Apple’s annual September event may traditionally be all about the iPhone, but with Tim Cook bringing services into the fold, it was expected that Apple would reveal more about its hotly anticipated gaming and streaming services ahead of their official launches this fall. And Thursday’s event kicked off right away by introducing us to Apple Arcade and demos for three of its offerings.
The gaming service will release September 20 for $US4.99 (we’ve heard it will be $7.99 in Australia but are awaiting confirmation) with family access and will allow for a one-month free trial. There will be new games released every month, and will have perks like game guides and sneak peeks. In addition to a new Frogger, Apple also demoed new games Sayonara Wild Hearts and Shinsekai Into the Depths.
Thanks to the little Apple did share ahead of its September 10 event, we knew that Arcade would launch with more than 100 different games, including a new Sonic the Hedgehog game and the revamped Frogger. Apple also said in March that Arcade wouldn’t have ads or require additional purchases, and that games would be available offline and playable on an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac. And rather than releasing as a dedicated app, Arcade will release within the App Store as a new tab.