TouchArcade

{{Infobox website

| name = TouchArcade

| logo = TouchArcade_2012_Logo.png

| logo_caption = Logo used since January 2012

| screenshot =

| caption =

| url = {{official URL}}

| commercial = Yes

| type = Mobile video game website

| registration = Optional

| language = English

| num_users =

| owner = TouchArcade.com, LLC

| founder = Arnold Kim

| editor = Jared Nelson

| launch_date = {{Start date and age|2008|03|12}}

| dissolved = {{End date|2024|09|16}}

| current_status = Dissolved

| country_of_origin = United States

}}

TouchArcade (stylized as toucharcade) is a mobile games journalism website. It was launched in 2008 as a sister site of MacRumors by its founder Arnold Kim and Blake Patterson. TouchArcade also hosts a forum and a weekly podcast.{{cite web|url=http://www.slidetoplay.com/exciting-things-ahead-for-mobile-gaming/|title=Exciting Things Ahead for Mobile Gaming|first=Chris |last=Reed|work=Slide to Play|access-date=October 26, 2015|archive-date=September 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915060707/http://www.slidetoplay.com/exciting-things-ahead-for-mobile-gaming/|url-status=dead}} Its operations were shut down in 2024.

History

TouchArcade was launched in 2008 as a blog by MacRumors founder Arnold Kim and Blake Patterson.{{cite web |last=Dredge |first=Stuart |date=November 6, 2009 |title=Top ten gaming blogs |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/top-ten-gaming-blogs/ |access-date=May 11, 2023 |publisher=CNET |archive-date=March 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327040315/https://www.cnet.com/news/top-ten-gaming-blogs/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Frommer |first=Dan |date=July 14, 2008 |title=Nephrologist To Mac Blogger: The Unlikely Career Path Of MacRumors' Arnold Kim |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/2008/7/nephrologist-to-mac-blogger-the-unlikely-career-path-of-macrumors-arnold-kim |access-date=May 10, 2023 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US |archive-date=December 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151226041045/http://www.businessinsider.com/2008/7/nephrologist-to-mac-blogger-the-unlikely-career-path-of-macrumors-arnold-kim |url-status=live }} The spinoff site "(tracked) the new games available for the iPhone and iPod Touch".{{Cite web |last=Stelter |first=Brian |author-link=Brian Stelter |date=July 21, 2008 |title=My Son, the Blogger: An M.D. Trades Medicine for Apple Rumors |website=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/technology/21blogger.html |url-access=limited |access-date=May 11, 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=July 22, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080722001110/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/technology/21blogger.html |url-status=live }} It also included articles, reviews and a forum.{{cite magazine |last=McCracken |first=Harry |author-link=Harry McCracken |date=16 August 2011 |title=Touch Arcade |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2087815_2087939_2087933,00.html |access-date=May 11, 2023 |magazine=Time}} Eli Hodapp became editor-in-chief in 2009.{{cite web |author=Hodapp |first=Eli |date=5 March 2019 |title=We're losing the history of the App Store {{!}} Opinion |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-03-05-were-losing-the-history-of-the-app-store |access-date=4 May 2019 |publisher=Gamesindustry.biz |archive-date=March 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190305181156/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-03-05-were-losing-the-history-of-the-app-store |url-status=live }}

In 2012, TouchArcade released an iOS app which included mobile game listings.{{cite web |last=Scott |first=Jeff |date=May 8, 2012 |title=TouchArcade App Now Available |url=http://www.148apps.com/news/toucharcade-app/ |access-date=May 11, 2023 |work=148Apps |archive-date=March 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308231658/https://www.148apps.com/news/toucharcade-app/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |author=Herbert |first=Chris |date=May 8, 2012 |title=Review: TouchArcade for iPhone |url=https://www.macstories.net/reviews/review-toucharcade-for-iphone/ |access-date=May 11, 2023 |work=MacStories |archive-date=May 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510071833/https://www.macstories.net/reviews/review-toucharcade-for-iphone/ |url-status=live }} In June 2015, TouchArcade launched a Patreon for crowdfunded donations. Hodapp explained that mobile game journalism has been struggling as developers shifted towards in-app advertising, and that ad revenue for the website was plummeting.{{cite web |last=Dredge |first=Stuart |date=June 24, 2015 |title=TouchArcade Patreon raises wider issues of online journalism economics |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/24/toucharcade-patreon-online-journalism-economics |access-date=November 16, 2023 |work=The Guardian |archive-date=July 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703102226/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/24/toucharcade-patreon-online-journalism-economics |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Rossignol |first=Joe |date=June 24, 2015 |title=App Store's Emphasis on Chart Positioning Squeezing Out Developers and Media Publications |url=https://www.macrumors.com/2015/06/24/app-store-disparity-developers-gaming-websites/ |access-date=May 11, 2023 |website=MacRumors |language=en |archive-date=August 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230828210518/https://www.macrumors.com/2015/06/24/app-store-disparity-developers-gaming-websites/ |url-status=live }} Hodapp stepped down from his position in 2019 to focus on his role as co-founder of GameClub,{{Cite web |last=Gallagher |first=William |date=March 6, 2019 |title=Old iPad and iPhone games left behind by march of iOS could come back to life |url=https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/03/06/old-ipad-and-iphone-games-left-behind-by-march-of-ios-could-come-back-to-life |access-date=May 11, 2023 |website=AppleInsider |language=en |archive-date=August 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230828210525/https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/03/06/old-ipad-and-iphone-games-left-behind-by-march-of-ios-could-come-back-to-life |url-status=live }} and Jared Nelson succeeded him as editor-in-chief.{{Cite web |last=Totilo |first=Stephen |date=January 7, 2022 |title=The future of mobile gaming |url=https://www.axios.com/2022/01/06/mobile-gaming-future-2022 |access-date=May 11, 2023 |website=Axios}}

On September 16, 2024, TouchArcade announced that it would be shutting down its operations while keeping the website online.{{Cite web |last=Nelson |first=Jared |date=September 16, 2024 |title=TouchArcade is Shutting Down |url=https://toucharcade.com/2024/09/16/toucharcade-is-shutting-down/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240916170702/https://toucharcade.com/2024/09/16/toucharcade-is-shutting-down/ |archive-date=September 16, 2024 |access-date=September 16, 2024 |website=TouchArcade |language=en-US}}

Reception

In 2009, CNET ranked TouchArcade sixth on its list of the top ten gaming blogs. Time named it one of The 50 Best Websites of 2011 and described its reviews as a "cogent, reliable guide" to the games in the App Store.

References

External links

{{Official website|toucharcade.com}}

Category:Defunct American websites

Category:Video game news websites

Category:American gaming websites

Category:Internet properties established in 2008

Category:Internet properties disestablished in 2024