Bethesda's iOS game "The Elder Scrolls: Blades" has begun rolling out in early access this week, after facing numerous delays in 2018 (via TouchArcade). The game was first announced at E3 2018, and then showcased by Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard at Apple's "Gather Round" iPhone XS event in September 2018.
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As of now, the game is in early access and Bethesda is sending out invites in waves. If you're interested, you can create a Bethesda account to sign up for early access on the company's website, and more information about the program can be found on the game's FAQ page.
Apple used the mobile game as a way to showcase the A12 Bionic chip on the newest generation of iPhone devices. During the event, Howard said that Blades is a massive, first person role-playing game that is full of quests for players to complete in an open world.
In the game, you play as a member of the Blades, a group of the Empire's top agents who are forced into exile, forcing you to return to your hometown in an effort to help rebuild it. The game's App Store page highlights features like dungeon questing, city customization, player-versus-player arena battles, character and gear editing, and more.
The Elder Scrolls: Blades is available to download from the iOS App Store for free [Direct Link]. As with most free-to-play games, there are in-app purchases of up to $99.99.
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I hope. I admit I’m part of the problem where I only play free games...but I never do in app purchases. For $10 a month unlimited games and no in app purchases, I might do that.
This is what Apple is going to have to overcome with Arcade. The vast majority of mobile gamers play free games. It's what they're used to, and based on revenue, it's what they like. I'm skeptical Apple is going to be able to convince the IAP crowd to fork over $10 a month. Mobile gaming to me is simply a distraction or time killer, not a destination. I think it's the same for a lot of people. Arcade is going to need compelling content to even have a glimmer of a chance.I'm not opposed to gaming subscription. I have an XBox Game Pass which is well worth it considering I paid $100 for a year. $100 is the cost of a typical AAA title + dlc season pass. Worth it.
I would gladly pay $99 for a premium full game (not free to play) mobile version of Elder Scrolls. But those days are gone as all the money is in gambling and addiction based mechanisms to keep you buying in app purchases.
Hopefully Apple Arcade will fix that.-sigh-
I would gladly pay $99 for a premium full game (not free to play) mobile version of Elder Scrolls. But those days are gone as all the money is in gambling and addiction based mechanisms to keep you buying in app purchases.
Well, Nintendo released a game with a single IAP of $9.99 to unlock the whole game. The whining about the price on this forum was immeasurable. It was one of the best mobile games I’ve ever played. It was fresh, challenging, and an innovative way to play a platformer with one hand. Well worth the $10.-sigh-
I guess Nintendo should have implemented consumable micro transactions up to and including purchases of $99.99 like this Bethesda game and it would have been hailed as the game of all games on iOS.
I seriously don’t get people who play games on mobile. It simply is not worth the time, energy, or money.
Not all games are poison just because you have to pay for them upfront, Grid, Rush Rally 3 to name 2, the freemium model killed mobile gaming as it’s akin to gambling, Apple won’t include them purely because it gets far far far far more money from the freemium model as do the devs.
I was specifically referring to IAP for consumables as being poison. I should have been more clear.I don’t think what Apple is offering will last long or will be any good.
I do enjoy premium titles on iOS, but have frequently been burned by those as well. More often than not, premium titles are abandoned. Bugs are left unpatched and instead of fixing issues when an iOS patch breaks functionality, the games are often just pulled off of the store.
I am cautiously optimistic of Apple Arcade because it could offer what I am looking for out of mobile gaming; well supported premium games that don’t have IAP.
Remember that this will live along side the current App Store and will likely appeal to gamers who are otherwise not spending any money on IAP today. This could be a new and largely untapped revenue stream for Apple that if done well could increase overall store profits. I can almost guarantee that the average iOS user spends less per month today than this new service will charge.
That’s the point. The funding model of those titles are poison to quality gaming. They can remain in the main App Store, but I will be far more interested in Apple Arcade titles that should all be premium quality games with long term support like freemium.
Not all games are poison just because you have to pay for them upfront, Grid, Rush Rally 3 to name 2, the freemium model killed mobile gaming as it’s akin to gambling, Apple won’t include them purely because it gets far far far far more money from the freemium model as do the devs.I think a lot of people are missing this side of the Apple Arcade proposal; premium games get released and abandoned because the money dries up after the first month. Freemium games are continuously updated to keep customers coming back, but sacrifice quality game balancing. Apple Arcade will be Premium games that continue to generate revenue after the initial release so devs have an incentive to keep them fresh.
I don’t think what Apple is offering will last long or will be any good.