Game service Apple Arcade has been around for several years. But recently it has faced increasing criticism. Developers criticize Apple Arcade for lack of transparency in payments, declining payouts and cancelled projects.
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Service Apple Arcade was first launched back in 2019, offering access to a wide range of otherwise paid games for a single fixed monthly subscription. The service initially launched with almost 100 titles, a number that has since doubled. There have been recent signs that Apple maybe planning to convert Arcade to a full-fledged streaming game service, not a subscription that provides access to games that still need to be downloaded in the usual way.
According to MobileGamer server news recently, the level of developer dissatisfaction with the service has been increasing Apple Arcade. Developers cite several reasons for their dissatisfaction. One of them is the non-transparent way in which developers are paid when their games are selected for inclusion in Apple Arcade. “They have a non-transparent metric called qualifying sessions and the bonus pool is paid out based on that,” one of the sources said. “But nobody knows what a qualifying session actually is – it has something to do with whether the game has been launched, how long the player has been playing it, and how often they come back. But it's actually a black box.”
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Payments from Apple Arcade have been declining for several years according to well-informed sources, and there has also been a reduction in advance fees, which Apple paid for new titles on its service. According to other developers, the Cupertino company also often cancels planned projects, for unclear reasons that it is unwilling to explain. For example, the head of one game studio said that after months of enthusiastic feedback for one particular game, the team Arcade suddenly withdrew its interest in the title, citing a change in strategy. When the developer asked for feedback and offered to reduce the budget and rework the game to better suit the company's needs Apple, team Arcade he simply stopped responding to their emails.
However, some developers pointed to a significant strengthening of the company Apple in 2021 and said they hope that competition from Netflix will lead to improved conditions from Appyou. “I really hope that Netflix will continue to do what it is doing, because it requires it Apple continued to strive to be relevant and competitive,” one of the sources said. Netflix doesn't pay any ongoing fees or bonuses, instead focusing on a single upfront payment - but the amount involved is described as very generous.
truth be told, I haven't been there yet