Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Desktops, Gaming, Hardware, iTS, Rumors, Software, iTunes, App Store
The evidence for an Apple game console
I think the whole "Apple buying Twitter" rumor floating around is about as much of a crock as the "Apple buying EA" one. But I give slightly more credence to this conclusion: that, despite the painful experience of Pippin, Apple is once again putting together a game console. Why? Let the evidence from BNET convince you. First, Apple is picking up game execs and console chip makers left and right. Second is a whole slew of recent patents, for everything from mixing up media and game environments to management of games acquired from a media server. And third, though BNET doesn't actually connect the dots and say it, we will: Apple is sitting on what might be the best library of independent games anywhere, and it's sitting right in front of us in iTunes' App Store.
For years, console makers have depended on the mercy of publishers to keep their hardware going -- they sell the hardware at a loss, and then rely on the software sales and licensing to make it all back up again. But think of what Apple could do here: improve the AppleTV or Mac Mini, throw in some kind of Wii-like interface, and then break the whole thing open in the same way they did with the App Store: let developers in with a really low cost of entry, give them the tools they need to create solid games, and just take a nice cut from all of the tiny transactions flowing back and forth.
BNET claims that the iPhone's interface wouldn't work on a larger console, but why not? All Apple has to do is figure out a way to translate the iPhone's gestures and taps into a console system, and then they can practically run the games natively. Sure, the resolution would be a little low with a straight port, but that's a small problem to fix. Apple already has the makings of a game console with the iPod touch, and while the rumors may still just be rumors, there's never been a better time for them to leverage what they've already got.
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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
stainboy said 11:43AM on 5-08-2009
this is so much baloney...and it's old, rancid baloney at that because we've heard this over and over. just because Apple snatched up people who formerly worked on a game console team does not mean Apple's making a console. when they hired Sculley, did they go into the soda business? RUMOR: Apple hires former pizza delivery driver; OMFG is Apple going to expand Cafe Macs into Apple Stores?
guess what...people's skills translate to other industries. picking up a former Xbox exec may mean they want him for gaming on the iPhone...or for his skills in overseeing a successful team, one which may be totally unrelated to gaming.
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EMoShunz said 11:47AM on 5-08-2009
as mentioned above, just too much competition in that space. however, if apple can take 8% of the market and make it profitable like they have with computers, then profit is profit.
my thought, it'll be more of a companion piece, i.e. the touch/iphone interacting with a redesigned mac mini/appletv type device as an enhancement to gaming... not a stand alone system.
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akatsuki said 11:52AM on 5-08-2009
The Wii controller has its limits, so I think a gesture based system using an EyeToy like camera system would be more likely (even MS is going this way apparently).
A gaming system could make sense, especially if they get (1) the APIs right and (2) the economics right. The Wii has shown that you don't need the hardcore gamers to have success, and video cards keep dropping in price, so they could easily put something together out of commodity hardware that would at least be decent.
Their distribution model even works, since optical disks probably won't appear on the next gen of systems either.
When would I give credence to this rumor? When you hear about Apple having conferences with various game developers to see what they want out of the next generation systems. Also, we are currently in the middle of a release cycle, typically not the best time to go for the next hardware, so they probably have a couple more years.
And of course, Apple has never really gotten social networking of community based systems -- essential for any console system in the next gen.
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akatsuki said 11:53AM on 5-08-2009
Oh and one more thing, they would have to convince game developers they were serious this time and not going to leave them hanging out to dry like they have every other time they had a gaming initiative.
required said 11:55AM on 5-08-2009
I'd say that the Macintosh has way more of the makings of a game console than the iphonepodtouch has (heck so does the itv) and look where that has gotten in it. Also that Pippin flop was big, few would go down that road again. In other words, Apple and gaming? No.
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modok said 11:56AM on 5-08-2009
as a fan of Apple and a video game fanatic, i have to say no more consoles. not that i want the one console to rule them all that most of the Devs and Execs want. i own a PS3 and xbox360, don't make me buy another console. please. the facts are that competition is always good for the market, giving way to new and exciting ventures. but if there are too many systems out there, and too many ways that devs have to develop a single game cross-platform then we're going to have more exclusives and that means less for everyone. or a game will go mulit-console, but the cost will rise. which i'm sure no one wants. unless that is, if Apple does something truly revolutionary and ditches physical copies. with the success of Apps and the App Store, i can see a future system that utilizes not the touch tech, it's limited, but the ability to completely D/L games direct to the console. that seems to make more sense to me than anything else they might be plotting...IMO
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joem said 12:13PM on 5-08-2009
I doubt Apple is working on a game console for a few reasons:
First, when Apple jumped into the cellphone field with the iPhone, that was because cellphone design totally sucked. Hell, I have a fairly recent (non-smartphone) cellphone, and it still takes me forever just to access the calculator. Maybe there are improvements to be made in the game console world, but they're not nearly as drastic as Apple seems to like.
Second, the console world was recently shaken up by the Wii. It's probably too soon to attempt to shake it up again, were Apple to introduce some sort of touch screen controller.
Third, as others have noted, gamers want tactility. Unless Apple develops a touchscreen interface that also reshapes itself physically, gamers won't accept it. And even if they did that, gamers would probably still hate it.
Are there any companies more speculated about than Apple?
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Nate said 12:23PM on 5-08-2009
This is unlikely because the price of game consoles is so low. On top of that the revenue model slated by many console manufacturers that money can be skimmed off of game sales is largely hit and miss. In order for Apple to enter this market they would need to introduce an entirely new revenue model. Perhaps they will take a subscription based approach but again I find it unlikely.
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mcdj said 12:29PM on 5-08-2009
If the game studios ported their console games to an Apple machine, that's one thing, but if the library is limited to iPhone games, it won't fly very long or far. I see a very small market for a console that plays a port of Rolando on a 40" HDTV.
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Justin said 12:31PM on 5-08-2009
What I think some people are failing to realize here is that $200+ for a controller for a console system would be a very poor idea. While I think the technologies from the iPhone/iPod touch could be useful, I don't think we'd want them to be the primary controller (for a 4 person capable gaming machine you'd have to drop $800+ on controllers alone). Now, the optional ability to use an iPhone or a touch as a controller would be great if you already had one.
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jimbeam said 12:41PM on 5-08-2009
I think this would be a great! Apple could easly take a chunck of the gaming market. They have thousands of developers already on board and millions of people already playing games on apples iPhone/iPod touch. They have a great distrobution method. All they need to do is pull the trigger and they are in.
Just set up the same system with they appleTV or mini, with the iphone/ipod touch as the controller. Advertise the hell out of it, through EA and all the big names out, like they did the iphone keynotes. Set the price right and millions of kids, who are already playing those games on the ipod touch and iphone, would be all over that thing.
Sell a cheap ipod touch with dumb down specs as a second/alternitive controler option and they are set.
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thebluedino said 2:04PM on 5-08-2009
I dont think apple would develop an exclusive game console, but i could definitely see them bringing the app store to macs as well as the apple tv. I'd imagine you could put together an apple tv unit with a 1.6 atom processor and a cheap but capable graphics chip and have a inexpensive unit capable of wii quality games. Combine that with an app store and that magic wand controller apple filed a patent for and you'd have a decent unit for music/tv as well as casual games.
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Erik Sherman said 12:57PM on 5-08-2009
First, thanks for the link to my piece in BNET.
Next, I'm not trying to suggest a separate console. What is clear in the Apple patents is that they see the value of something that hosted both games and media, because of the potential interactions. So whatever something would get called, I'd expect it to be either a gaming iPod or a gaming iPhone.
Also, some noted that hiring an ex Xbox person doesn't mean doing games. True enough, but add in that one of the chip guys was behind the GameCube's processor, and it starts looking far more compelling.
Although I didn't mention iPhone developers doing game apps, I do agree, and mentioned it in another blog. Why buy EA when they could buy a number of application development shops already creating for the format? And why would Apple want to buy a company that was so tied in with the PC platform?
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phil said 12:23AM on 5-11-2009
don't worry: your article made that clear, erik. i imagined something like the GTA series--wherein you can change radio stations, and on a PC, use your own music directory--only running on a gaming-enhanced ipod touch/iphone. TUAW is not the dumbest or most fanatical apple blog out there, but they do tend to get overly excited about things sometimes.
Tyrannous said 1:22PM on 5-08-2009
"i'd buy that for a dollar!"
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dmcintosh said 11:45AM on 5-12-2009
Which reference: Robocop, or Americathon?
Kyle said 5:36PM on 5-08-2009
I'm all for this, and I think people who oppose it aren't thinking about it the right way. Imagine if there was an App Store for the existing Apple TV. Imagine if you could buy a downloadable game in the style of Scene It. And because the Apple TV in connected to the internet, it could have a huge library of content. I think there is some real possibility in things like that, not necessarily taking on the XBox 360 and PS3. Heck, XBox Live already has this as an Arcade store for buying small, less-intense games.
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jimbeam said 6:53PM on 5-08-2009
Really, this is something they can push to all existing mac's. Add a half decent graphics card to the apple TV and a cheap watered down ipod touch as the controller and ever existing mac is now a game console. Why limit it to just the appleTV an mini?
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basscadet said 11:26AM on 5-09-2009
Will it be Pippin compatible?
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sodapop said 4:06PM on 5-09-2009
Although Apple would never do this, I would love for the iPhone OS to run on my old MacBook G3 (and other old Macs) They could bill it as a green initiative (recycling old hardware) and create a low cost mac tier at the same time. And an obvious entry-drug to iPhones and Macs. This could be Apple's net book. iPhone OS users would still drive revenue by buying apps and media.
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