Apple Gaming Console?

[tkoonce]

Would you buy a gaming console from Apple if they made one? Any ideas as what it should look like, or feaures it should have? (Not that this is going to happen, but just kinda like to see what everyone thinks)

[Chealion]

Do a Google on Apple's Pippen.

I highly doubt they are going to try doing consoles again.

[hvfsl]

The Pipin was released about the same time as the Playstation, but only in Japan. It had a few good fighting games and was more powerful than the PS, but not the n64. There were a lot of consoles released back then that have now failed, e.g. 3DO, NeoGeo CD and Amiga CD32.

It could run Mac PowerPC games as well as its own games, but Macs could not run Pipin games.

[FattyMembrane]

Originally posted by hvfsl
The Pipin was released about the same time as the Playstation, but only in Japan.

It could run Mac PowerPC games as well as its own games, but Macs could not run Pipin games.

actually, it was released in the U.S., but apparently apple did nothing to promote it and even kept developers in the dark about what to do with it. the american version was black and will fetch a hefty sum if you sell it (i can't remember, but i think there were fewer than 1000 produced). i'm not sure about this, but i think the plan was for a powermac to be able to play pippin games but not the other way around, but i could be completely off base with that one.

[Frohickey]

Originally posted by FattyMembrane
actually, it was released in the U.S., but apparently apple did nothing to promote it and even kept developers in the dark about what to do with it. the american version was black and will fetch a hefty sum if you sell it (i can't remember, but i think there were fewer than 1000 produced). i'm not sure about this, but i think the plan was for a powermac to be able to play pippin games but not the other way around, but i could be completely off base with that one.

If I'm not mistaken, the Pippin was during the CHRP years, when Apple was losing money in the licensing of the design. It was also during the Amelio days, when no one in the corner office had a clue.

Now, you have a glut of game consoles, dominated by Sony (PS2), followed closely by Microsoft (XBox) and Nintendo (N64/GameCube).

I doubt Apple would throw its hat in the ring, unless they can really do better than the 3.

[Dont Hurt Me]

I would rather they just start pumping up their computers to make them the gaming machine everyone wants( sort of like the dual G5.

[dstorey]

I'd like to see them do a deal win nintendo or sony, so that one of them could become part of the mac digital hubs, and games no mac would stop being an issue as it would open up a huge library of games. Imagine the playstation3 or next nintendo (maybe desgined liek the apple cube) sitting in the living room being the games box, tivo like box and Quicktime/iTunes streaming client/server (connected to hifi) It could connect to the network and internet via airport or ethernet, and even allow you to purchase songs via the iTunes music store on your tv, and be rondezvous enabled of course.

This would help sony or nintendo because it would allow them more intergration and a whole host of services and tools to offer. it would benifit the Mac as it would fill out the digital hub, remove the games problem and get its iTunes Music and future movie (only matter of time right?) stores to a wider audience. Of course it should be an option to play the sony or nintendo games on an mac (iMac min spec possibly) Bluetooth should be built in to allow sync with iPod/phone/pda, to allow them to be used as a remote for the streaming movies/music/tivo and for the wireless mouse/keyboard.

This intergration would help both comapanies as m$ is a threat to both and would help fight against m$'s vison of a xbox in every living room, which they hope will lead to the xbox becomeing more like a computer (it almost is) and them having another monolpoly edging Apple out further. M$ controlling the living room as well as the office is really scary! I think it may be possible for either sony or nin to work with apple, as isnt the next playstation gonna be based on an ibm chip, and nintendos usually use moto chips, not sure if they are power pc's, but they are risc's at least i think. The final wish would be to get jon Ive to design the box,,,,a cube or a brushed aliminium box to fit in the hifi stack would be cool.

[Maclarny]

Bandai promoted the Pippen. Big mistake...

[ScottDodson]

Bandai?? Whats wrong with Bandai?? The supreme game manufacturing company....

who can forget:

Chubby Cherub

http://consolemedia.gameworldnetwork.com/boxshots/nes/3939.jpg

Dance Aerobics

http://consolemedia.gameworldnetwork.com/boxshots/nes/3967.jpg

Toxic Crusaders

http://consolemedia.gameworldnetwork.com/boxshots/gameboy/1916.jpg

Or Even Dick Tracy

http://consolemedia.gameworldnetwork.com/boxshots/nes/3984.jpg

I think you have it wrong there buddy...apple was lucky to get Bandai to promote them with those smashing titles under their belts:rolleyes:!!!

.....actually the new gundam games are pretty cool ;)

[Chealion]

I've never even heard of those... Except Dick Tracy, but I've heard of the movie, not a game. The US versions were black, and the white ones were sold in Japan. It apparently sold quite a few in Japan, thanks to Bandai however.

[tpjunkie]

The reason you haven't heard of those games is because they were terrible. one of the reasons why the pippin failed. that and the $599 price tag among others.

[buseman]

Originally posted by Frohickey
Now, you have a glut of game consoles, dominated by Sony (PS2), followed closely by Microsoft (XBox) and Nintendo (N64/GameCube).

Actually, Nintendo has sold marginally more GameCubes than Microsoft has sold Xboxes, at least world wide. (Xbox is nearly non-existent in Japan for instance).

The amount of money Apple would have spent on making a successful console would be astroniomical. They should try to get a few games for the Mac platform first.. :rolleyes:

[MacsRgr8]

Originally posted by buseman

The amount of money Apple would have spent on making a successful console would be astroniomical. They should try to get a few games for the Mac platform first.. :rolleyes:

Maybe Apple could start making more of their own games. Making some gr8 games exclusively for the Mac, not only the "cute & cuddly" kids-games.
Or Apple could port some too (like Feral did; F1 CS 2000)?

[Macmaniac]

Well if they made an iBox that played both nintendo and PS games then they'd be set against XBox mainia!

[Makosuke]

I'd say partly on account of the Pippin fiasco, and partly because it just doesn't look like a friendly market (let alone somewhere Apple would want to be), the chances are essentially nill.

I do like dstorey's theory of a partnership with Sony or Nintendo (I'd go with the latter--they have a cleaner gaming image and the Gamecube is Apple-like in its elegance). I doubt it'll happen, but what with the talk of working with PVR companies, who knows.

Let's also not forget the days of Virtual GameStation, the professional Playstation emulator on the Mac. That boosted Apple's gaming image in the dark days, so it's not entirely impossible something like that would happen again.

Random side thought: Why is it that almost any game Bandai touches is a disaster (anybody remember the NES game M.U.S.C.L.E.?), but their anime division is so good? It's a mystery.

[Bunzi2k4]

the only things i remember from bandai was the powerrangers and v.r trooper games which were a lot of fun on the sega genesis and gamegear, i think i have them somewhere around here...? but i've seen a few new gundam games, there cool, but never played them, i hope their controlls are better than the armored core series...
i forgot, if you search on google mac game console or something like that, ther's this rumor page which has something about apple making a videogame console, if i can remember correctly, it was a dual 733 g4 processer (not too shabby :-P) 4 firewire ports for controllers/ipod and it said they were gonna make something like the new psx with burning capablilities/tivo... well if apple were to make a gaming console, i'd buy it... well mayb it depends if it can match up to the ps2 and xbox (mayb ps3 and xbox 2?)

[jamesatzones]

I heard a rumor from a client of mine that Apple is working on releasing a portable gaming system similiar to the GB but a little bigger and iPod features built in and able to play video. Who knows, Apple has several tricks up their sleeve and I am sure that we will see several new products in the next year. Now, this is what I have heard and is all I know!!! Would be cool...

[yamabushi]

A digital hub multimedia device? That sounds more in line with Apple's current strategy. Maybe It could be a device that would combine aspects of WebTV,TiVo,DVD Player,iPod, stereo or other devices.

If Apple were to partner with a console manufacturer, I think Sony is the better choice. There are some bad feelings from the PS emulator and from the Sony laptop batteries that caught fire, but these can be overcome.

Sony is the best choice because of three reasons. First, the new hardware being developed by Sony and IBM could potentially be added to one or more models of Macs. This would help increase the performance of those Macs as well as provide some hardware compatibility to make game ports to the Mac a bit better. Second, Sony has vast resources including games, brain power, industry influence, etc. Third, they have no love for Microsoft and Sony and Apple's combined efforts might be enough to pose a major threat. OSX on PS3? Tekken Tag Tournament and Gran Turismo on PowerMac? Add in a couple more major industry players and suddenly Microsoft is in big trouble.

[Tarje]

Pippin wasn't released, it was a beta version, for what I knew. Is it the only gaming console by Apple? :confused: 'cause I also heard that it was going to be released in 1998.

Greetings

Tarje

[Nermal]

While I don't see an Apple gaming console happening any time soon, I do think that if Apple wanted to make one, they could probably do it right. The most important thing is not the tech specs, or what it looks like, but what games are available. Who would want to buy a console with hardly any decent games? They would need to get some good developers on board, which could be tricky because they probably have existing agreements with Sony etc. I guess I've kind of contradicted myself here :)

[mgcman]

http://www.macgamecube.com is dedicated to covering all perspectives Apple<->gameconsole.

[manitoubalck]

Originally posted by ScottDodson
Bandai?? Whats wrong with Bandai?? The supreme game manufacturing company....

Nintendo followed by sega, followed by Rare, the others are insignificant

[switchedanhappy]

no pics?!? heres a pipin site w/ plenty o' pics.

http://assembler.roarvgm.com/Apple_Bandai_pippin/apple_bandai_pippin.html

and yeh, if apple made a game system, it would have an ibm 970 just like the g5, music/movie capabilities, a graphics card by ati, it would NOT use teh crappy gamecube cd's and it would have support for web and lan out of box. also, controllers would be wireless, only connecting to charge up. it would have a hdd and it would look like a jumbo aiport extreme base station. feel free to make suggestions.:D

[Doraemon]

Pippin Info (http://www.theapplemuseum.com/index.php?id=tam&page=misc&subpage=pippin)