Okay, so each week thus far, if I’m not mistaken, Apple gave us at least 4/5/6 titles on Arcade. 80% of the games have turned out to be complete nonsensical pretenders, and another 10%, as of this writing, contain game breaking, critical bugs. There are syncing issues with networks, other devices and integration. One of the coolest aspects of Arcade was the fact that I could play games without the need for data. It also preserves the infamous battery life of iPhones and iPads. However, this is not entirely true. Guildlings, one of the best games on Arcade, created an awful paradox which forced me to contact Sirvio (no assistance thus far) and inform them of the most critical flaw I’d ever experienced in a game . Guildlings DOES play both offline and online. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do both. And if it doesn’t crash or force you to rage quit due to a billion bugs, you somehow manage to get to the end of the game after days of gameplay, only to be defeated by a random creature with no bearing on the story. Once restarting and realizing that both the offline and online save slots load with an “either or” error message, it slowly dawns on you that every save slot is corrupted because a boss fight made your characters’ batteries “lose their charge” for the sole purpose of advancing the storyline. I digress. Apple’s business goal is to create anticipation, which was all fine and well until yesterday... One. Game. And almost all of the proper upcoming titles have been pushed to a mid-2020 date so Arcade is allowed to hit its target market of paradoxical innovation. Did I miss the memo? Is it even worth it anymore? Lo and behold, an Apple rep informed me that cancellation of the subscription would ALSO PERMANENTLY DELETE one’s gaming progress, because Arcade uses Game Center’s cloud storage method. I’m so blah right now.
Ugh! I was thinking of pausing my Arcade subscription for a month or two as I have bought some premium games lately that I am keen on playing. I was foolishly thinking that my Arcade save files would be stored on my iPad so I could continue the games when I restarted my subscription again. This changes my view about the AppleArcade completely. Also makes me wonder if the same thing applies to my GameClub account? I will shoot them off an email to confirm.
I got back to games I’ve been playing years ago with saves from that time just by connecting to Game Center and downloading them from the Cloud. What you’re saying has no logic. I believe it once it’s proven. On the other hand, why would I care? I have no plans to cancel the subscription anyway. Really? Where this information came from? What’s it based on? Or are you making this stuff up just because? Which brings me to the last part of my reply and the overall conclusion. Anybody’s entitled to their opinion, whatever delusional state of mind they’re actually in. But spreading hate for no reason is just wrong. Especially in a case of a new member unless he has an agenda. And with false claims from your post it’s obvious you’re here just to pick up a fight. So, don’t!
If you have a subscription to Apple Arcade you can download the games for free. I assume you do have a subscription but are frustrated the info isn’t on the AppStore game description? To answer your question, yes, game controllers are supported. I haven’t tried it but it’s the first thing that shows up on the title screen, along with “single player” and “settings”. On the topic of gameplay: I like the puzzles and the presentation is very well done. It’s great you can choose portrait or landscape on the fly by orienting your device accordingly. The cut scenes are a bit much; it would be nice to have a skip option since you have to watch them every time you start over. They did a nice job of easing you into the types of block mechanics that you place on the grid to get from start to finish, though I’m already stuck on world 1-11. Also, I could really do without the timer, but that would effect the three star setup since it’s based partially on time. Overall seems like a nice puzzler with personality, just needs some tweaks here and there.
@ drpalland How did you contact the “Apple rep” you said told you that cancellation of the AppleArcade subscription will delete your gaming progress? Was it online at an offical Apple site? Because..... I went to the apple.support.com online site and it clearly states; If you cancel Apple Arcade If you cancel your subscription to Apple Arcade for any reason, you can resubscribe and still access your gameplay data. If you wait too long, some of your game saves might not be supported by the time you resubscribe. The only thing I would like to know is how long is “too long”? EDIT; I contacted Apple support chat. The representative has confirmed what “too long” refers to; The game save information will be permanently saved on the cloud. The only time the save file will be removed or becomes unplayable is if the developer stops support for the game or has it removed, or updates have made the save file incompatible. So lets be clear and accurate - As far as things stand presently, Apple keeps the save file indefinitely.
Wow. Are you serious? I’m not picking a fight... I was relaying information I have from credible sources... I’m so offended by your reply that I don’t even have words. Yes, the Cloud saves and the Game Center saves can be retrieved for other games, but Arcade’s subscription is directly tied to Apple’s subscription “cloud”. I’m a journalist, film, literature and gaming critic with Affiliated Press credentials. Google my name - Renier Palland. Or Dr Renier Palland. Calling me out for being a new member who contributes to the conversation is pure bullying. Shame on you.
To be clear and accurate, you spoke to Apple Support, I assume? I repeat what I said earlier: [ [/QUOTE] It would end my career if I made false claims. I am currently in the process of compiling an article based on Apple Arcade’s oddities. I’m not here to spread hate. I thought it would be helpful to some. Also, this is a forum. Open. Forum. I’ll update once I wrote the article.
@ drpalland To answer your question above that is directed at me. Yes, I did speak to an offical Apple Support representative. I went to the online Apple service. And to be accurate and clear it was via the written word, using their online chat system. You however did not offer me the same courtesy when I asked how you contacted your Apple rep, and whether it was from an offical Apple site? It would seem that we have totally conflicting information. While I do not have impressive credentials such as yourself, I am not in the habit of posting false information. I sometimes do get things wrong and if I do, I apologise. In this case I am posting what I was told from a person who should know what they are talking about concerning this issue. I am continuing this discussion simply to let other TA members know that their save game progress will remain even if they temporarily suspend their AppleArcade account. You initial comment gave the impression that this was not the case. It is a concern for me and I would expect others here may have the same concern.
Yes. It is an Open. Forum. Which means that you can expect people to disagree with you, question your assumptions, and even call you out on your BS. In fact, that’s par for the course. No need to get defensive.
Welcome to the site ! Dr, i congratulate you on trying to find the logic behind Apple Policies regarding Apple Arcade and wish you the best, however from my experience it can be a rocky path of disinformation. i remember when MFi controllers got launched way back in the medieval days of 2014. it literally took 1 year.. yes 1 year.. for Apple Store "geniuses" to know what they actually where. i kept getting glassy eyed blank stares when going into several stores and inquiring about purchasing an official "Made For iPhone" controller, or even trying to order one, i felt the disconnect. & couldn't help feeling let down by the whole experience. There is hierarchical informaton trickling down the line even to the support people who are meant to be the 1st in line to know answers to customers inquiries, as it's early days for Apple Arcade i'm betting there is still a lot of this happening right now. I mention this because it sounds familar to what i went through regarding official MFi controller debacle & as a rule of thumb i found interacting with humans always issued varied results, as they interpret policies which are so carefully worded they are like pieces of art..(i/e: open to interpretation) . My opinion, i think iCloud game save thing will be indefinate on Apple's side as others have mentioned, my reasoning is Apple Arcade uses iCloud/Game Center which is tied to your AppleAccount, It's where All app data is stored, and to me i can't see a data differenciation from there being an AppleArcade game data or a regular game data, you can view this by tapping on Settings---->Account name at the top--->iCloud.. if i'm wrong please correct me, but this is my understanding of the situation and information i have to go on right now. . However i have found a "glitch in the matrix" which is causing customer confusion in this area, it happens when trying to retreive saved icloud data across different devices. Apple are aware of this "glitch", and do offer a solution if you dig into their support pages, i'll simplify & post here incase anyone else is experiencing this anomally and have fists full of their own bleeding hair.., but first let me try and explain the scenario. What appears to be happening is that all your save data is gone! , even though you are signed into the same iCloud & Game center account on all your devices, let's say in the morning you play a game on your iPhone, then want to carry on and pick up later on AppleTV or iPad. but the AppleTV/iPad version doesn't appear to have your progress stored from before? The solution: (From Apple) On your primary device stay signed in On ALL other devices that use this account, goto Settings--->Tap your AppleID Account name at the top, scroll to the bottom and Sign Out. Sign back in again, it really is that simple, for some reason doing this fixes it the majority of the time. If this still not fixed it, sign out/ then back in on all devices. It's the classic case of : "Have you tried switching if off and back on again." LOL.. As open forums go, the saying goes "Illegitimi non carborundum". , stay positive, keep digging.
Why don't you try to be the change you want to see, and since you are such a controller crusader, be the one to download the game and see if it supports controllers or not. Then, instead of posting the same question in literally every new game thread asking others to do the work for you, you could bring useful knowledge to those who are also wondering the same thing as you and you'd actually be contributing to the overall discussion and community. Remember TOFTT? Then on future occasions where you either don't feel like downloading a game or are curious before actually buying a non-AA game, you'll have some goodwill built up to ask that favor of other people without everyone jumping down your throat.
I Admire your advice,, but to answer that..hear me out. i do run several websites dedicated to mobile gaming with controllers which i will not mention on here. i have been doing this for Apple since the launch of MFi controllers in 2014.. so 5 years now... and at great personal expense, i started out by solely downloading the games to test and publically listed them for other enthusiasts to benefit from. and i still do this but the sheer volume is overwhelming sometimes, especially now apple arcade is with us. . The problem still, is lack of communication in this area and the job in hand is bigger than 1 guy can manage, that's why i have a trusted network of gamers & game devs that regularly inform me of updates of new releases regarding games to play with a controller. I believe if people "know" they will give it a "go"..and here lies another crux of the problem these days. the speed of information and lack of info about controller support on Apple's part regarding Apple Arcade, (but that's for another thread). Going direct to the developer is great but it takes time for them to respond sometimes as i'm sure they are busy fixing bugs and doing updates etc., this time is then lost and a new game takes the limelight as hungry gamers eyes divert away to the next great game so to speak. those potential sales for the stuggling developer are lost. and believe me...getting your game noticed and out there is a shark pool right now. I align myself towards smaller dev's, the little guy, the underdog. So my agenda is to try to get the information out there in the public domain as soon as possible. Toucharcade does a great job of this by covering all releases in this open forum, so it's you guys that are passing on your info to anyone reading which is the best and fastest way to achieve awareness, so when i ask it is not to be annoying it's so everyone else can benefit, howmany times have you seen the "Supports MFi?" in the game threads and not just by me, so i use every means at my disposal including all social media outlets to "spread the word" so to speak. I'll give u an example, last week Crescent Moon released their latest game "Whipseey" they directly contacted me letting me know that it supported controllers, i immedeatly shared this info through my network and got an 18k response on twitter, couple of K on facebook..etc. i also posted the info freely on here. (check out the Whipseey thread if you care). That is just 1 example of what i do and have been doing for the past 5 years, im here to help small dev's get their game more social awareness and infront of gamers who enjoy gaming with controllers, for what it's worth everything i do is put back into promoting controller supported games and i freely share this info on gaming forums, try to raise awareness for today's generation of glass tappn gamers, that there actually is an alternative to play games, and in some cases they play much better than the touchscreen versions. Thnx, Draven. PS, keep this thread on track pls, Rosie's Reality works with Game Controllers aslong as you have updated to the latest OS on your device, you can play with upto 4 controllers at once!
That's all well and good, but in the time it took you to post that you could have downloaded and checked controller support in several games. You claim to want to spread the message yet all of the most active users on this forum have already put you on ignore, so even when there is a message to get out nobody is seeing it anyway. I've seen the Whipsey thread, I follow every thread in the forums, so I understand where other members are coming from when I go to check my subbed thread list and see them all lit up only to find it's a response from you demanding to know about controller support. I can only imagine the pain of people who get email alerts for new posts in their subs. At the same time I don't want to discourage you from participating in the forums, and obviously a big part of these forums has always been offering help and answering questions to those who need it. I'm just suggesting finding a balance, maybe taking the time to answer a question yourself once in a while and probably double checking the tone of your posts so they don't seem overly aggressive or demanding as that itself can have a big effect on how people respond to you. Also you are absolutely right, Apple's handling of controllers has been beyond abysmal right from the very start. We've complained about it and ranted about it ourselves on many occasions. Unfortunately the base of controller users is so minuscule I don't see much changing with that anytime soon.
Can we do this on another thread? Rosie is getting fragmented, i'm happy to talk about it elsewhere. The controller user base is small because of all the facts iv'e stated, and it will remain small and oppressed just like the game devs trying to survive in this Apple shaped fishbowl. The unspoken truth is that Apple actually do not want you to play with a controller, they are inexperienced at this and have no hardware they can profit from.. it's business.. once they understand that "games sell hardware" and own it, nothing much is going to change unless we force it to.. introducing support for PS4/XBX1 controllers was a brave move and a step in right direction in my opinion, fact is instantly overnight there are now over 140 million gamers with controllers available to Apple's eco system, but that information needs to be backed up and supported by Apple and Dev's and us, so it reaches the general masses. . I will try to find a balance. So when next weeks AppleArcade releases come by and a few games that have absolutley zero info on whether they support a controller.. if im not mistaken what you advising me is that i can no longer ask if a game supports controllers anymore because it annoys certain people.? is this what your are asking?.. you are telling me i need to download the game myself and find out this info? i remind you and i quote "a big part of these forums has always been offering help and answering questions to those who need it. "
Firstly, I wish to humbly apologise to anyone who might have thought I came across as spreading false rumors or attempting to deviate from the norm regarding Apple Arcade. This was never my intention. I am new to the forum, and as such I should have respected those of you who have been here MUCH longer than I have. I was in no way trying to be hubristic - I was merely relaying the information I received from TWO credible sources. Secondly, I wish to thank Draven for explaining the situation better than I ever could and also for giving all of us some more clarity regarding what I was attempted to infer. You are correct. This trend has been ongoing for some time now with Apple. I have had many similar experiences myself where I’d go to the iStore and enquire about something that’s been advertised, only to met with blank stares and terrified “geniuses”. Haha. Lastly, I am not here to cause any - as Draven so eloquently put it - “have fists full of bleeding hair”. I merely wanted to relay what I have researched on my side regarding Apple Arcade. I am a bit of an activist once I notice glaring discrepancies and misleading information from ANY institution/company etc. I welcome the counter-debates, as well as the very eloquent information provided by Draven. The intention is neither to harm nor to be a thorn in the side of this awesome community of players and gamers like myself. In response to the comment made by staff member, “squarezero”: I apologize if anyone perceived my responses and comments as defensive. I do suffer from “Fast & Ferocious Syndrome” (ha!), therefore I tend to react in a manner which might come across as ad hominem, but it’s never personal! Somewhat acidic, but never personal! As to the comment made by “stubbieoz”, I wish to refer back to what Draven posted. The syncing and saving across devices, as one gaming critic put it, “Makes me want to eat my Apple products from pure frustration!” Apple Support usually know what they’re doing, but from personal and professional experience, they do not have a 100% track record, which is why I do not take their word at face value all the time. To put all of this to rest, I actually investigated the information that’s been going around regarding the cessation of one’s Apple Arcade subscription and the saved games etc. I spoke to 25 Apple Arcade users and about 70% of them reported the same issue - their subscription cancellation resulted in loss of all saved games across Apple Arcade. Now whether this is an anomaly or not warrants further investigation. I tried it myself and lo and behold, only 8 out of the ten games I “tested” retained the save date. The steps as outlined by Draven were taken in all cases. Therefore I wish to categorically state the following to all TA members: There is an anomaly. Ensure you have researched everything before blindly trusting Apple Support. I am not stating that I know everything, nor would I. But more rigorous scientific research, a full methodological study and applying The Socratic Method BEFORE trusting Apple’s rather muddled to and fro regarding Apple Arcade et al., would benefit you more than the status quo. I trust this post will alleviate any tension I might have caused. Let us work together to find the smoking gun. And, if it turns out to be a toy gun without smoke, then at least we all tried to make a difference. Love and light to EVERYONE.
@drpalland It would seem we have all been somewhat mistaken about previous posts. Actually it is really totally unsurprising to me. The written word, while it is a legitimate means of communication, is open to personal interpretation of which was not what the originator intended. Many times my posts have been taken the way that I did not intend them to be taken. Moving on.... let us hope we can get some absolute final answer to this game data saving issue. While the Apple site has many answers and FAQ's about AppleArcade, it has no official wording that I have seen about this particular problem. I now realise that while I have no reason to doubt the information I was given by the Apple Support rep I chatted to, they in fact may well have been given incorrect information. I say this because I do remember that during my chat session the rep I was chatting to went away from the chat session for a good five minutes to get the answer. This could give the impression that it is not a common question and perhaps the official stand on this matter was not Apple endorsed? Oh and it may well be too late but welcome to the TA forum drpalland.
Is it just me, or is Apple Arcade pretty underwhelming so far? I was SUPER excited about all of the prospects it presented, but, aside from Ocean Horn 2, nothing has really held my attention. I’m really looking forward to Beyond a Steel Sky, but I can’t get any kind of solid release date on it. I’m seriously thinking of just canceling my subscription until some more interesting games come out.
In this case yes. It is probably just you. I personally didn’t even scratch the surface of Apple Arcade’s lineup of games. I played a lot of titles, true, but still didn’t get to the biggest it has to offer (like Oceanhorn 2, Cat Quest 2 etc). I’m in no rush like most. I’m in it for a long run. For you, it feels underwhelming. I, on the other hand, already found excellent titles I had a blast with and/or still enjoying. Story driven gems like INMOST, The Mosaic, mesmerizing narrative adventures like Assemble with care or Over the Alps, casual high score chasers like Speed Demons, massive puzzlers like Grindstone or Where cards fall, The Enchanted world etc... There are tons of examples. And as I said earlier, I didn’t even get to big stuff yet. The best of all? It’s $4,99 a month! Did you forget? It’s a price of a large cup of coffee. A pack of cigarettes. What exactly is it you’re underwhelmed by?! On regular basis I buy games that are twice as expensive as the whole subscription. No to mention we got first month free. You obviously don’t get the overall value of this service. No ads, no in app purchases, no crappy free to play model like gacha, energy or multiple currencies. No need to grind endlessly. Jesus Christ! What is it exactly you find “pretty underwhelming”, huh? Well, than go for it. It’s your choice after all. No need to announce it publicly. I’m getting pretty annoyed by these complaints lately. Like, what do you want? What is it that would possibly fully satisfy your needs? For 5 bucks a month. People are just ungrateful. Makes me sad for the developers. Makes me sick. But mostly, makes me angry. If you’re so underwhelmed, why do you have the need to complain about it? Why are you even here, in dedicated thread to Apple Arcade? Is it those lousy 5 dollars you feel like you got ripped of? If you promise you STFU from now on, give me your PayPal and I’ll gladly reimburse you. I don’t even care I’m in EU. I’ll gladly pay another $5 for international fees. But I’m telling you, this kind of whining needs to stop! I’m serious. Cry baby feels the lineup of 100+ premium games for $4,99 is pretty underwhelming. I’m gonna go to blow off some steam before I write something offensive.
