am going to game on iOS I mostly want it on my phone when I am at work, etc, and I don’t like virtual controllers.
On the other hand if there were more good games that needed a controller, I would get one just for doing so on my iPad/TV (It’s a pain swapping my Xbox One controller for it, so I don’t). There just doesn’t seem to be enough games that I am interested in to do so. I will move to Apple One at some point, so maybe those Arcade games will push me towards getting a controller, but nothing looked worth it currently.
It’s been said a million times, but Apple needs to make the Apple TV a viable game system. No silly partial install rules, and include a controller with it. Stuff like Hades on Apple TV would be great.
What are the partial install rules? Totally agree they should sell an Apple TV/controller bundle, but I think they are already too far on the high end for casting hardware to make it the default. For the same reason I don’t think it will ever be as powerful as I think it should be, because $200 isn’t enough to put their latest SoCs in profitably.
For the rest it sounds like you just need to get hooked on good controller iOS games and then you’ll naturally move to the bigger screen. :) I’m sure Hades will come to iPad and TV; the Bastion port was really solid.
What is a good iOS controller? Isn’t the Xbox One the best one?
I think the requirements have been revised to allow more space, but a couple of years ago there was a big stink about a bunch of limitations on games on the Apple TV. Games would have to load a lot of info on demand instead of being able to have a full install for instance.
Currently the restriction is:
Your submission may contain up to 4GB in the main bundle and up to 20GB of on-demand resources.
Ah, interesting. Yes, that’s not enough unless the offloaded data is coming from elsewhere on your network or something. At least not for AAA ports.
I’d just use the Xbox controller at this point, but I started doing controller gaming before that announcement using the Steelseries Nimbus (v1.) It’s a solid controller. They refreshed it in the spring and it looks great, but I don’t see the benefit anymore to using a controller dedicated to Apple ecosystem. If there is a benefit, Apple needs to make it more obvious and maybe they’d do that if they released a TV/controller bundle.
Prior to this gen of the Apple TV, IIRC, the limit for main bundle size was 256mb – perhaps even smaller.
Oh, wow. You’d have to offload something as small as Mario Run. Weird choice, Apple.
There is also a version of the razer kishi for iPhone which gets a lot of good press for Android cloud gaming:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FFPKRYW
Not used it myself though and it’s not cheap.
I’d had South of the Circle sitting on my phone for awhile waiting to be played. I wasn’t exactly sure what it would be. Well, I fired it up last night on a whim and was blown away.
It’s a purely narrative experience. Interactive in small ways, with just a scant bit of branching from what I can tell. So if you balk at walking simulators, this may not be for you…
BUT, this is a impeccably constructed narrative game. Cinematic, dramatic, yet grounded. It takes you to places both ordinary and extraordinary, interweaving two parts of the protagonist’s story together–one is an ill-fated research trip to Antarctica, the other is his scholarly work at Cambridge and the relationships he forms there before heading south.
The real heart of the game is the dialogue. Not only is it well written, but it’s some of the most flawless voice-over I’ve ever heard in a game. At junctures you get to choose a reaction to dialogue, using a handful of emotional categories (will you respond to what was just said with alarm or with honesty?). So far every choice I’ve made has resulted in logical and natural-sounding dialogue, which is no small thing. And there are occasional choices that seem to have consequences outside the current conversation, though I can’t tell quite how big the branches are.
There are also some third-person exploration sections and a number of driving sequences. These all control really nicely on the touchscreen (I’ve gotten a little fed up with Arcade games that seem to be built for controller).
To top it off, the score and sound are excellent, too.
I’m guessing I’m about half-way through the game. You never know, but based off what I’ve played, I feel like I’m in very good hands and I’m looking forward to seeing how the game pays off.
Update: Yep! Solid ending.
In addition to new exclusive Arcade Originals, including “NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition,” “Star Trek: Legends,” and “The Oregon Trail,” the service is introducing two new game categories, Timeless Classics and App Store Greats. Arcade Originals are playable across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. Timeless Classics and App Store Greats are available on iPhone and iPad.
Timeless Classics includes universally loved, quintessential genres with titles like “Good Sudoku by Zach Gage,” “Chess - Play & Learn,” and “Backgammon,” while App Store Greats brings some of the best award-winning games from the App Store to Apple Arcade, including “Threes!,” “Mini Metro,” and “Fruit Ninja Classic,” all ad-free and fully unlocked. These two new categories join Arcade Originals to bring the service’s catalog to over 180 outstanding games for the entire family to enjoy at a great value, with no ads or additional in-app purchases. Apple Arcade is included as part of Apple One or for a low monthly subscription of $4.99 with a one-month free trial.
BTW, Wonderbox released today. My daughters played it in beta and they loved it.
Is Good Sudoku+ (the version on Apple Arcade) meaningfully different from Good Sudoku, the version I bought last year that’s a regular old purchasable app? Are they ditching the “mobile exclusive” angle on Apple Arcade games, or squeaking by on a technicality?
Still trying to figure this out, but the new version isn’t showing up on any of devices.
All the games on Arcade are on Mac and the TV. (But they feel like ports, at least the ones I have played.)
Right, but they were advertising that none of the games in Apple Arcade were available on other mobile platforms. That was already disputed for some games available on Switch, but the gist was you wouldn’t find games in your Apple Arcade library available on android, or for purchase outside of the Apple Arcade on your iOS devices. As far as I know, that had remained true, but I haven’t been a subscriber for a few months so I might have missed it if that was already being quietly forgotten.
Ahh ok, no they dropped that as far as I can tell.
Did anyone know this was coming?
I just got a new iPhone so I have arcade for three months. Talk about great timing.
I’m getting a little frustrated with Apple Arcade games that aren’t really built for touchscreen. I mean, they all “work”, but so many aren’t fun without (I imagine) a controller. Surprising that Apple went from resistant to controllers on their platform to embracing them as the way to play.
Not I. DLng - am I that out of touch that I thought 3gig install seems crazy for an Arcade game?