Apple Buys Indie Studio Behind Sneaky Sasquatch

This is a complete 180 from the usual strategy. For years, they’ve tried to distance themselves from gaming and games entirely—even though their Electronic Entertainment category probably beat out all the others hands down.

It was only in 2019 that Apple Arcade was launched, offering a library of over 200 ad-free games… wait, those exist? It currently costs about $6.99 per month—that’s where the “ad-free” comes in—but this company has not generally shown interest in developing a game themselves.

That changed when Sneaky Sasquatch dropped as one of the launch titles. The game’s popularity never fell—it’s probably still at the top of the list. Who can blame them? You get to play as Bigfoot, sneaking through forests in stealth mode, learning how to drive cars, disguise yourself, and ski—all while avoiding the capture of humans in the story. It’s a nice little spin on the cryptid legend.

Following Netflix’s Playbook

But Apple isn’t the first to make this move—they’re literally following in the footsteps of Netflix, which has slowly been expanding its gaming influence by purchasing studios for a while now.

If we have to tell you the reason behind this virtual free-for-all of buying small studios, you haven’t been paying attention for the last several years. Gaming is a huge industry and an even bigger money-maker—especially with mobile gaming on the rise.

A Newzoo report from 2024 found that revenue earned from mobile gaming made up about half of the gaming revenue in 2023—which totaled a whopping $90 billion. Yeah, apparently, people getting hooked on their mobile apps changed the course of an entire company’s strategy.

It’s All About Loyalty

There’s also a psychological side to it. Games keep people’s attention focused on their screens—okay, on their phones—which can actually build brand loyalty. Console giants figured this out years ago. To be fair, they did too, or there wouldn’t be a whole Apple vs. Android debate raging every single year.

By keeping users engaged through gaming, they can keep customers locked into their own gravitational pull—ensuring that when it’s time to upgrade, users stay with Apple rather than jumping to Samsung or any other Android phone. If you’re constantly on your phone, you start to notice the graphical quality. And when it’s time to upgrade, you’re more likely to stick with what you know.

Looks like it was finally time for Apple to join the gaming bandwagon. Now let’s see how well they can keep up with the industry veterans.