Apple's App Store Introduces Monthly Game Subscriptions (VIDEOS)
Apple is now allowing video game publishers to institute a monthly subscription model for its content on iPhones and iPads.
This new revenue stream for video game publishers was previously available for digital publications only.
Game players who own the iPad, iPhone or iTouch can now play as many games from a publisher as they want. Instead of downloading multiple titles, gamers can enter the App Store and buy a subscription for unlimited monthly play.
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The games that are selected will be streamlined to one's mobile device.
Bloomberg reported on one video game publisher who has adopted this subscription-based model.
"Big Fish Games, a Seattle-based game publisher, won approval from Apple to become the first to offer users access to dozens of titles for $6.99 a month. Until now, games have only been available one at a time, requiring users to download individual applications,” said Bloomberg.
Big Fish currently offers gamers a $6.99 a month fee for its games.
This new process took a while for Apple to finally adopt. Big Fish was able to convince Apple that this would work in the end, though.
"It took longer than usual to be approved… they needed to be convinced there’s a reason to charge customers every month," said Paul Thelen, Big Fish's founder.
Technology website 9to5Mac.com forum user Millahtime approved the new method.
"Actually this is a great deal for someone like my mom who plays Big Fish Games nonstop. They make the hidden object games. She plays them nonstop, and they have tons of these games. So think about it....each of their games cost about seven bucks anyway...so instead of her paying seven dollars every time she wants to play a new game, she can just pay 7 a month and play all their games,” said Millahtime.
"It's gonna save me some money, since I'm the one who pays for her games. She plays them once and that's it, so it's pointless to ‘own’ the game. It's just a hidden object game, once you beat it there isn't much replay value,” Millahtime added.
Big Fish has a wide variety of games.
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