Apple should have a video game console system...

[waltchan]

Microsoft has, which is the Xbox 360, why not Apple?

[Josh396]

As much as I would love to see this happen, just to see the design Apple would come up with, I don't think it ever will.

[Chundles]

Well, they probably won't do it again, what with the Pippin being such an unmitigated disaster.

[GFLPraxis]

Not enough third party support, and entering the console market is a losing proposition. Microsoft lost $5 billion dollars to enter the market and get the XBox 360 higher than last place (2nd out of 3). Meanwhile, Nintendo is like the Apple of the console world, being the most profitable despite being in 3rd place.


Consider: Microsoft LOST $5 billion to gain a 16% worldwide market share. On top of that, they're losing a TON of money due to shortages on the 360. (source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/6140325.html ) On top of THAT, they spent millions/billions in R&D and are selling the 360 at a small (estimated $40, possibly more- the build cost is supposedly $340, but retailers take a small markup so MS is probably selling it to them for $280 or less) loss, thus losing money on every system sold AND on actually developing the system.

Sony is also spending millions/billions on R&D and planning to sell the system at a loss to get people to buy it.

Nintendo, on the other hand, is planning to sell their system at a profit (like they have done on every system they've ever sold).

The game market is profitable- that is, the software. The console market hardly is anymore; it takes years for it to pay off, and if you fail, you take billions in losses from the R&D and marketting. Consoles themselves are hardly profitable (with the sole exception of Nintendo); the companies try to make up with the losses with overpriced peripherals, first party games, and forced subscription services (XBox Live), but in Microsoft's case was not enough.

Apple has IIRC 8 billion in the bank. If they did the same thing as Microsoft they'd lose half of that just to get a 16% marketshare. But what if they did the same thing, and DIDN'T score a Halo (which made Microsoft millions- the release of Halo 2 was the only quarter Microsoft wasn't in the negative), or DIDN'T score as great a marketshare as the XBox? They'd lose even more and wouldn't be guaranteed to make it up with the successor (which would be sold with the intention of making money).



It's not worth it to Apple. It WOULD be worth it to team up with a console maker like Sony or Nintendo and integrate it with Macs and/or iPods, but it would not be worth it for them to make their own.

[Chundles]

So Microsoft makes a loss on the 360??

BUY!! BUY HUNDREDS OF THEM!!!

[Kobushi]

So Microsoft makes a loss on the 360??

BUY!! BUY HUNDREDS OF THEM!!!

Heh, I saw a FoxTrot cartoon on this once. Jason couldn't understand why they'd lose money selling them and wanted to know why Microsoft didn't just buy Xboxes from retail stores like everyone else.


I'd buy an apple made console. If the right games were there.

[James L]

Microsoft has, which is the Xbox 360, why not Apple?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Pippin

Been there, done that.

Utter failure.

[shadowmoses]

The console market already has enough players, it would be seriously hard for another console to fit in and bemcome successful.....

Aswell as this i dont see there being any chance whatsoever of apple releasing a console,

Shadow

[pknz]

Well well well, I have learnt something yet again from the great ocean of knowledge that is MR and Wikipedia.

[crachoar]

More or less - that's the worst idea ever.

Just because they've been lucky with the iPod, doesn't mean they should go about making everything.

[Viewtiful Rich]

It's already breaking me keeping Nintendo afloat, I don't want to have to support Apple in the gaming world as well :p

I wish Apple would just include a simple and clean card suite with the OS... that would make me happy as far as Apple entering the gaming world.

[GFLPraxis]

So Microsoft makes a loss on the 360??

BUY!! BUY HUNDREDS OF THEM!!!

Yes, but a smaller loss than the first XBox did; small enough that they can make it up on the overpriced accessories ($40 for a 64 MB memory card, $99 for a 20 GB hard drive, $99 for WiFi- this isn't just MS, accessories have traditionally always been proprietary and overpriced, the new systems are changing that as Rev supports SD and PS3 supports SD, CF, and MS), $60 games, and XBox Live subscriptions (remember, five years of XBox Live is $250 in the clear for Microsoft).

IIRC, Microsoft is following the loss-leader strategy that Sony does this time. Sell the system for a loss initially, and then sell for a profit later on. Sony has always done that. Microsoft, last time, sold for a loss the entire life cycle of the XBox and did horribly because of that.

[BornAgainMac]

The profits are in the game titles. Perhaps Apple should focus on that and also make normal Macs more appealing to game developers.

Microsoft may lose money on the hardware but they probably make it up on the software they sell for it.

[mkjj]

Microsoft could not give the old Xbox away in Japan! Even the old PSOne outsold it!

[Mord]

even the superswan beat the xbox in japan,

[Dagless]

They'd be like Nintendo. focusing on the gaming experience rather than cutting edge graphics. this is why I keep imagining Nintendo teaming up with Apple at some point, they are both so similar. I hope Apple do make a console, I'd buy it.

[AppleinJapan]

Microsoft could not give the old Xbox away in Japan! Even the old PSOne outsold it!

Thats right !! the x-box (i bought one second hand) never really sold well here in Japan ! I liked it (Star wars games) but Japanese people love japanese companies and APPLE.

Apple should include an emulator from Nintendo for their next intel system

[betty02]

Just buy a mac mini, wire it up to a TV, use that as a new games console, as much as i would love for it to happen, i don't think it is, the shorted of games will be one big issue, let alone everything else.

[Dont Hurt Me]

Its so ironic that PPC painted Apple into no mans land and now all the consoles are going PPC. Tell me Xbox wont have supply issues for a long time........

[cubist]

Its so ironic that PPC painted Apple into no mans land and now all the consoles are going PPC...

Yes, it's funny, DHM... also kind of funny that the consoles have plenty of performance for great gaming and good frame rates, and can run on low power with no fans (GameCube), yet Apple has to transition away from PPC because... what was the alleged reason again? (BTW I am still miffed that I missed out on your Quicksilver:mad: )

[Dagless]

Its so ironic that PPC painted Apple into no mans land and now all the consoles are going PPC. Tell me Xbox wont have supply issues for a long time........

Just now consoles are going PPC? The cube has been using PPC since 2001.

and it does have a fan. or at least mine does! there are 2 vents on the sides, one has a fan.

[GFLPraxis]

Microsoft may lose money on the hardware but they probably make it up on the software they sell for it.

Well, that was the plan. The first XBox, due to miscalculations, sold for a much bigger loss than intended and ended up losing five billion dollars overall, counting software.

The XBox 360 was supposed to make a profit, but because of the shortages, Microsoft's taking really bad losses and dragging down the entire industry's numbers.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6140325.html

"This [Xbox 360] shortfall alone could cause a shift in holiday software sales from positive to negative territory."

[GFLPraxis]

Yes, but a smaller loss than the first XBox did; small enough that they can make it up on the overpriced accessories ($40 for a 64 MB memory card, $99 for a 20 GB hard drive, $99 for WiFi- this isn't just MS, accessories have traditionally always been proprietary and overpriced, the new systems are changing that as Rev supports SD and PS3 supports SD, CF, and MS), $60 games, and XBox Live subscriptions (remember, five years of XBox Live is $250 in the clear for Microsoft).

IIRC, Microsoft is following the loss-leader strategy that Sony does this time. Sell the system for a loss initially, and then sell for a profit later on. Sony has always done that. Microsoft, last time, sold for a loss the entire life cycle of the XBox and did horribly because of that.

Or perhaps I was wrong.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=1930337#post1930337
They're taking a much bigger loss than Merrill Lynch estimated.