News Press Releases

Apple Arcade Is The Company's Newest Subscription Gaming Service

AAPL, EA, GOOG, SNY | March 25, 2019

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) will offer gamers more than 100 exclusive games across multiple platforms as part of its new Apple Arcade, which it says is the first subscription games service.

During a massive roll-out of various services on Monday that mostly involved offering customers ways to access entertainment through one-stop subscriptions, Apple touted the simplicity of buying games through one service, and also its plans to work with game developers on new offerings.

"With a single subscription you'll get access to over 100 new and exclusive games," Apple's Ann Thai said at the event in Cupertino, California. "And we're just curating them, we’re backing their development."

Not Streaming

The games aren't part of a streaming service, like those offered by Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL)'s Google's new Stadia streaming gaming service. Instead, Apple's games, which will be exclusive to users of the Apple service, will be available for users to download from the App Store. What's new is that once a user has paid the subscription fee, they'll have access to all the games. They'll have the opportunity to try games without risk, and games will be available offline.

Apple hasn't said what the fee will be.

"Because subscribers can play Apple Arcade games across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV, they can pick up where they left off in a game, even if they switch devices," the company said in a press release.

Apple Arcade will launch this fall.

Gaming Stocks

Apple's stock closed down 1.2 percent at $188.74. Shares of several gaming stocks ticked lower during the event but eventually recovered.

Shares of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) were off 0.6 percent to close at $101.73, while Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) saw its shares down fractionally to $96.03. Shares of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI) closed at $46.98, while shares of Sony Corp. (NYSE: SNE) closed at $42.15.