Apple shines the spotlight on indie games on the App Store
New shopfront for talented little devs
There’s some good news for independent game developers – as of Thursday, Apple has launched new feature hubs just for indie games on the App Store which will run permanently.
The sections dedicated to indie games include one for games making their debut on iOS, and one for some well-loved titles from days gone by.
The hub will be curated regularly by Apple’s games editorial team, preventing developers from purchasing favourable positions, and will showcase both free-to-play and paid titles.
Game time
Speaking to Polygon, Mushroom 11 creator Itay Keren said: “By setting up this showcase and reserving this desired spot on their store, Apple is essentially taking a stand to insure the creativity, sustainability and diversity.”
Apple had been highlighting indie games over the last two weeks, likely as a lead up to the launch of this hub, featuring sections like ‘great indie games’ and ‘indie game debuts’.
There are no predictions as to how this new hub will affect customer behaviour, or where this permanent fixture will reside on the App Store, but finding favourable position has been known to make or break new games, with the top five most popular paid apps being games.
- If you'd like to enjoy more game time with some indie titles, take a look our list of 28 best indie games available on PC and consoles.
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Sharmishta is TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor and loves all things photography, something she discovered while chasing monkeys in the wilds of India (she studied to be a primatologist but has since left monkey business behind). While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, she's also an avid reader and has become a passionate proponent of ereaders, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about the convenience of these underrated devices. When she's not testing camera kits or the latest in e-paper tablets, she's discovering the joys and foibles of smart home gizmos. She's also the Australian Managing Editor of Digital Camera World and, if that wasn't enough, she contributes to T3 and Tom's Guide, while also working on two of Future's photography print magazines Down Under.