Mac is not the preferred platform for most gamers, but Metal 3 in macOS Ventura shows Apple hasn’t given up. And iPadOS 16 is getting support for a wider range of game controllers.
These are just a couple of gaming features Apple is bringing to Mac and iPad.
New data from a couple of analytics firms shows that it’s harder now than ever to get an app to the top of App Store rankings, thanks to stiffer competition.
But the data shows that gaming apps have an easier time of it than other types of apps.
Mix the classic Frogger arcade game with Raiders of the Lost Ark and you get Frogger and the Rumbling Ruins. Jump through puzzle-ridden ruins to unravel their mysteries.
The puzzle game from Konami debuted Friday on the Apple Arcade subscription service.
Grab your sword and your iPad to battle the demonic forces of evil in Diablo Immortal. Blizzard Entertainment created the massively multiplayer online action role-playing game for iPhone, Android and Apple tablets.
It’s also out for PC, and players will be able enjoy the game across platforms.
Games played on iPhone and Android represents 61% of the overall gaming market, according to two market analysis firms. And mobile’s lead over PC and console gaming is growing.
The total gaming market is set to hit $222 billion in 2022. For comparison, global film revenue for 2019 (the last pre-pandemic year) was $42.5 billion.
Apple reportedly held talks about buying out Electronic Arts, the company behind the wildly popular Madden series, The Sims series and many more.
But EA has also supposedly held acquisition talks with others, including Disney.
Peter Griffin jumps in a go-kart and races Hank Hill. Or Stan Smith takes on Dale Gribble. These matchups are all part of Warped Kart Racers.
The wacky racing game launched Friday on Apple Arcade. It’s playable on iPhone, Mac and more. And up to eight players can race at once.
Clip the Backbone One to your iPhone to get the physical buttons and sticks you’ve been missing. It has a lot in common with an Xbox controller, while being designed specifically for iPhone gaming. And a Lightning connector makes hookups easy.
I spent many hours testing the Backbone One. Here’s why I completely love it, especially for cloud gaming.
The latest addition to the award-winning Badlands series is the first with online multiplayer gaming. Badlands Party is physics-based side-scroller like its predecessors – it’s just more social.
The game launched Friday exclusively on Apple Arcade.
Fortnite got kicked out of the App Store as part of a legal battle between Apple and Epic Games, but you can play it on your iPhone today for free. Microsoft added it to Xbox Cloud Gaming so the combat game is playable on iOS and iPadOS devices.
Setting up your iPhone or iPad to play Fortnite from the cloud rather than the App Store is different from what you’re used to. Not hard, just different. I’ll walk you through it.
Diablo fans will be soon able to answer the call to battle on their iPhone. On June 2, Blizzard Entertainment will launch Diablo Immortal, a massively multiplayer online action role-playing game for phones and tablets.
There’ll also be a PC version, and players will be able enjoy the game across platforms.
Physics-based puzzlers are all the rage, and the latest Apple Arcade game takes the concept to the stars. In Moonshot – A Journey Home, players use a slingshot to reunite a wandering moon with its home planet.
It debuted Friday on Apple’s gaming service, which now offers more than 200 titles.
Core is a free tool for creating games that runs on Unreal Engine, which is only available on PC. But as part of its one-year anniversary, developer Manticore Games said Friday that Core is coming to macOS and iOS in summer 2022.
When Mac, iPhone and iPad get Core, gamers will be able to cross-play between versions with Windows gamers, Manticore said. And developers can start playing with Core for iOS on Friday.
Take a long holiday in a gorgeous villa with all the time in the world to drive beautiful supercars. We can’t do it in reality, but we can in Gear.Club Stradale. The multiplayer racing game for a variety of platforms zoomed onto Apple Arcade on Friday.
In addition, the Sega classic Sonic Dash also made the jump to Apple’s gaming subscription service.
Epic Games gave developers access to Unreal Engine 5, the next generation of its tool for creating 3D games. It offers “a collection of groundbreaking features for rendering real-time worlds in incredible high-fidelity detail.”
The new version of this software-development environment released Tuesday replaces Unreal Engine 4, which has been around since 2014. It’s used in many Mac, iPhone and/or iPad games, including Injustice 2 and Darkness Rises.
Alto’s Adventure – Remastered debuted on Apple Arcade on Friday. This is an update to a classic over-the-top snowboarding game.
The revamped version created for Apple’s gaming service includes a new character and new goals but the same sports-fantasy fun.
Square Off Pro is an interactive electronic chessboard that lets you play in person or online with the same physical pieces. Dubbed “the world’s first rollable tournament e-chessboard,” the Square Off Pro is on sale now for $225 (regularly $249).
Monument Valley 2+ made the jump onto Apple Arcade Friday. Gameplay involves “a journey through magical architecture, discovering illusionary pathways and delightful puzzles as you learn the secrets of the Sacred Geometry,” according to the developer, Ustwo Games.
The puzzle adventure is “an immersive, addictive experience,” according to the Cult of Mac review.
Gaming giant Razer rolled out a tiny new mechanical keyboard Friday that could be a boon for gamers. It’s a new-and-improved version of the first 60% keyboard released by a major brand. And it’s the first one to use Razer’s proprietary, super-sensitive “analog optical switches” that can be customized in multiple ways just by the force used to press the key.
It’s the updated Razer Huntsman Mini Analog. And if you’re a competitive gamer, you might want to get it before your opponents do.
Shadow Blade+ launched on Apple Arcade on Friday. The platformer is the latest classic game to make its way to the subscription service. Several others classics debuted in recent weeks, and more are expected soon.
This is in addition to original games that also hit Apple Arcade in February.
Find out what it’s like to swing through the trees as a gibbon in a game that debuted Friday on Apple Arcade. Gibbon: Beyond the Trees is the story of a family trying to survive amid an encroaching human threat.
The ecological adventure is available to play on a variety of Apple devices.
Help a young witch grow the family farm in Wylde Flowers, a magical sim game that debuted Friday on Apple Arcade. You’ll also need to increase your spell skills if you want to help your local coven solve a mystery.
The enchanting game is available now for a range of Apple computers.
Danny Phantom heads to the tennis court with SpongeBob. Or Garfield faces down Invader Zim. It’s not animation day at Wimbledon — it’s Nickelodeon Extreme Tennis. The stars of animated shows past and present compete in a very unusual version of the sport.
The game debuted Friday on Apple Arcade.
Disney and Pixar characters drop their sweet facades and go for one another’s throats in Disney Melee Mania, a multiplayer action game that debuted Friday on Apple Arcade.
Ever wondered what would happen if Elsa and Moana took on Buzz Lightyear and Wreck-It Ralph? Now you can find out.
Oddmar won the Apple Design Award in 2018, and the Viking-themed platformer is now available on Apple Arcade. Friday’s other addition is Dandara: Trials of Fear, also a platformer.
Both games have been in the App Store for years, but have now joined hundreds of other titles in Apple’s gaming subscription service.
