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iOS gets $6.99 streaming buffet of Big Fish Games, App Store subscription model a go for playthings

iOS gets $6.99 streaming buffet of Big Fish Games, App Store subscription model a go for playthings

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Bloomberg is reporting that Big Fish Games will be the first to offer a $6.99 monthly subscription model for a number of its titles on the Apple iPad.

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Big Fish Games
Big Fish Games

Bloomberg is reporting that Apple will now allow game subscriptions within the App Store, and Big Fish Games will pave the way with a $4.99 monthly subscription for its titles (which will jump to $6.99 early next year). The service will give users access to a catalog of games through a single dedicated app — interestingly, the app will stream games to the user, similar to how OnLive works, eliminating the need to download individual game apps. Bloomberg says Big Fish will also offer a free version of the service with advertising that limits play to thirty minutes a day. Apple launched subscriptions on the App Store back in February, but this is the first game service to take advantage of the sales model. Paul Thelen, the founder of Big Fish, told Bloomberg that the company also plans on readying an Android version by Q1 2012.

Neither Apple nor Big Fish have made an official announcement, so we're not sure when the subscription model will become available, or which games will be included. Still, it's a promising development — given the insane number of games available for Apple's devices, broader use of the subscription model may make premium titles more accessible.