Mac Mini as Gaming Console?

Here's a blogger who speculates that perhaps Apple will create a Mac mini that will be the centerpiece of a media center product. Not a new idea. The difference between his speculation and that by dozens of others in the Mac Web is that he suggests this Mac mini media center product might also be a gaming console. His reasoning is that if Microsoft can make inroads into the media center market with the Xbox 360, then so can Apple with an updated Mac mini.

Interesting speculation, but I think it's just wrong. Apple hasn't been interested in being in the gaming console market for more than a decade. For the vast majority of game manufacturers, making their games run on Macs is an afterthought if ever at all. Already they must consider four versions of their games: Xbox, PS2, GameCube, and PC, and as most gamers know, some games never make even to the four major platforms. And now....if this speculation is correct, they'd have to consider a very small 5th platform? It's just not going to happen, even if the new Mac mini can run PC games natively (Wine-like execution layer, Windows-native OS, etc.). Furthermore, Microsoft has been buying their way into the gaming market for years, taking a loss on every Xbox ever sold (to the tune of $300 on each Xbox 360) and they're still not "killing" their competitors Sony and Nintendo.

Apple doesn't need to be in the gaming console market to succeed in creating a successful media center product. Simply creating a product that's attractive and easy-to-use--perhaps incorporating a nice programmable remote control--product to play media content from our PCs and from the iTunes Store will be enough to make it successful.

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Source: http://apple-in-the-news.blogspot.com/2005/12/apple-mac-mini…

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Rumors Mac mini

Here's a blogger who speculates that perhaps Apple will create a Mac mini that will be the centerpiece of a media center product. Not a new...

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Duncan Riley

Only if they are going to run MAME and license ROMs is it going to work :-)

January 04 2006 at 8:06 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

JL de Vries

Speculation has it that the revolutions CPU is just a souped up gamecube CPU which in turn was a slightly modified G3... Couldn't rosetta then deal with emulating the Revolution CPU? Also the GPU from ATI appearantly is not that stong, and could be handled natively by a mini ATI GPU.

With the gamecube nintendo had a cooperation with Panasonic for a special gamecube that could play dvd's, so why not this time with apple? Apple has the infrastructure nintendo still needs for distributing the games. Buy your snes games through ITMS?

Would definately be cool to be able to play revolution games on the mini!

January 04 2006 at 12:06 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Noah

You mean http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Pippin ?

January 02 2006 at 1:21 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

ChillyWilly

Considering Apple's last venture into a gaming device never saw the light of day (Pippen), I would say that this is very unlikely.

But, I can see a Mac mini-based entertainment system, but mostly for TV shows and movies.

December 31 2005 at 4:28 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

guerro

Apple is going to introduce a media center mini. Intel are building the motherboards for them now. I doubt it will have any gaming function, however.

December 31 2005 at 3:33 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Tyler

can't wait to join the TUAW iHalo guild on iLive.... :)

December 31 2005 at 3:04 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Darrell

I love the idea of a collaboration between Nintendo and Apple for a new game console. As Thomas (#4) suggests, they could play off of each other strengths. The team idea makes me ponder great things including sugar plums dancing in my head. Peace.
Dar

December 31 2005 at 3:00 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

thomas barta

All the Mini needs to make it happen is a more current video card. Remember: Microsuck LOSES money on the Xbox; Apple MAKES money on the Mini.

Hard core gamers tend to extol the console, and, to be sure consoles have been a steeply rising fraction of the computer game biz. But, with console prices RISING and Mac prices FALLING, there WILL be a tipping point.

December 31 2005 at 2:43 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

narco

HIGHLY unlikely. I do plan on purchasing a Mac mini and loading all of my NES/SNES/GENESIS/2600/5200 ROMS onto it and playing video games on my projector. Since that will be the main use, I guess it could kind of be considered to be a gaming console.

Fishes,
narco.

December 31 2005 at 12:10 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Jaime

As flash game programmer, I like the idea that apple takes games more seriously, maybe as fcodc says, ipod could support games, and maybe there could be a service like the itunes store where I could sell my games!

What maybe Apple has in mind is getting exclusive games to get more switchers, but I think that is not possible, there should be a big ammount with enough atractiveness to it, and looking how the sector is right now, I find it very difficult.

So if it indeed wants to get a foot in gaming, I would advise them to join Nintendo, the Revolution already looks a little like the mac mini, and I think they're games are the best, so go for it! Otherwise, what do you think of the iTunes game store for macs, ipods and phones ?

December 31 2005 at 10:02 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply