games, making the Apple ecosystem more
attractive to developers around the world.
That’s without mentioning the new services
Apple is planning to introduce this year. Project
Catalyst, for example, means developers will
soon be able to port iPadOS apps to the Mac
for the first time, eliminating the barriers to
entry for many developers who have previously
only developed apps using Swift, expanding
the power and possibilities of the Mac App
Store which has, until now, played a lesser role
in Apple’s services success. Developers have
expressed their discontent towards the Mac
App Store despite Apple introducing a new
look akin to the iOS App Store with MacOS
Mojave. 32 percent of developers say that
they’ve avoided selling on the Mac App Store
and exclusively offer macOS apps on their own
store, whereas 46 percent say they sell their
apps both in the Mac App Store and outside
of the Mac App Store so that they’re able to
bypass Apple’s cut.
Apple is also set to launch Apple Arcade later
this year, the world’s first game subscription
service for mobile, desktop, and the living room.
Although pricing remains a mystery for now,
Apple has said it is working closely with some
of the most innovative game developers in
the world to bring their games to life in Apple
Arcade, and has also invited developers to
submit their games to be reviewed. The
Cupertino giant is offering select companies
funding to develop their games, and when the
service launches, will award payouts for the
amount of time users spend playing, which
unlocks yet another revenue stream for games
developers outside of the pay-to-win model.