Apple Recruiting Game Developers?

MacRumors · May 27, 2006, 01:53 AM

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Gamespot claims that according to a recruiter they have been in contact with, Apple has been heavily recruiting under the iTunes division for "C/C++ coders with a ‘gaming background.’"

The exact project planned is reportedly "super secret" with no details provided to the engineer.

Apple's hiring manager is reportedly Mike Lampell, a game developer/director who had been laid off from LucasArts in August 2004. Gamespot was unable to verify Lampell's current employment location. Based on these details, Gamespot speculates that Apple may be serious about game research and development.

Apple has previously been known to be recruiting for OpenGL programmers to optimize the Mac OS X's 3d graphics implementation. Meanwhile, other job postings indicated that Apple was recruiting specifically for 2D/3D graphics programmers with ARM7 RISC (iPod) processor experience. This job listing triggered speculation that Apple was working on more iPod-specific games.

bluebomberman · May 27, 2006, 01:55 AM

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=204252

No more Pippin jokes, please!

polyesterlester · May 27, 2006, 01:57 AM

Yippee! Hopefully this will bear some really good fruit.

Abstract · May 27, 2006, 02:01 AM

^^What, like Apples?

Um.......any chance that they hired game developers to improve in an aspect other than gaming, say the general GUI, or maybe even other software that requires a lot of human interaction? I don't see Apple becoming a video game company.

Atlasland · May 27, 2006, 02:02 AM

This is not real gentlemen!

This will never happen!!!

Pipe dreams... pipe dreams...

thejadedmonkey · May 27, 2006, 02:15 AM

Apple's doing something. My personal favorite idea is an iPod that has a front-row type of interface for the main menu. That's 3D Acceleration on a RISC CPU. iTunes, Game developers, RISC all in one.

Maybe it could even be used as the interface for the iPhone!

i-unit123 · May 27, 2006, 02:02 AM

I'm new to macrumors, and new to macs in general (just got an intel imac). i know that not many games are out for mac osx, but do you think that this could change? i read that apple was planning an igame, bu i heard a lot of other people say that was a dumb idea. anythoughts about apples future in the gaming industry (if it has one). btw, switching to macs is one of the best things i ever did by far. the imac is awesome!!!

(L) · May 27, 2006, 02:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i-unit123

I'm new to macrumors, and new to macs in general (just got an intel imac). i know that not many games are out for mac osx, but do you think that this could change? i read that apple was planning an igame, bu i heard a lot of other people say that was a dumb idea. anythoughts about apples future in the gaming industry (if it has one). btw, switching to macs is one of the best things i ever did by far. the imac is awesome!!!

Really though, you can't just hire your way into the industry. Say, Apple makes a touchscreen iPod/PDA sort of thing that can play games. So? I want a touchscreen iPod, not a teenage escapist device. I don't really need to have a PDA either. I just want a damn good audio player, that has a screen to view videos on the side, but at good quality. I don't want to pay 5oo bucks. I don't care if they hire a LucasArts guy or whatever, or even how great the games will be, IF they are to happen anyway. Apple sure as beans isn't going to be the next Nintendo, and by the super secret nature, they're probably finding a way to work in what they can to a device without losing the original vision - in other words, they're serious about gaming as a secondary functionality, but don't expect an XBOX sort of thing.

Bonte · May 27, 2006, 03:02 AM

Finally a good set of games for the iPod, maybe sell 3P games on iTunes?

dashiel · May 27, 2006, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by (L)

Apple sure as beans isn't going to be the next Nintendo

that's what everyone said about sony when they released the PS1. i don't think apple will enter the video game market, but i've seen way too many "it'll never happen", happen in the computer/ce industry to believe anything with any certainty.

just remember 18 months ago the very thought of all but two of apple's product lineup running on intel chips was ludicrous too.

Macnoviz · May 27, 2006, 03:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by (L)

Apple sure as beans isn't going to be the next Nintendo

Thread 500, anyone ??

wedge antilies · May 27, 2006, 04:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i-unit123

I'm new to macrumors, and new to macs in general (just got an intel imac)....btw, switching to macs is one of the best things i ever did by far. the imac is awesome!!!

Dear Friend, Let me be the first to say WELCOME.

WELCOME to MacRumors and more importantly WELCOME to the world of Apple.

Back on topic: I think we are looking at games for the iPod and iPhone(?) here. I think games on the iPod video could be a killer.
Remember the simplicity of Tetris was the killer app for Gameboy. Snake for the Nokia 5110, and now Brainage for the DS.
A few more simple addictive games could really push the Video iPod further, and downloading games from iTMS ids perfect.

-Red 2.

Sijmen · May 27, 2006, 04:31 AM

Games for iPod.. hmm. No.

I hope they are doing something with Mac gaming. I think that might be the #1 reason many people aren't switching. Ask any of my friends and they'll probably confirm it.

Seasought · May 27, 2006, 04:23 AM

I don't know what to think about this one.

My only thought would be that this is related to iPhone rumors. Perhaps this is part of a slow transition from iPods to iPhones (which is an iPod, a phone, pda, and games combined).

Unless Apple is going to start targeting the PC gaming market by forming their own development team releasing innovative games on OS X first, then porting to Windows.

This is interesting to say the least.

dernhelm · May 30, 2006, 06:14 AM

About 2-3 years ago (back when PPC ruled the roost) I was hoping (OK - actually predicted) that Apple would throw in with Nintendo and produce a derivative of the GameCube that would play Nintendo titles, but also run OS/X. When IBM announced the Cell with Sony I got even more hopeful that they'd produce something like an Amiga; with various additional processors keyed to tasks like gaming, in along with a general purpose CPU.

Once they announced the switch to Intel, I threw all that out the window.

And now they hire game programmers?

I give up...

May 27, 2006, 01:55 AM	#2
bluebomberman macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Queens, NYC	Earlier thread found here... http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=204252 No more Pippin jokes, please! __________________ Treo 700p.

May 27, 2006, 01:57 AM	#3
polyesterlester macrumors 6502 Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Soldotna, Alaska	Yippee! Hopefully this will bear some really good fruit. __________________ A Spoonful of Lester The sad, ongoing memoir of a young man learning to laugh at the fact that he's slowly dying. A blog.

May 27, 2006, 02:01 AM	#4
Abstract macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: It's classified.	^^What, like Apples? Um.......any chance that they hired game developers to improve in an aspect other than gaming, say the general GUI, or maybe even other software that requires a lot of human interaction? I don't see Apple becoming a video game company. __________________ "Oh, I've always wanted to touch Stanley," signs teacher Fran Zakoor, embracing the kids… ESPN Article, 04/09/2008

May 27, 2006, 02:02 AM	#5
Atlasland macrumors 6502 Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: London, UK	This is not real gentlemen! This will never happen!!! Pipe dreams... pipe dreams... __________________ iMac G5 20" 2.0Ghz Rev B; 2GB RAM; 250GB HD Miglia TV Mini iPod Nano White 4GB

May 27, 2006, 02:15 AM	#6
thejadedmonkey macrumors 68040 Join Date: May 2005 Location: Pa	Apple's doing something. My personal favorite idea is an iPod that has a front-row type of interface for the main menu. That's 3D Acceleration on a RISC CPU. iTunes, Game developers, RISC all in one. Maybe it could even be used as the interface for the iPhone! __________________ Mac Mini G4 • MacBook Pro • iPod Nano "Good judgement comes from experience, experience comes from bad judgement. - Mark Twain

May 27, 2006, 01:53 AM	#1
MacRumors macrumors bot Join Date: Apr 2001	Apple Recruiting Game Developers? http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif Gamespot claims that according to a recruiter they have been in contact with, Apple has been heavily recruiting under the iTunes division for "C/C++ coders with a ‘gaming background.’" The exact project planned is reportedly "super secret" with no details provided to the engineer. Apple's hiring manager is reportedly Mike Lampell, a game developer/director who had been laid off from LucasArts in August 2004. Gamespot was unable to verify Lampell's current employment location. Based on these details, Gamespot speculates that Apple may be serious about game research and development. Apple has previously been known to be recruiting for OpenGL programmers to optimize the Mac OS X's 3d graphics implementation. Meanwhile, other job postings indicated that Apple was recruiting specifically for 2D/3D graphics programmers with ARM7 RISC (iPod) processor experience. This job listing triggered speculation that Apple was working on more iPod-specific games.

May 27, 2006, 02:02 AM	#7
i-unit123 macrumors member Join Date: May 2006	gaming on mac osx I'm new to macrumors, and new to macs in general (just got an intel imac). i know that not many games are out for mac osx, but do you think that this could change? i read that apple was planning an igame, bu i heard a lot of other people say that was a dumb idea. anythoughts about apples future in the gaming industry (if it has one). btw, switching to macs is one of the best things i ever did by far. the imac is awesome!!!

May 27, 2006, 03:02 AM	#9
Bonte macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Bruges, Belgium	Finally a good set of games for the iPod, maybe sell 3P games on iTunes?

May 27, 2006, 04:31 AM	#13
Sijmen macrumors 6502a Join Date: Sep 2005	Games for iPod.. hmm. No. I hope they are doing something with Mac gaming. I think that might be the #1 reason many people aren't switching. Ask any of my friends and they'll probably confirm it.

May 27, 2006, 04:23 AM	#14
Seasought macrumors 65816 Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Chesterfield, MO	I don't know what to think about this one. My only thought would be that this is related to iPhone rumors. Perhaps this is part of a slow transition from iPods to iPhones (which is an iPod, a phone, pda, and games combined). Unless Apple is going to start targeting the PC gaming market by forming their own development team releasing innovative games on OS X first, then porting to Windows. This is interesting to say the least. __________________ "I wonder if you can refuse to inherit the world." -Calvin, The Essential Calvin and Hobbes

May 30, 2006, 06:14 AM	#15
dernhelm macrumors 65816 Join Date: May 2002 Location: middle earth	What I was hoping a a couple of years ago... About 2-3 years ago (back when PPC ruled the roost) I was hoping (OK - actually predicted) that Apple would throw in with Nintendo and produce a derivative of the GameCube that would play Nintendo titles, but also run OS/X. When IBM announced the Cell with Sony I got even more hopeful that they'd produce something like an Amiga; with various additional processors keyed to tasks like gaming, in along with a general purpose CPU. Once they announced the switch to Intel, I threw all that out the window. And now they hire game programmers? I give up... __________________ Five exclamation marks, the sure sign of an insane mind. --Terry Pratchett

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