CUPERTINO: Apple is positioning itself to be a big contender in the subscription service arena with the launch of Apple Arcade and Apple TV+.
At its Special Event today (Sept 10), the company announced that its game subscription service Apple Arcade will be available starting Sept 19, 2019 at RM19.90 per month with iOS 13, offering an all-new way to enjoy games without limits.
With the subscription, users get unlimited access to the entire catalogue of over 100 new, exclusive games, all playable across iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and Apple TV.
The game service will come with a one-month free trial, and users will not find the games on any other mobile platform or subscription service. Apple Arcade games can all be played offline, and a single subscription includes access for up to six family members with Family Sharing. The catalogue will exceed 100 games in the coming weeks as new titles are introduced, with more games to come every month. Apple Arcade will be available on September 30 on iPadOS and tvOS 13 and in October on macOS Catalina.
“We are so excited to launch Apple Arcade on the App Store. A curated selection of over 100 new and exclusive games from many of the most innovative game developers in the world is the perfect complement to the App Store’s existing massive catalogue of games,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
“We think customers of all ages are going to be delighted that a single subscription gives the whole family unlimited access to the full catalogue of amazing Apple Arcade games, all without any ads or additional purchases, while knowing every game must meet Apple’s high privacy standards,” he said
Apple Arcade will feature games from genres such as action, adventure to party and puzzle, and some of the titles debuting on the platform include:
l “Ballistic Baseball” from Gameloft: An action-packed arcade baseball game that captures the intense battle between pitcher and batter in live head-to-head multiplayer matches.
l “ChuChu Rocket! Universe” explodes as Sega launches the beloved ChuChus into a universe of strange and wonderful planets with over 100 mind-bending puzzles.
l In “Exit the Gungeon” from Devolver: In this game, players must escape a collapsing hell dungeon as increasingly perilous obstacles and opponents stand in their way.
l “Overland” from Finji: This is a post-apocalyptic road trip adventure where players fight dangerous creatures, rescue stranded travellers and scavenge for supplies to survive.
l “PAC-MAN PARTY ROYALE” from Bandai Namco: This is a brand-new arcade experience featuring a four-player Battle Mode where the last PAC-MAN standing wins.
l In “Projection: First Light” from Blowfish, players follow the adventures of Greta, a girl living in a mythological shadow puppet world as she embarks on a journey of self-enlightenment, helped by legendary heroes from ancient cultures along the way.
l In “Rayman Mini” from Ubisoft, Rayman has been reduced to the size of an ant! Players use insects, mushrooms and plants to run through the world as quickly as possible or try over and over again to achieve the perfect score.
Made by some of the most creative developers in the world, each game on Apple Arcade is designed to capture players’ imaginations through intuitive and fun gameplay, compelling narrative and original art and music. Apple Arcade subscribers get the full version of every game including all updates and expansions, without any ads or additional in-game purchases. Instead of paying up front for each game, subscribers can download and play any Apple Arcade game right from the App Store’s brand-new Arcade tab. All the games are playable offline, so they can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere. Apple Arcade is the world’s first game subscription service that enables such a wide breadth of new titles to be played across mobile, desktop and TV. To give users maximum flexibility when playing, some games will support controllers, including Xbox Wireless Controllers with Bluetooth, PlayStation DualShock 4 and MFi game controllers, in addition to touch controls and Siri Remote.
Apple Arcade will be available on September 19 with iOS 13, on September 30 on iPadOS and tvOS 13, and in October on macOS Catalina.
APPLE TV+
Besides the Apple Arcade, another subscription service that is expected to disrupt the streaming content market is Apple TV+.
The company’s first all-original video subscription service and home for today’s most imaginative storytellers, will be available from Nov 1, 2019 in over 100 countries and regions.
Apple TV+ will offer a powerful and inspiring lineup of original shows, movies and documentaries, including “The Morning Show,” “Dickinson,” “See,” “For All Mankind” and “The Elephant Queen.” The service will be available on the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, Mac and other platforms, including online at tv.apple.com/my, for RM19.90 per month with a seven-day free trial.
Starting today, customers who purchase any iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch or Mac can enjoy one year of Apple TV+ for free. Through Family Sharing, up to six family members can share one Apple TV+ subscription.
“With Apple TV+, we are presenting all-original stories from the best, brightest and most creative minds, and we know viewers will find their new favourite show or movie on our service,” said Zack Van Amburg, Apple’s head of Worldwide Video.
“Each Apple TV+ original offers its own unique story, fresh perspective and powerful message — all meant to entertain, connect and inspire cultural conversations,” he said.
“Apple TV+ is an unprecedented global video service with an all-original slate,” said Jamie Erlicht, Apple’s head of Worldwide Video.
“We look forward to giving audiences everywhere the opportunity to enjoy these compelling stories within a rich, personalised experience on all the screens they love,” he said.
Subscribers can watch Apple TV+ originals both online and offline, ad-free and on demand, on the Apple TV app, which comes pre-installed on the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and iPod touch and will soon be on Mac with macOS Catalina. The Apple TV app is also available on select Samsung smart TVs, and will come to Amazon Fire TV, LG, Roku, Sony and VIZIO platforms in the future. Customers can also sign up and watch Apple TV+ originals on the web at tv.apple.com/my.
Starting today, viewers can watch trailers and add Apple TV+ series and movies to Up Next on the Apple TV app, so they can be notified when the first episodes become available. At launch, most Apple TV+ series will premiere with three episodes, with one new episode to roll out each week, while full seasons of some series will be available all at once.
Audiences worldwide can also enjoy Apple TV+ originals subtitled and/or dubbed in nearly 40 languages, including Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (SDH) or closed captions. Apple TV+ series and movies will also be available with audio descriptions in eight languages.
To subscribe to Apple TV+, customers must update to iOS 12.3 or later, tvOS 12.3 or later and macOS Catalina. The subscription will automatically renew at RM19.90 per month at the end of the seven-day free trial.
Apple TV+ will also be available on the Apple TV app on select 2018, 2019 and newer Samsung smart TVs, and on Amazon Fire TV, LG, Roku, Sony and VIZIO platforms in the future.
Besides that, customers can also subscribe to and watch Apple TV+ at tv.apple.com/myin Safari, Chrome and Firefox.
Among Apple TV+ originals to debut on the Apple TV app on Nov 1, 2019.
l “See,” an epic drama starring Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard, is set 600 years in the future after a virus has decimated humankind and rendered the remaining population blind. When all humanity has lost the sense of sight, humans must adapt and find new ways to survive.
l “The Morning Show,” a cutthroat drama starring and executive produced by Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, and starring Steve Carell, explores the world of morning news and the ego, ambition and the misguided search for power behind the people who help America wake up in the morning.
l “Dickinson,” a darkly comedic coming-of-age story, explores the constraints of society, gender and family through the lens of rebellious young poet, Emily Dickinson.
l “For All Mankind,” a new series from Ronald D. Moore, imagines what would have happened if the global space race never ended and the space program remained the cultural centrepiece of America’s hopes and dreams.
l “Helpsters,” a new children’s series from the makers of “Sesame Street,” stars Cody and a team of vibrant monsters who love to help solve problems. It all starts with a plan.
l “Snoopy in Space,” a new original from Peanuts Worldwide and DHX Media, takes viewers on a journey with Snoopy as he follows his dreams to become an astronaut. Together, Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the Peanuts crew take command of the International Space Station and explore the moon and beyond.
l “Ghostwriter,” a reinvention of the beloved original series, follows four kids who are brought together by a mysterious ghost in a neighbourhood bookstore, and must team up to release fictional characters from works of literature.
l “The Elephant Queen,” an acclaimed documentary film and cinematic love letter to a species on the verge of extinction, follows a majestic matriarch elephant and her herd on an epic journey of life, loss and homecoming.
Oprah Winfreyjoins the world’s most compelling authors in conversation as she builds a vibrant, global book club community and other projects to connect with people around the world and share meaningful ways to create positive change.
More Apple TV+ originals will be added to the Apple TV app each month, including:
l “Servant,” a new psychological thriller from M. Night Shyamalan, follows a Philadelphia couple in mourning after an unspeakable tragedy creates a rift in their marriage and opens the door for a mysterious force to enter their home.
l “Truth Be Told,” a gripping new series starring Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer and Emmy Award winner Aaron Paul, explores America’s obsession with true crime podcasts and navigates urgent concerns about privacy, media and race.
l “Little America,” inspired by the true stories featured in Epic Magazine, brings to life the funny, romantic, heartfelt, inspiring and surprising stories of immigrants in America.
l “The Banker,” a feature film inspired by a true story, stars Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson as two African American entrepreneurs who try to circumvent the racial limitations of the 1950s and quietly provide housing loans to the African American community in Jim Crow Texas. Nia Long and Nicholas Hoult also star.
l “Hala,” a feature film and official selection of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, follows a high school senior struggling to balance being a suburban teenager with her traditional Muslim upbringing.