The arrival of the iPhone 15 Pro last year heralded a new era for mobile gaming, with hardware capabilities promising the potential to run triple-A console games. Major titles such as Resident Evil, Death Stranding, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage have since been released for iOS, aiming to attract console gamers to mobile platforms. However, despite the hype and advanced technology, these games have struggled to find a significant user base among iPhone users.
Disappointing Sales Figures
According to an analysis by mobilegamer.biz, the number of iPhone users willing to pay full price to unlock these games beyond the initial free playable section is surprisingly low. Despite being offered at significant discounts, the full prices of these games can reach up to Rs. 3,999 in India. This pricing strategy has not translated into strong sales, leading to commercial disappointment.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage: A Case Study
Assassin’s Creed Mirage, which launched on Apple devices on June 6, has exemplified these struggles. Based on Appfigures estimates, the game has been downloaded approximately 1,23,000 times from the App Store. However, only under 3,000 users paid the $49.99 price to fully unlock the game. This has resulted in gross revenue of about $138,000 (roughly Rs. 1,15,30,452). When compared to free-to-play games that often see millions of downloads, these numbers are minuscule.
The Performance of Resident Evil and Death Stranding
Other high-profile titles like Resident Evil 4 Remake, Resident Evil Village, and Death Stranding Director’s Cut have similarly underperformed. Resident Evil 4 Remake, released in December last year, has seen 3,57,000 installs with an estimated revenue of $208,000 (roughly Rs. 1,73,79,024). This suggests that only around 7,000 users have paid for the full game.
Resident Evil Village has fared worse, recording 3,70,000 downloads and generating only $92,000 (roughly Rs. 76,86,692) in revenue. This implies that around 5,750 users paid to unlock the complete game. Death Stranding Director’s Cut, ported to Apple devices by 505 Games in January, has managed an estimated revenue of $212,000 (roughly Rs. 1,77,12,812).
Contrasting Data from Appmagic
A separate set of data from Appmagic paints a slightly more optimistic picture. According to their estimates, Assassin’s Creed Mirage has generated $221,000 (roughly Rs. 1,84,64,992) from 2,79,000 downloads. Resident Evil 4 has seen 710,000 installs, netting around $347,000 (roughly Rs. 2,89,92,544) for Capcom. This data suggests that approximately 15,000 users paid to fully unlock the game.
Resident Evil Village, according to Appmagic, has recorded 8,17,000 downloads, generating $420,000 (roughly Rs. 3,50,91,840) in revenue. Death Stranding has collected $348,000 (roughly Rs. 2,90,75,748) from 23,000 downloads since its iPhone launch.
My Opinion
The data highlights a significant challenge for triple-A games on mobile platforms. Despite the advanced capabilities of devices like the iPhone 15 Pro, the market for premium-priced games remains limited. Players appear hesitant to pay full price for console-quality games on mobile, preferring free-to-play models that dominate the market. As developers and publishers navigate this landscape, finding a balance between pricing and value will be crucial to the success of future triple-A mobile game releases.