Apple Arcade Criticized By Game Devs, Citing Decrease In Payouts & Lack Of Communication

Sources speaking on behalf of multiple mobile game developers have talked to Mobilegamer.biz regarding the state of Apple's gaming subscription service, Apple Arcade. This follows comments from developers that Apple had reportedly canceled multiple mobile games and decreased bonus payouts as communication between developers and the US tech company dwindled.

According to the report, communication between developers, studios, and Apple was great at the service's launch in 2019, and payments were cited as "generous" upfront. This also included the "per-play bonus pool" payouts, which resulted in most games released on the service being highly "profitable from day one" in the first couple of years. 

However, this dramatically changed for the worse over the next few years as these "per-play bonus pool" payouts declined since October 2020 and continue as of writing. Apple then reportedly performed a reboot in 2021, which resulted in multiple IPs being canceled by Apple, as one source commented that the decision "pissed off a lot of people."

The direction for Apple Arcade currently has left many studios, developers, and publishers baffled after meeting with Apple regarding publishing their games on the service. "A developer alluded that it's tainted by the "smell of death" as "they didn't really know where they were going with it all."

One studio head spoke of the lack of transparency and communication from Apple's end as they revoked their interest in the IP. However, when they requested feedback and proposed changes to their game to accommodate their needs, their team halted communication with the studio.

This lack of communication, decreasing bonus payouts, and cutting upfront fees have caused concerns amongst developers regarding the future of Apple Aracde. As fees and payouts continue to dwindle, one developer stated that "putting a game on Arcade starts to become much less viable."

Not everything has been entirely negative, as a few developers noted that premium games were able to gain visibility through the Apple Arcade service. Despite this, another developer added that while they're thankful for the support received from Apple, they can be somewhat "unpredictable and demanding to work with."